Building on the IES Guide: Updating Research-Based Instructional Practices for Adolescent Literacy

"In OALN 1,  I explained how the evidence base about adolescent literacy has changed drastically since the IES Practice Guide for Adolescent Literacy was published in 2008, and I helped literacy leaders evaluate the quality of evidence so they can stay up to date.  In this followup presentation, I'll get specific: what instructional practices are now evidence-based that weren't in the guide? I'll share an interdisciplinary ELA+Social Studies Unit I've designed to take the best of evidence and put it into classroom practice." - Dan Reynolds

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Resources mentioned during the presentation:

• Dan's research reviews videos | https://learningways.org/resources/categories/research-reviews.19/
• IES Practice guide (2008) Improving Adolescent Literacy | https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/docs/practiceguide/adlit_pg_082608.pdf
• Reynolds, D. (2021). Updating Practice Recommendations: Taking Stock of 12 Years of Adolescent Literacy Research. J Adolesc Adult Liter, 65(1), 37– 46. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1176
• http://racialdotmap.demographics.coopercenter.org/

Literature:

• Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris (Play) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clybourne_Park
• A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (Play) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Raisin_in_the_Sun
• The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein (book) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_of_Law
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (YA book) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hate_U_Give
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (YA book) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Girl_Dreaming
• Evicted by Matthew Desmond (book) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evicted:_Poverty_and_Profit_in_the_American_City

Assessments

• ReadBasix: decoding for kids 3-12 | https://www.ets.org/k12/school-based-programs-services/readbasix/
• Monster PI: iPad game for morph/vocab/syntax | http://worddetectives.com/
• CALS - Core Academic Language Skills | https://languageforlearning.gse.harvard.edu/core-academic-language

Interventions

• STARI (2+ grades behind) | https://www.serpinstitute.org/stari
• WordGen (high-poverty middle schools) | https://www.serpinstitute.org/wordgen-weekly
• PACT – Reading + Social Studies | https://www.meadowscenter.org/projects/detail/promoting-adolescents-comprehension-of-text-pact
• CALS - Core Academic Language Skills | https://languageforlearning.gse.harvard.edu/core-academic-language

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