All teachers want their students to be able to participate in class discussions, to talk confidently and with conviction about a topic, and to share their insights and perceptions about that topic. When teachers take the time to introduce, define and demonstrate how to use the seven essential literacy skills, students are able to apply them to their own reading. They are able to break down those complex phrases and inferences to make meaning.
Clearing the Path for Developing Learners with Peg Grafwallner
Clearing the Path for Developing Learners: Essential Literacy Skills to Support Achievement in Every Content Area is a book that came about after educators in Peg’s district began breaking down what essential literacy skills made their appears in standards, curriculum, and other areas. While I’ll let her talk more about these seven essential skills, I will say that Peg was recently a guest speaker for my Curriculum and Instructional Leadership course discussing these very skills. I think you will find a lot of applications in what Peg is discussing along with the usefulness her new book can provide districts.
After you listen to today's episode, go to www.escottengland.com and click on the Podcast tab at the top to find today's episode page and read more about Peg.
Adolescent Literacy Series - #7 of 7: Delineate and Evaluate an Argument
Every day, in every classroom, students are expected to understand and analyze arguments. However, this work requires students to possess and practice explicit communication skills that some have not adequately developed. To be successful 21st century learners and professionals, students must be able to understand that not all information is reliable; in addition, they must be able to determine credible sources, conduct research, and think critically about texts. Delineating and evaluating arguments is a vital skill students require in academics and beyond.
Adolescent Literacy Series - #6 of 7: Inference
The value of being able to infer – to apply inferences when reading – is necessary in the classroom and beyond. By giving students adequate practice in the classroom, teachers support them to move toward automaticity, which they’ll need to transfer the skill to diverse contexts beyond academic learning.
Adolescent Literacy Series - #5 of 7: Compare and Contrast
One might contend that the foundational skill of compare and contrast is a challenging skill for some children to master and, as a result, we should hold off teaching it until a certain age or a certain grade level. However, we know that when skills are introduced at an early level – even in the most basic formats – we are providing that background knowledge that becomes so necessary later in our students’ academic careers.
Read More Here
Adolescent Literacy Series - #3 of 7: Vocabulary
Vocabulary is the key to understanding what we want our students to know and be able to do; without it, our students are unlikely to comprehend the complex content in front of them. We know academic vocabulary is the mainstay of the classroom experience and what it has to offer.
Adolescent Literacy Series - #1 of 7: Annotation and Personal Inquiry
We want our students to interact with text in a personal way; to make inquiries and comments that demonstrate their learning in a way that makes sense to them. To comprehend text, one must deconstruct the text. That deconstruction begins with explicit directions from the teacher on how to read the text and make meaning from it.
Adolescent Literacy Series - Introduction: The Seven Proficiencies
In 2014, I became an Academic Coach at Ronald W. Reagan College Preparatory high school in Milwaukee. The position was relatively new to RRHS, so I had the opportunity to make it my own. My principal, however, was clear on one specific component of my position: raise ACT reading scores. I had some background in the ACT College and Career Reading, Writing and English standards as an ACT test preparation teacher for those subjects; but, to help our students in moving beyond Reagan’s current score, I knew I needed to immerse myself in the ACT skills.