Improve Reading with Complex Texts
This article groups the essential features of close reading into four major categories: short, complex texts; rich discussions based on worthy questions; revisiting and annotating the text; and being inspired by the text. Educators should consider these the look-fors that deepen student interactions with text.
Authors: Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
Publication Date: February 2015
Publisher: Phi Delta Kappa International

Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices
This practice guide presents specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations that educators can use to improve literacy levels among adolescents in upper elementary, middle, and high schools.
Authors: Michael L. Kamil, Geoffrey Borman, Janice Dole, Cathleen Kral, Terry Salinger, and Joe Torgesen
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: Institute of Education Sciences

Intensive Intervention Practice Guide: Explicit Morphology Instruction to Improve Overall Literacy Skills in Secondary Students
This guide includes information about teaching students about morphemes for the purpose of improving students’ word recognition and spelling skills. Students need to learn the meaning of parts of words and be able to read those parts to develop quality word recognition. Morphology Instructional Activities with examples are included.
Authors: Lauren Hennenfent, Lindy Johnson, Christina Novelli, and Erin Sharkey
Publication Date: Fall 2022
Publisher: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs

Literacy and Text Reading in Middle and High School Social Studies and English Language Arts Classrooms
This study examined the amount and type of text used in ELA and social studies instruction in Grades 7–12 as well as the emphasis put on effective instructional practices in vocabulary and reading comprehension to enhance students’ ability to read for understanding.
Authors: Elizabeth Swanson, Jeanne Wanzek, Lisa McCulley, Stephanie Stillman, Sharon Vaughn, Deborah Simmons, Melissa Fogarty, and Angela Hairrell
Publication Date: 2016
Publisher: Reading & Writing Quarterly

Morphological Awareness: One Piece of the Literacy Pie
Identifying morphemes is a skill that helps students problem-solve words they do not know how to read and spell. This is especially important when students are reading textbooks with academic language so that they can gain the knowledge they need in the subject areas they study.
Publication Date: 2020
Publisher: International Dyslexia Association

Multimedia Text Sets: A How-To Guide
This article describes a multimedia text set as a collection of books, articles, videos, and images related to a topic of study and provides the basics on how to create classroom text sets that support content-area literacy and building background knowledge. A text set template and resources are included.
Author: Susan Thacker-Gwaltney
Publisher: Reading Rockets

On the Importance of Listening Comprehension
This paper reviews evidence showing that listening comprehension becomes the dominating influence on reading comprehension starting even in the elementary grades. It discusses key language influences on listening comprehension for consideration during assessment and treatment of reading disabilities.
Authors: Tiffany P. Hogan, Suzanne M. Adlof, and Crystle N. Alonzo
Publication Date: May 2014
Publisher: International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9
This practice guide is designed for educators providing reading intervention or those who oversee MTSS in reading. It grounds four recommendations (multisyllabic word reading, fluency building, comprehension-building practices, and stretch texts) in high-quality evidence based on research studies focused on reading interventions. Each recommendation includes instructional practices and a short summary of the research evidence that supports the recommendation.
Authors: Sharon Vaughn, Michael J. Kieffer, Margaret McKeown, Deborah K. Reed, Michele Sanchez, Kimberly St. Martin and Jade Wexler
Publication Date: March 2022
Publisher: Institute of Education Sciences

Reading Intervention for Older Students
This webinar presents an overview of the instructional needs of students in grades 4–12 who struggle with reading. Includes a summary of reading components, causes of reading difficulty, and instructional suggestions.
Author: Joan Sedita
Publication Date: April 2021
Publisher: Keys to Literacy

Reading Science Considerations for Middle and High School Literacy Intervention
This article aims to provide instructional leaders with background on the existing research on late-emerging reading difficulties as well as assessment and instructional considerations grounded in the science of reading that are necessary to strengthen intervention frameworks at the middle and high school levels.
Author: Stephanie Petricone-Turchetta
Publication Date: September/October 2021
Publisher: The Reading League Journal

Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension
This article discusses how reading comprehension is not a skill someone learns and can then apply in different reading contexts. It is one of the most complex activities that we engage in on a regular basis, and our ability to comprehend is dependent upon a wide range of knowledge and skills. It explores the idea that comprehension cannot be reduced to a single notion because it is not a single ability.
Author: Hugh Catts
Publication Date: Winter 2021-22
Publisher: American Federation of Teachers

Rethinking Literacy Instruction Through School-wide Approaches
Many middle and high school students struggle to read and understand text, making it difficult to learn content they need to succeed in school and beyond. To support students, all teachers school-wide need to provide evidence-based literacy instruction even though teachers have varying levels of skill and other competing priorities. This video explains innovative ways to support teachers as they help students understand and learn from text.

Right to Supportive Learning Environments and High-Quality Resources
This research brief discusses every child’s right to literacy-rich learning environments that provide high-quality, open educational resources such as types of books, texts, and digital resources for all to use, manipulate, and learn from.
Publication Date: 2019
Publisher: International Literacy Association

Scaffolding Comprehension Strategies Using Graphic Organizers
In this lesson collaborative strategic reading is initially presented to students through modeling and whole-class instruction. To facilitate comprehension during and after reading, students apply four reading strategies: preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap-up. Graphic organizers are used for scaffolding of these strategies while students work together in cooperative groups.
Author: Susan Ruckdeschel
Publisher: International Literacy Association

Science Literacy in the Digital Age: Navigating Informational Texts and Online Resources
Science literacy is crucial for students as it equips them with the skills to critically evaluate information, understand scientific concepts, and make informed decisions in a rapidly evolving world. This webinar discusses using strategies and resources with your students that will allow them to become thoughtful consumers of information and active participants in discussions about scientific and technological issues.
Publication Date: July 2024
Publisher: Van Andel Institute for Education

Secondary Reading Instruction (Part 1): Teaching Vocabulary and Comprehension in the Content Areas
This module covers understanding the importance of effective vocabulary and effective comprehension instruction in content areas, developing effective vocabulary instruction within content learning, and enhancing student’s reading comprehension in content areas.
Publisher: IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University

Secondary Reading Instruction (Part 2): Deepening Middle School Content-Area Learning with Vocabulary and Comprehension Strategies
This module covers understanding why many middle school students struggle with content-area reading, being able to implement strategies to support multisyllabic word identification and increase vocabulary knowledge, and knowing how to help students gain a deeper understanding of content-area texts.
Publisher: IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University

Self-Questioning - Teach with Tech
Using a self-questioning strategy can encourage struggling learners to monitor their understanding of the text. This strategy guide provides strategies to help students utilize critical features of the self-questioning approach. Supporting materials include a 4th grade sample lesson plan and videos.
Publication Date: 2015
Publisher: PowerUp WHAT WORKS at the American Institutes for Research

Semantic Mapping to Grow Vocabulary
This post provides details for how to use Semantic Mapping which is a well-researched activity that helps students draw on background knowledge of a topic and see connections between ideas and words related to that topic. It is highly interactive and offers opportunities for rich, collaborative discussion among students.
Author: Joan Sedita
Publication Date: December 2020
Publisher: Keys to Literacy

Steps of Interactive Modeling
This article describes how interactive modeling incorporates key elements of effective teaching: modeling the skill or procedure, engaging students in active learning, and immediately assessing their understanding.
Publication Date: 2017
Publisher: Center for Responsive Schools

Summarizing - Teach with Tech
This guide provides strategies for helping readers understand the purpose of summaries and how to identify the main ideas and key details in a text. Supporting materials include 2nd and 6th grade sample lesson plans and videos.
Publication Date: 2015
Publisher: PowerUp WHAT WORKS at the American Institutes for Research

Supporting Students in Literacy: WWC Evidence-Based Resources and Recommendations
This webinar introduces educators to evidence-based recommendations they can use to help students improve their literacy skills. Experts and educators discuss examples of how educators can apply these evidence-based practices in their classrooms and schools.
Authors: Jennifer Bacchiochi, Kevin Smith, Kim St. Martin, Stephanie Thorpe, Connie Webb, and Nikki Zech
Publication Date: September 2022
Publisher: Institute of Education Sciences

“Teach Reading? But I’m not a Reading Teacher!”
This article provides a structure that any teacher, regardless of content area and training in reading instruction, can use to help students hone the literacy skills necessary to explore, develop, and expand content area knowledge.
Authors: Beth Hurst and Cathy J. Pearman
Publication Date: 2013
Publisher: Missouri State University

Teacher Read-Aloud That Models Reading for Deep Understanding
This strategy guide offers the research basis, procedures, example lesson plans, and related resources for teachers to demonstrate to their students how to search for meaning and use strategies for understanding.
Author: Jan Miller Burkins
Publisher: International Literacy Association

Teaching Tuesday: Literacy in Content Area Instruction
This article discusses building foundational literacy skills to help students with formation of their self-efficacy in learning in all content areas. Topics include academic language and technology to assist with literacy across content areas.
Publication Date: October 2021
Publisher: Grand Canyon University

Teaching Vocabulary
Intentional vocabulary instruction is critical in every grade, and in every content area. This webinar covers the latest research and best practices for effective vocabulary instruction in K-12 classrooms.
Authors: Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
Publication Date: April 2023
Publisher: Corwin

Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly
This document discusses the meaning of vocabulary and why it is important to teach. It explains how to teach individual words explicitly and how to teach word-learning strategies. Step-by-step examples are provided to help teach the strategies and to help students to use the strategies independently.
Authors: Susan Hanson and Jennifer Padua
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher: Pacific Resources for Education and Learning

Text Structure Strategies for Improving Expository Reading Comprehension
This article presents practical, evidence-based strategies for teaching students how to use text structure to improve their expository reading comprehension. Detailed procedures and examples are provided.
Authors: Julia Roehling, Michael Hebert, J. Ron Nelson, Janet Bohaty
Publication Date: July/August 2017
Publisher: International Literacy Association

The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction
Drawing on research, this article identifies some key understandings about reading comprehension processes and instruction including word-reading and bridging skills, text structures and features, vocabulary and knowledge building, engagement with text, and instructional practices that kindle reading motivation.
Authors: Nell Duke, Alessandra Ward, and P. David Pearson
Publication Date: May 2021
Publisher: Wiley Publications on behalf of International Reading Association

The UDL Guidelines
This new iteration, UDL Guidelines 3.0, addresses critical barriers rooted in biases and systems of exclusion for learners with and without disabilities. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Publication Date: July 2024
Publisher: CAST

Traveling Terrain: Comprehending Nonfiction Text on the Web
Strategic instruction and explicit teaching of targeted comprehension strategies can allow students to integrate skills into their current competencies, thus improving their overall reading ability. This lesson identifies three skills of identifying text features of nonfiction text in a Web format, locating specific information, and generalizing information to be taught in strategic lessons that build upon each other and allow for scaffolding of skills when necessary.
Author: Sheila Seitz
Publisher: International Literacy Association

Understanding and Responding to Writing Prompts Guide
This guide is intended to assist with better understanding four kinds of writing prompts (creative, historical essay, argumentative essay, and literary analysis) and what they require students to do. It can be used by instructors as they plan lessons to teach these skills. The information is appropriate for Grades 3–12, but some of the more complex aspects of understanding and responding to writing prompts are only appropriate for students in higher grade levels or those with better developed skills.
Authors: Deborah Reed and Shalini Jasti
Publication Date: May 2023
Publisher: Iowa Reading Research Center

Unlocking Social Studies Text How High School Teachers Can Support Students with Reading Difficulties
This article discusses embedding discipline-specific literacy instruction within social studies content can assist a variety of students, including those with reading difficulties, to build higher-level reading abilities, increase knowledge acquisition, and improve their overall content learning. Five instructional practices are outlined that can be embedded into existing instruction to further engage students in the subject matter and provide support for discipline-specific reading.
Author: Jeanne Wanzek
Publication Date: Spring 2021
Publisher: American Federation of Teachers

Using Morphological Strategies to Help Adolescents Decode, Spell, and Comprehend Big Words in Science
This article describes a morphological instruction approach for helping students navigate big words in science. Reasons why big words in science are particularly challenging for many students are described, and guidelines for selecting and prioritizing high-utility science morphemes for targeted instruction with adolescent readers are provided.
Authors: Jennifer L. Zoski, Kristin Nellenbach, and Karen A. Erickson
Publication Date: 2018
Publisher: Communication Disorders Quarterly

Using Strategies in Combination: The Jigsaw Method
In this video, the teacher uses a jigsaw method to practice comprehension strategies interactively through reading a nonfiction text connected to their current thematic unit. The students are supported with step-by-step instructions and graphic organizers and are guided in thinking, speaking, and writing in response to their reading.
Publisher: Learning Ally and Dollar General Literacy Foundation

Using Universal Design for Learning to Design Standards-Based Lessons
This article presents a process that teachers can use as they develop standards-based lesson plans. By applying UDL during the lesson planning process, teachers can identify clear goals and develop flexible methods, assessments, and materials that address the needs and preferences of varied learners. General educators and special educators can use this process to develop lesson plans that address learners with and without disabilities.
Authors: Kavita Rao and Grace Meo
Publication Date: November 2016
Publisher: SAGE Journals

Video Examples of the Prioritized Educator Competencies
These video resources show educator competencies in action. These competencies have the most leverage in transforming classroom practices to be personalized, and student-centered. Footage includes teachers demonstrating key techniques and strategies, experts and peers discussing practice, students reflecting on their experiences.
Publication Date: April 2021
Publisher: KnowledgeWorks Foundation

Vocabulary Instruction: A Critical Analysis of Theories, Research, and Practice
In this content analysis, articles published in The Reading Teacher and Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy between 2007 and 2017 were dissected to identify and code embedded word-learning strategies, grade levels addressed, target student populations, and desired outcomes.
Authors: Stephanie Moody, Xueyan Hu, Li-Jen Kuo, Mohammed Jouhar, Zhihong Xu, and Sungyoon Lee
Publication Date: October 2018
Publisher: Education Sciences

What Does it Take to Meet the Needs of Struggling Readers? Essential Practices Literacy Instruction
This webinar highlights key essential practices presented in Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices Considerations and reflects on considerations for implementation. It focuses on ways to increase capacity to develop skilled readers and writers, identify critical dimensions for designing intervention platforms as the foundation for effective instruction, and adapt interventions to increase the instructional intensity.
Authors: Kim St. Martin and Sharon Vaughn
Publication Date: April 2021
Publisher: National Center on Intensive Intervention

What is Digital Literacy, Its Importance, and Challenges?
Digital literacy is essentially the discovery, evaluation, creation and communication of information, but there is more to it. Many experts prefer to focus on specific technology and literacy skills and do not define the term. In today’s constantly evolving technological society, Digital literacy is critical for navigating and thriving. This article will explore what digital literacy is, its importance, and challenges.
Publication Date: June 2023
Publisher: EDTechReview

What Is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Is It Important?
Teaching students to navigate literacy skills that differ by discipline is essential. This article explores disciplinary literacy, the research-proven benefits of teaching it, and how you can bring this to your classroom.
Author: Corey Humphrey
Publication Date: June 2024
Publisher: Carnegie Learning

Word Analysis - Teach With Tech
Being able to analyze words is not only a critical foundational reading skill, it also is essential for vocabulary development. This strategy guide provides strategies to help students meet standards related to vocabulary acquisition and word use. Supporting materials include a 5th grade sample lesson plan and videos.
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher: PowerUp WHAT WORKS at the American Institutes for Research

Word Analysis to Expand Vocabulary Development
WhenWhen students engage in word analysis they break words down into their smallest units of meaning—morphemes. This article offers effective strategies for classroom word study, including the use of online tools, captioning, and embedded supports to differentiate instruction.
Author: Judy Zorfass
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher: PowerUp WHAT WORKS at the American Institutes for Research