Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools

Book excerpt: Strengthen student literacy achievement in middle and high schools! In response to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), raising literacy levels in secondary schools has taken on a new urgency. Recognized literacy author, Elaine K. McEwan, focuses her revised second edition on enhancing the "five big ideas" for raising reading achievement with seven cognitive strategies of highly effective readers and more than twenty research-based "teaching for learning" tips to infuse into daily content instruction. Featuring reflection and discussion questions for reinforcement, this indispensable guide demonstrates how to improve students′ literacy with these five teacher-friendly strategies: Focus on changing what you can change Teach the students who can′t read how to read Teach every student how to read to learn Motivate all students to read more, to read increasingly more challenging books, and to be accountable for what they read Create a reading culture in your school With new programs designed for adolescent learners, this update provides suggestions and developmental tools to effectively strengthen reading curriculum and instruction. Reading specialists, special education teachers, literacy coaches, intervention specialists, and central office administrators can also use this essential tool for evaluating middle and high school reading programs and formulating school and district improvement goals.