Strategies for teaching adolescent literacy
  Judith Langer

Judith Langer’s, five-year study of English programs found major differences between effective adolescent literacy programs and ineffective ones. Successful programs, Langer found, use six instructional practices:
1. Teach students using a variety of activities, including independent lessons, exercises, and drills; lessons involving reading and writing about new concepts and information; and lessons in which students apply new learning in class discussions.
2. Prepare students for tests by emphasizing the knowledge on which they’ll be assessed, and integrate test preparation into daily lessons instead of giving students separate drills.
3. Incorporate students’ real-life experiences both in and out of school into daily lessons.
4. Give students critical reading and writing strategies they need to succeed on daily lessons and homework assignments.
5. Provide time for students to read broadly on topics of interest, explore texts from many points of view, and conduct their own research.
6. Foster collaborative learning by placing students in well-chosen groups. Prompt students to raise questions, discuss ideas, and “bump minds” with one another

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