Literacy Now

All grade levels have students who need intervention strategies to boost basic reading skills; this includes the high school level, a target group often overlooked when it comes to instructional strategies. In order for students to make the most progress during their time with an intervention teacher, the Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports says Tier III reading interventions must be “individualized and intensive.” What can be difficult for intervention teachers is the lack of motivation some students have for such rigorous intervention strategies.

While motivation is complex to measure quantitatively, teachers may argue it is easy to observe through student behaviors, such as readily conversing in cooperative groups and engaging with the work through questioning, discovery, and application. Lack of motivation presents through refusal to work or participate, speeding through diagnostic and monitoring assessments, or sporadic attendance. For a reading class, student motivation is a fine line because one encourages students who, typically, want to master skills for which they know they have a deficit but also for which they do not want to admit that they have a deficit.

Students are placed into the Tier III setting because they have a detrimental skills gap. The challenge for teachers becomes walking that line of how to increase classwork motivation while still giving explicit instruction on fundamental reading and phonics strategies to teenagers. Many social and emotional concerns have to be delicately addressed, considering reading is a basic skill learned by majority of modern society at a very young age. Teenagers in my class have expressed resistance through exclamations such as “I don’t need this work; I really can read” and “I don’t want anyone to know I’m in this class.” Because Tier III reading includes elementary-level instruction on phonics and vocabulary with applications of prosody, the practice must be contextualized to help preserve teenage dignity.

Relating Reading Skills to Other Content Areas

What may be the easiest and most obvious application for the learning is relating the skills to other content areas. Students learn ways to use their phonics and vocabulary skills to pass their biology or algebra tests, topics not connected to typical language arts classes. Therefore, students should understand that Tier III reading is different than a language arts class. Tier III reading instruction is not content-specific. The foundational knowledge is a prerequisite to achievement in all subjects, and a direct connection to success in all academic areas gives a whole new reason for learning the skills. When discussing this with students, include the usefulness of the learned skills in earning graduation credits or conversing with peers about the subject matter. Suddenly, phonics practice with elementary words is now helpful with a task in Physics.

Perhaps more than any other grade level, high school students need to feel they are not wasting their time at school; they need to understand their learning is useful outside of the classroom. To maximize student buy-in at this level, students must genuinely understand that the lessons’ skills are purposeful in their current and future lives. My students have researched potential careers after graduation, they have written responses for various interview questions, and some have brought in applications for an after-school job. I conference with students for each situation and consistently draw connections to our word-skill practice. The results are stronger relationships between teacher and students and students’ growing intrinsic motivation to learn more about reading.

Weaving in Real-World Connections to the Lesson

In a playful application, students plan lavish vacations. National Geographic offers remarkable destination trips to every continent, and the Orient Express suggests historic expeditions across Europe and Asia. My students have planned extravagant trips with private jets and luxury ships and then presented their day-by-day itineraries to the class. Everyone enjoyed the fantastical descriptions of the sights and the wild dreams of this kind of travel. Most importantly, the research and synthesis required all the reading skills from the intervention lessons.

Motivation and engagement are fruitless if students do not leave the lesson with a
thorough understanding of the application of the practiced reading skills. So more important than merely offering different projects, the teacher must explicitly connect the skill’s knowledge to the skill’s application; transference is vital. With these real-world opportunities, secondary students will have a greater sense of buy-in to the intervention methods as they increase their independence with the skills thus increasing their overall academic success.

Samantha Bart-Addison is a 20-year veteran teacher at Seckinger High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia. She currently teaches Tier III Reading Interventions and other various types of learners. Her goal is to share engaging differentiated strategies to support teachers in the classroom.

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Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction: Part I

Literacy Today magazine: Reflecting Every Reader

Have you ever watched your students ace grammar worksheets only to see those same skills vanish in their writing? You're not alone! When I discovered mentor texts for grammar instruction, everything changed in my classroom.

Mentor Texts and the Standards Challenge

Think of mentor texts as your grammar instruction's best friends. They're amazing pieces of writing that showcase the grammar concepts you want to teach. Here's something important I discovered along the way: While published authors create beautiful, effective writing, they often bend grammar rules for stylistic purposes. For example, many skilled writers skip the comma before a conjunction in compound sentences—which works beautifully for their style, but doesn't align with state standards.

This created a dilemma for me. I loved using authentic texts, but I needed to teach standard grammar conventions. What to do?

Mentor Text Workarounds

Thankfully, you don't need to abandon your favorite mentor texts! Here are three approaches that have worked wonderfully:

• Cherry-pick perfect examples: Select individual sentences or short passages from mentor texts that do align with standard grammar. Use these gems to study sentence construction and expansion.
• Adapt beloved texts: I've found success taking published text and adapting it (with proper attribution) to demonstrate standard grammar usage. This gives students the best of both worlds—engaging content they love with the grammar patterns they need to learn.
• Create custom examples: Sometimes, I ask AI to generate content about topics my students care about, specifically requesting standard grammar usage. Just be sure to review the text carefully to confirm it truly follows the standards you're teaching! AI is not always accurate.

Here’s an example of one piece of text generated by AI. I indicated the different types of sentences by keeping simple sentences in plain text, underlining compound sentences, and italicizing complex sentences.

The Hidden Language of Trees

Trees may appear silent and solitary, but they participate in complex communication networks beneath our feet. Simple mycorrhizal fungi connect tree roots through an intricate web scientists call the "Wood Wide Web." These fungal threads allow trees to share nutrients while they send chemical signals to neighboring trees.

When a tree is attacked by insects, it releases airborne chemical compounds to warn nearby trees of danger. Once alerted, the neighboring trees begin producing defensive chemicals to protect themselves. This remarkable system resembles an early warning network that protects the entire forest community.

Older, larger "mother trees" serve as hubs in these networks, and they support younger saplings by sharing essential nutrients. Although these connections are invisible to the human eye, they create a cooperative environment where trees support one another during times of stress or limited resources.

Scientists have discovered that some tree species recognize their relatives and preferentially share resources with them. They maintain these connections through the seasons, and they create a resilient forest over time. As we learn more about these communication networks, we gain a deeper appreciation for the sophisticated relationships that exist in seemingly quiet forests.

Two Possibilities for Mentor Text and Grammar Learning

One of the most engaging parts of science instruction can also be used in grammar instruction. In science, phenomena provide a real-world context for learning, allowing students to actively engage with observable events and "figure out why" something happens. Essentially, phenomena act as a driving force for inquiry-based learning, sparking curiosity and motivating students to explore and explain what they see around them. In grammar instruction, a mini-inquiry using a mentor text acts as a phenomenon, allowing for context, curiosity, and collaboration. How a mini-inquiry may unfold:

• Read the mentor text aloud (maybe a few times), allowing students to enjoy and understand the content.
• Return to the text and pose an inquiry question. For the mentor text above, consider the question: What are some similarities and differences in simple, compound, and complex sentences?
• Partner (or trio) students up and ask them to come up with as many similarities and differences as they can. They may even jot these down.
• Listen in as students discuss their ideas. Jot down relevant theories or questions.
• Share something you jotted down and ask students to explore. Share a theory: Simple sentences are shorter (which is not a plausible theory). A question: Is there always a comma in a complex sentence?
• Explore the mentor text for proof of the theory or potential answers to the question.
• Gather guidance from the inquiry in a resource for students to use when writing.
  
   

It is true that mini-inquiries can transform grammar instruction by turning mentor texts into “phenomena” that spark curiosity, helping students discover grammar patterns in authentic contexts rather than isolated worksheets.  

In the next post, we’ll explore another powerful approach to grammar instruction using mentor texts called Imitation and Innovation. Can’t wait for you to add this to your grammar instructional repertoire!

Patty McGee is a nationally recognized literacy consultant, speaker, and educator with a passion for transforming classrooms into spaces where language and learning come alive. With decades of experience as a teacher, coach, and advocate for delightful literacy practices, Patty has worked alongside educators across the country, partnering to unlock the full potential of their students through innovative and practical teaching strategies. Not Your Granny’s Grammar is her third book. Connect with Patty at www.pattymcgee.org.

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Using Mentor Texts and AI to Transform Grammar Instruction: Part II

Literacy Today magazine: Reflecting Every Reader

Literature has always been an indispensable part of society. At a young age, we're introduced to books at home, and later at our school or neighborhood libraries. Helping us navigate this world were our librarians, who used their expertise to guide and enrich our journeys into literature.

Unfortunately, these connections to literature are being challenged. Writer Mark Weakland in a February post titled “They Tried to Ban My Book” explains how the state attempting to control the dominant ideology is a continuous occurrence in history.

Weakland writes that the concern around books as harmful or radically biased against the elitist status quo doesn't justify the censorship that tends to silence the already marginalized voices. Censoring actually works against our desire to protect our children, and it is only with diverse literature that we can rear responsible, well-rounded, and critical members of society. Here's a look at what diverse children's lit can do for our kids.

Promote empathy

Studies in developmental psychology have consistently shown storybooks as empathy-building vehicles for children. The simulated, abstract experiences and narratives help kids build awareness of what people in different situations may feel. Research published in the National Library of Medicine details how book reading fosters one's identification with someone outside of their self and their own circle, which leads to minimizing fostered prejudice and bias.

Improve children’s confidence

Confidence in oneself sets the stage for crucial decision-making and resiliency skills as an adult. Brianna Holmes of Johns Hopkins University criticizes the rampant racial inequality of American society, and stresses how diverse representation and inclusion, with an anti-bias curriculum especially in the academe, is key to a confident child who treats everyone with respect.

Set the stage for future careers

An anti-bias curriculum has also been shown to inform behavior and reduce prejudice. Exclusive literature results in an exclusive society, which can be dangerous not only for excluded populations but also for society as a whole.

This repercussion is particularly noticeable in public health. Telehealth company Wheel highlights health care’s diversity gaps, which is caused in part by a lack of inclusive health care research that tackles minority communities. It is thereby the role of diverse children’s literature to open our minds, especially if we wish for our children to become successful doctors, researchers, and leaders.

Build critical thinking

Development is impossible without discourse. When we censor, we discourage open discussion instead of building our children's capacity to think for themselves. History has proven authoritarian attempts to control information as being ineffective and counterproductive. For example, a study by Cambridge University Press found there was increased access to information after the censorship of Instagram in China in 2014.

Wanting to protect our children is valid. However, in times of uncertainty, inclusiveness and empathy become all the more necessary. It is therefore by promoting awareness and diversity in our children’s literature that we will truly be able to protect them.

We should be cultivating our children’s ability to decide what is right and wrong, and we can do this by encouraging diversity in the materials we consume no matter how controversial the topic may be. In this day and age of technology where information is a weapon, we must give children the tools for growth and trust that they'll be able to make the right decisions.

Jerie Blintt is an avid reader who is passionate about bringing technology and literature to the forefront of every classroom. When she's not writing about the latest innovations, you'll likely find her meditating in her local park.

As an eighth-grade English language arts teacher with 45-minute periods, my time with students has always seemed far too short. When my district switched to 90-minute blocks for language arts classes a few years ago, I thought I would finally have the time I needed to teach and ensure my students completed their work. However, after a lot of reflection and discussions with colleagues, I realized my long-standing practice of not assigning much reading homework was undermining my instructional time—even with the longer block.

When we moved to the longer blocks, along with a switch to a new language arts curriculum, it seemed logical to have students do the reading assignments in class. It’s a common practice, and it made sense because the text complexity of the new program was a big change for my students. But the result wasn’t what I expected. My pacing suffered terribly.

Let them do at home what they can handle on their own

Good reading instruction encourages students to revisit a text for multiple purposes, and I was doing that. But having students read the text first during class and then also do a deep analysis of the reading material in class was repetitive and, frankly, a little boring.

My colleagues and I realized we needed to assign the reading material as homework to improve our pacing and convey high expectations. Our eighth-grade students were capable of wrestling with the text independently for a first read. They could wonder about a text while doing homework, and then, as a class, we could all move to deeper levels of understanding through a variety of classroom activities.

For example, one of the core texts we read is All Quiet on the Western Front, and the homework for one lesson includes reading a dozen pages while annotating for emotional responses (or lack thereof) of the men in the Second Company. In class, students share what they find and then purposefully reread the text to answer additional text-dependent questions. That rereading promotes deeper learning and ensures all students are accessing the text, even if they missed the homework.

When first reading a book or other text on their own, I ask students to jot down what they notice and wonder, which serves as an entry point for our lesson in class. This supports them in reading longer, more complex materials with greater comprehension.

It’s important to help students, especially middle school students, become more self-directed and take ownership of their work. That will help them as they move up into high school and college. By asking students to complete more work outside of class, I’m supporting my students, not letting them down.

This approach makes especially good sense with reading, which doesn’t involve lab supplies or computer programs—just a quiet corner and a book, which they hopefully can find at home.

Four strategies to support and motivate students with reading homework

Making the shift to assigning reading at home rather than in class can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. Good reading instruction gives students multiple opportunities to engage with the content, so if a student doesn’t complete the homework, they will still have a chance to engage with the text. Over time, students will be more intrinsically motivated to complete the homework so that they can engage with their peers during class. Here are some strategies to try:

• Assign homework, especially reading homework, that is closely tied to what students are doing in class.
• Ask students, through homework prompts, to engage with reading by noticing and wondering about it. In class, use practices to encourage even deeper levels of analysis with your support and peer support.
• Give parents an entry point for discussions with their kids by providing a question related to the reading homework. Send the question through email or posted in a virtual space.
• Use tools like Equity Sticks to randomize student selection during class discussion. Write the names of your students and place them in a jar. During class, select a stick from the jar to check for understanding, ask for reflections, and have that student share thoughts on a reading. Making the process random removes any teacher bias, but you should also ensure your students know that they can pass at any time free of consequence or scrutiny.

I know homework seems out of date in some teaching circles. Kids are busy, and they need downtime, not busy work. But giving students rich reading assignments to engage with from home is hardly busy work. Rather, it’s an instructional approach that can help improve their literacy skills and free up time during the school day for more robust teaching and learning. I’ve found it’s hard to argue with that.

Krystle Gleason, an educator with 16 years of experience, has taught both high school English and eighth-grade language arts. She currently is an eighth-grade teacher at Mad River Local Schools in Dayton, OH. She also works part time as a PD facilitator for Great Minds, the developer of the Wit & Wisdom English language arts curriculum. She is passionate about helping each of her students reach their potential.

Distance learning at the height of the pandemic took its toll on students academically and emotionally. Even though most students are back in class this year, things aren’t quite back to normal. Most are wearing masks and many are living with the impact of COVID-19 on their lives and in their communities. In our work with schools, we hear that students continue to crave connection and higher levels of engagement.

But how do we help students stay connected and engaged in deeper learning when being at school still means communicating through masks, dealing with student and teacher absences due to COVID-19 exposures, and catching up on lessons and learning experiences lost to distance learning? There is, of course, no one solution to the problem, but many educators are finding that project-based learning (PBL) provides a way forward by developing knowledge and skills through authentic learning experiences that generate student interest and enthusiasm.

Authenticity is a key feature of high-quality PBL. In our ongoing work codesigning and researching project-based learning with high school English language arts teachers in Colorado and Michigan, we created a set of literacy-related PBL projects that teachers can adapt to their own ELA curriculum and community. Students and teachers have given us great feedback on these resources and report that the most successful projects are those that feel real and important,  projects that call for students to do work that they and other people care about.

For example, a ninth-grade student we’re calling Sara (to protect her privacy) was in a project-based ELA class at a high school in northern Colorado. In one project, her teacher, Robert Laurie, supported his students to be “human interest storytellers” and consider the questions “What happened here?” and “How do authors use time, place, and perspective to tell a compelling story of what happened?” In project-based learning classrooms, students often have choice and voice in creating final products, and that was the case in Mr. Laurie’s classroom, where students could present their stories in a variety of formats. Sara ended up creating a short video, or “digital story.”

Her experience demonstrates the three main ways project-based learning activities can be authentic:

• to the learner
• to others
• through the tools and practices used

Sometimes, as was the case for Sara, a project is authentic in all three ways.

Authentic to the learner

Sara found the project to be personally relevant to her, as did many of her peers. First, the class read a series of short personal vignettes, such as one about the 2013 floods in Colorado in which days of historic rainfall led to massive flooding and dangerous mudslides. Then the students wrote vignettes based on the same themes but tied to their own lives and experiences. The themes included “a decision,” “your neighborhood,” “an event,” and “someone you know.”

After Sara wrote four personal vignettes, she chose the most compelling to build out into a video story. It told about the invasive back surgery she experienced a little over a year before because of her scoliosis. She felt the vignette was meaningful because it was so personally difficult and important to her and to her relationships with others. Composing a more elaborate story was an opportunity to dig= deeper.

Authentic tools and practices

When it came to how Sara went about making her video, she followed practices that professional filmmakers use—scripting and storyboarding—to plan the sequence of her video content, narration, and images. After doing some research, and with the guidance of her teacher, Sara used a software program called WeVideo that uses the same kinds of conventions that high-end video editing programs use. These tools and practices provided essential elements of scaffolding, as the storyboard provided a means for laying out the pieces and working on the flow, and the WeVideo program enabled Sara to try out the ideas in her refined storyboard.

What she was doing was authentic to film production as well as English language arts. Rather than asking students to complete separate, isolated assignments to fulfill ELA standards, Mr. Laurie integrated standards-based instruction into the long-term project. He supported Sara in developing skills such as effectively expressing herself and telling a compelling multimodal story. Part of the drive to craft and hone a compelling story came from the third element of authenticity: making sure it resonated with others.

Authentic to others

The ultimate goal of this project was to create a product that Sara would be proud to share in a public film festival. Mr. Laurie organized the festival with a flyer advertising the films that would be shown and scheduled it for a time when parents could come. After the screening, Sara admitted to feeling nervous because the project was so personal. But she said she was glad she decided to share it. She noted that it was “a way for me to connect to my parents about this, because one of the problems that I had after my surgery was that they tried to be there, but I didn’t really feel like they were taking care of me. They got angry at me, and I got angry at them.” After they watched the video, Sara and her parents talked about those tensions with the benefit of looking back.

Project-based learning can be a great way to engage students in deeper conversations not only with their peers but also with their families and the community around them, particularly through public presentations with authentic audiences. In the case of Sara, it led to a rich dialogue with friends and family about a topic on which she became an expert.

Bring PBL into your classroom

We know that project-based learning can feel daunting at first. However, it’s worth giving it a try. The teachers we have observed and worked with almost invariably attest to it being worthwhile, especially in these challenging times when young people are so in need of joyful learning experiences that feel meaningful to them. If you’re wondering where to start, just ask your students. They know what’s authentic to them!

Joe Polman and Alison Boardman are professors at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. Polman is a professor of learning sciences and human development who specializes in project-based learning environments. Boardman is an associate professor of equity, bilingualism, and biliteracy who explores literacy instruction that is supportive of all learners in inclusive classrooms. They are coauthors, with Antero Garcia and Bridget Dalton, of the book Compose Our World: Project-Based Learning in Secondary English Language Arts, a finalist for the Literacy Research Association’s Edward B. Fry Book Award for best books in literacy research and practice in 2021. They also are codevelopers of the ninth-grade ELA curriculum highlighted in the book.