Literacy
Literacy Resources
In this section you will find resources for Administrators, Parents and Teachers. Additionally, included are relevant reading/literacy articles and websites for further information.
Administrator / Parent / Teacher / Booklists /Articles / Websites
Administrator
This section includes information on the following topics:
- NYSED website with resources for Administrators
- Office of Special Eduction website with resources for Administrators
- Center on Instruction- offers on a variety of topics including Adolescent Literacy
- National Reading Panel’s report on early literacy
- Reading First final report
- Reading Assessments for K-3
- Adolescent Literacy Assessments
Resources for Administrators
School Administrator Resources 
Office of Special Education
The Office of Special Educaton is the best source of information regarding State law, regulation and policy governing the education of students with disabilities. This information is available at Office of Special Education
The Center on Instruction
The Center on Instruction supports the regional Comprehensive Centers as they serve state education leaders in the work of helping schools and districts meet the goals of No Child Left Behind-to close the achievement gap and improve teaching and learning for all students. To that end, it offers information on NCLB and best practices in reading, math, science, Special Education, and English Language Learning instruction; syntheses of recent scientific research on instruction; and opportunities for professional development. For more information, please visit Center on Instruction
Here are a few featured professional modules:
Adolescent Literacy Walk-through for Principals: A Guide for Instructional Leaders - Grades 4-12 [4-12](307.38 KB) This guide, designed to help principals monitor and support adolescent literacy instruction in their schools more effectively, can be used at the late elementary school level, in content-area classes in middle and high school, and with intervention groups or classes. It provides a scaffold to build principals' understanding of scientifically based reading instruction, as a means for a principal to gather information about the quality of literacy and reading intervention instruction in a school, and as a data collection guide for planning targeted professional development and resource allocation. It includes examples of what a principal might expect to see in a classroom as well as templates that states, districts, and schools may use or adapt.
Leading for Reading: An Introductory Guide for K-3 Reading Coaches
This suite of resource materials is designed to prepare school-based reading coaches who work with teachers to improve reading instruction in kindergarten through grade three.
Language and Reading Interventions for English Language Learners and English Language Learners with Disabilities [K-12]
This report presents information about assessment, instructional interventions, and professional development with a particular focus on ELL students who have been identified with a language and/or learning disability or who are at risk for reading difficulties. The focus of the intervention section is on those that have demonstrated success at remediating reading for ELLs who have either identified language impairment, reading and/or learning disabilities, or those who are performing significantly below their peers in reading achievement. The report also offers recommendations followed by discussion and empirical evidence for the types of instructional interventions that best serve ELLs who are at risk for reading difficulties who may or may not have an identified language and/or learning disability.
Principal's Reading Walk-Through: Kindergarten-Grade 3.
The Principal's Reading Walk-Through (PRWT) K-3 is a suite of professional development materials designed as a user-friendly tool for classroom walk-through implementation that can identify research-based reading instruction in the classroom quickly and accurately.
Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
The National Early Literacy Panel's primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and instructional practices that promote the development of children’s early literacy skills. This report, which focuses on early literacy development, can be accessed at http://nifl.gov/nifl/NELP/NELPreport.html
Reading First Implementation Evaluation Final Report.
The final report of the Reading First Implementation Evaluation was just released by the Department's Policy and Program Support Services. The report compares reading practices in a national representative sample of Reading First and non-Reading First Title I schools, and analyzes reading achievement trends in both groups. Results are based on surveys completed in spring 2005 and 2007 by K-3 teachers, principals, and reading coaches, as well as from state and national databases of school-level reading scores on state assessments. You may view the final report at: Reading First Implementation Evaluation Final Report . This is not the Institute of Education Sciences' final report of the Reading First Impact Study. That report is supposed to come out later this year.
Final Report: Analysis of Reading Assessment Instrument for K-3 http://nysrrc.monroe.edu/files/exec_summary%20evals.pdf (38.39 KB)
Assessments to Guide Adolescent Literacy Instruction.
This guide is a companion volume to two other publications from the Center on Instruction, Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents and Improving Literacy Instruction in Middle and High Schools: A Guide for Principals. It provides information about the key elements of a comprehensive assessment plan to improve literacy instruction for adolescents and provides examples of assessments and assessment systems currently in use or under development to improve literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12. Assessments To Guide Adolescent
Literacy Instruction (449.30 KB)
Time to Act:
An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent
Literacy for College and Career Success (2.78 MB)
Carnegie publications: Related to adolescent literacy
http://carnegie.org/publications/search-publications/pub/195/
Parent
This section includes information on the following topics:
- The Office of Special Education website provides information regarding State law, regulation and policy governing the education of students with disabilities.
- Reading Rockets: a step-by-step guide to what parents can do to raise a reader
- Family Literacy Development: strategies proven to work
- Tips for Parents from the National Council of Teachers of English: Helping Your Teenager to Write Better
- Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
- Adolescent Literacy Resources
- Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
- Parent Resources: International Reading Association
- Help My Child Read: Resources for Parents from the U.S. Department of Education
The Office of Special Education is the best source of information regarding State law, regulation and policy governing the education of students with disabilities. This information is available at Office of Special Education.
Reading Rockets: a step-by-step guide to what parents can do to raise a reader
Visit Reading Rockets
Family Literacy Development: The Shining Stars
Describes strategies proven to work by the most rigorous scientific research available on the teaching of reading. These publications provides parents with ways to help their young children learn to read; it includes activities parents can use to build reading skills and a checklist of developmental skills parents can apply to their children. Published by the United States Department of Education. More publications available at their website
Tips for Parents from the National Council of Teachers of English: Helping Your Teenager to Write Better
This "Tips for Parents" sheet from the National Council of Teachers of English includes examples of how parents can help their teenage children write better. Visit Tips for Parents from the National Council of Teachers of English Helping Your Teenager to Write Better (38.39 KB)
Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
This report describes the research base and data on how to help students "read to learn." It also includes a discussion of best practices and describes how the practices and recommendations in the document are currently being implemented in schools and districts across the U.S. and, if implemented widely, hold promise for helping students become more skilled readers as they enter college and careers. This report is available at http://carnegie.org/fileadmin/Media/Publications/PDF/tta_Main.pdf
Adolescent Literacy Resources: An Annotated Bibliography, Second Edition 2009 (388.22 KB)
"This annotated bibliography is intended as a resource for technical assistance providers as they work with states on adolescent literacy. Updated from an earlier edition published in 2007, this revision includes important research and documents of practical use in guiding improvements in grades 4-12 reading instruction in the content areas and in interventions for struggling readers."
Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
The National Early Literacy Panel's primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and instructional practices that promote the development of children’s early literacy skills. This report, which focuses on early literacy development, can be accessed at http://nifl.gov/nifl/NELP/NELPreport.html
Parent Resources: International Reading Association
Help My Child Read: Resources for Parents from the U.S. Department of Education
Teacher
This section includes information on the following topics:
- Center on Instruction: For information on Reading/Literacy coaches and Adolescent Literacy
- U.S. Department of Education: Doing What Works: How to Organize Your Teaching
- Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
Alliance for Excellent Education Adolescent Literacy Fact Sheet - Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
- Reading Comprehension Assessments for Adolescents
- Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy
For information on Reading/Literacy coaches, visit:
The Center on Instruction offers Leading for Reading: An Introductory Guide for K-3 Reading Coaches . This suite of resource materials is designed to prepare school-based reading coaches who work with teachers to improve reading instruction in kindergarten through grade three.
U.S. Department of Education: Doing What Works: How to Organize Your Teaching
This multimedia practice guide from the U.S. Department of Education's Doing What Works website includes seven research-based recommendations on organizing teaching and learning experiences. These resources include essential concepts, recommended practices, and planning templates. School districts can use the videos and supporting materials offered through this site to discuss how teachers organize their teaching and learning. The four research-based recommendations for effective teaching and learning include: Space learning over time with review and quizzing; Alternate worked examples with problem-solving practice; Connect abstract and concrete representations of concepts; and Use higher-order questions to help students build explanations http://dww.ed.gov/topic/topic_landing.cfm?PA_ID=9&T_ID=19
Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel
The National Early Literacy Panel's primary goal was to identify interventions, parenting activities, and instructional practices that promote the development of children’s early literacy skills. This report, which focuses on early literacy development, can be accessed at http://nifl.gov/nifl/NELP/NELPreport.html
Alliance for Excellent Education Adolescent Literacy Fact Sheet
Did you know that “For many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently into the decision to drop out of school”? This brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education presents up-to-date facts regarding the state of adolescent literacy. Adolescent Literacy (288.82 KB)
CCSSO Adolescent Literacy Toolkit
http://www.ccsso.org/projects/secondary_school_redesign/Adolescent_
Literacy_Toolkit/ CCSSO’s Adolescent Literacy Toolkit was developed by the Council and multiple partners in response to a state-identified need to develop the skills, knowledge, and resources of content-area high school teachers to implement adolescent.
Assessments to Guide Adolescent Literacy Instruction
This guide is a companion volume to two other publications from the Center on Instruction, Academic Literacy Instruction for Adolescents and Improving Literacy Instruction in Middle and High Schools: A Guide for Principals. It provides information about the key elements of a comprehensive assessment plan to improve literacy instruction for adolescents and provides examples of assessments and assessment systems currently in use or under development to improve literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12. Assessments To Guide Adolescent
Literacy Instruction (449.30 KB)
There are a variety of tools available to assess student reading and writing ability, for more details, visit:
The Center on Instruction offers Assessments to Guide Adolescent Literacy Instruction (4-12). This guide provides information about the key elements of a comprehensive assessment plan to improve literacy instruction for adolescents and provides examples of assessments and assessment systems currently in use or under development to improve literacy instruction for students in grades 4-12. Additionally on this site, teachers and school leaders can find A Comprehensive K-3 Reading Assessment Plan: Guidance for School Leaders (K-3) Because scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated the value of regularly assessing reading progress, a comprehensive assessment plan is a critical element of an effective school-level plan for preventing reading difficulties.
Adolescent Literacy Resources: An Annotated Bibliography, Second Edition 2009 (388.22 KB)
According to the introduction, “This annotated bibliography is intended as a resource for technical assistance providers as they work with states on adolescent literacy. Updated from an earlier edition published in 2007, this revision includes important research and documents of practical use in guiding improvements in grades 4-12 reading instruction in the content areas and in interventions for struggling readers.”
Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success
This report describes the research base and data on how to help students "read to learn." It also includes a discussion of best practices and describes how the practices and recommendations in the document are currently being implemented in schools and districts across the U.S. and, if implemented widely, hold promise for helping students become more skilled readers as they enter college and careers. This report is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Main.pdf (2.78 MB)
Measure for Measure: A Critical Consumer's Guide to Reading Comprehension Assessments for Adolescents
This guide draws together evidence on nine of the most commonly used, commercially available reading comprehension assessments for use with adolescents. It provides a critical view into the strengths and weaknesses of each. Authors Lelia Morsy, Michael Kieffer, and Catherine Snow focus on the utility of assessments for the purposes of screening groups of students to identify those who struggle and diagnosing their specific needs. The guide is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Morsy.pdf ( 757.28 KB).
Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy
This guidance document discusses some of the challenges for adolescents who struggle with written texts in the academic subject: areas of history, science, mathematics, and literacy. It also explores how standards, assessments, and teach instruction can be strengthened in order to support these readers. The guidance document is available at http://www.carnegie.org/literacy/tta/pdf/tta_Lee.pdf (792.04 KB).
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices (1.45 MB)
Booklists
Below are suggested booklists from the American Library Association and the International Reading Association.
2010 Reading List from the American Library Association
Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, The Reading List seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/awards/readinglist/index.cfm
International Reading Association Booklists
International Reading Association Children’s Choices Book List
International Reading Association Teacher’s Choice Book List
International Reading Association Young Adults Choice List
Articles
Reading Next
This report delineates fifteen elements aimed at improving middle and high school literacy Achievement. To read the report visit, Reading Next:
A Vision For Action And Research In
Middle and High School Literacy (1.97 MB)
Writing Next
This report identifies 11 elements of current writing instruction found to be effective for helping adolescent students learn to write well and to use writing as a tool for learning. To read the report visit, Writing Next:
Effective Strategies To Improve
Writing Of Adolescents In Middle Schools and High Schools (373.09 KB)
Components of an Effective Reading Program by the Access Center
Visit Components of an Effective Reading Program
From State Policy to Classroom Practice: Improving Literacy Instruction for All Students [K-12]
National Association of State Boards of Education
A Comprehensive K-3 Reading Assessment Plan: Guidance for School Leaders [K-3]
Center on Instruction (211.28 KB)
Adolescent Literacy Assessments
An article from the Center on Instruction.
Language and Reading Interventions for English Language Learners and English Language Learners with Disabilities [K-12] (3.42 MB)
This report presents information about assessment, instructional interventions, and professional development with a particular focus on ELL students who have been identified with a language and/or learning disability or who are at risk for reading difficulties.
Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. To view this guide visit, Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide (137.21 KB)
National Research Center on Learning Disabilities:Tiered Service Delivery Models
Visit National Research Center on Learning Disabilities
Websites
NYS Response to Intervention Technical Assistance Center: http://www.nysrti.org/
Florida Reading Research Center: http://www.nysrti.org/
What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
Center on Instruction: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/