Struggling adolescents need engagement and proven instruction to improve their literacy skills and advance to grade level

Introduction to eBook

Even with improved literacy instruction in the early grades, some students are not able to keep up with the increasing demands of reading and writing as they enter middle and high school. These students do not successfully transition from learning to read to reading to learn; they struggle with deep reading skills and need significant support in vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Frustration, self-doubt, embarrassment, and even depression often accompany these serious literacy deficiencies, while discouragement and lack of motivation leads to a high risk of dropping out of school— limiting future opportunities. This is our adolescent reading crisis.

This crisis is complex, and not easily corrected. Left unaddressed, older students who have fallen behind may never catch up to their peers. However, substantial evidence proves if adolescent students receive the right instruction, provided in a way that meets their unique needs, they can learn, progress, and succeed.