In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards. The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the CCSS; each…

In joint partnership, Achieve, The Council of Chief State School Officers, and Student Achievement Partners have developed a Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The Toolkit is a set of interrelated, freely available instruments for evaluating alignment to the…

This comprehensive resource arms classroom teachers and administrators with information to meet today's adolescent literacy challenges. In Part I, the authors highlight research on what works with adolescent learners and discuss how to implement instructional programs to fit the unique needs of specific schools or districts. Part II presents a…

Describes an instructional program developed for children with severe disabilities. Discusses how the combined use of technology and child-centered instruction resulted in the active participation of these severely disabled students in reading and writing activities. (SR)

Describes what reading coaches do (provide literacy enrichment without emphasizing the diagnostic and intervention aspects of reading), how this differs from reading tutors, and how reading coaches can help with literacy development in schools. Discusses activities for reading coaches, and benefits of a reading coach program. (SR)

Argues that, since there is no single answer to literacy education for all children, balanced literacy programs are necessary. Discusses the importance of and describes the characteristics of a balanced literacy program. Uses those characteristics to show how literature-response groups can be part but not all of a balanced literacy program. (SR)

Describes an in-school suspension program based on a literacy-enhancement model (rather than a punitive model). Describes how students used prewriting activities both as a cognitive activity and as a reflection tool for self-monitoring of behavior, often helping them work through problems and replace inappropriate behavior with appropriate…

Describes how the primary goal of the Parent Program was to constructively involve parents in their children's learning process. Notes how it gives them specific ideas and methods to assist their children in literacy acquisition. Hopes that the program will get materials in the homes that students might need while doing homework and get more…

This book describes standards for the English language arts and defines what K-12 students should know about language and be able to do with language. The book presents the current consensus among literacy teachers and researchers about what students should learn in the English language arts--reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and…

Suggesting that the World Wide Web (WWW) is a tool that "ordinary" teachers and students can use to promote content learning and literacy development, this paper describes how the WWW can serve as a catalyst and tool for intermediate-grade teachers on up to share ideas and improve literacy. After briefly discussing recent articles in the…

Suggests ideas for using song lyrics as the basis for both literacy activities and for learning experiences that integrate language with other curricular areas. Describes a thematic unit for first graders that follows the procedures for using song picture books that are outlined in the article. (BB)

Describes the project "Expanding Literacy for All" which was designed to promote the literacy skills of 13 adults and 36 third graders in Texas. Finds that, when third grade students and illiterate adults become pen pals, both groups learn more about what it means to enter the community of readers and writers. (PRA)

This pamphlet describes a year-long project that began with the idea of inviting eighth graders to study the thoughts of second graders as shared during literature discussions. It then evolved into a more elaborate project bolstered by the students' enthusiasm and interest in each other. The pamphlet describes the students, establishment of the…

Describes Literacy and Technology Hands On, a program of literacy instruction for young people with Down syndrome who have recently left school, which uses a combination of technology and more traditional methods to continue these students' literacy instruction into young adulthood. Discusses the program's rationale, aims, features, theoretical…

Describes a service learning program with a focus on literacy called the Student Literacy Corps. Describes how urban elementary school children, college students, professors, administrators, and community members worked, shared, and learned together. Includes a sample lesson. (SR)