Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers

Recharge Adolescent Literacy: Strategies to Foster Joyful and Proficient Readers

There are many adolescent readers who, for a variety of reasons, find it difficult to connect with written words and have fallen behind on their foundational reading skills. Thankfully, it's never too late to give these necessary skills a boost and help students find joy in reading and learning. Armed with equity, empathy, evidence-based research, and practical application, Teaching Foundational Skills to Adolescent Readers provides classroom practices teachers can use with the whole class or with small groups to integrate reading support seamlessly with grade-level content learning.

Bestselling authors Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, along with Sarah Ortega, Kierstan Barbee, and Aida Allen-Rotell, creatively organize the book around a metaphor: adolescent literacy is a battery--when all the parts are connected, working together, and fully charged--literacy can thrive. Throughout the book, the following features will guide your learning:

• Plug Into the Research - an overview of the evidence-based research supporting each section of the literacy model
• Power Up Classroom Practice - connecting the dots on the research, classroom practice and human aspects of learning
• Voices from the Field - classroom examples of application and strategies from other secondary educators
• Take Charge - key takeaways and reflection questions
• Tips on building and organizing your classroom library to incorporate tools, technology, and media available to maximize lesson effectiveness
• Dozens of videos to model time-efficient strategies and key concepts

By focusing on research, classroom practices, and the human aspects of learning, this book is an essential tool to recharge reading practices for adolescent readers and help educators increase foundational reading skills in the classroom.

Author: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Sarah Ortega
Publisher: Corwin Publishers
Published: 02/13/2025
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Spiral
ISBN: 9781071926451

About the Author
Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association William S. Grey citation of merit and an Exemplary Leader award from the Conference on English Leadership of NCTE. He has published numerous articles on teaching and learning as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook, PLC+, Visible Learning for Literacy, Comprehension: The Skill, Will, and Thrill of Reading, How Tutoring Works, How Learning Works, and most recently Teaching Readings. Doug loves being an educator and hopes to share that passion with others.

Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is a Professor in Educational Leadership at San Diego State and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. She is a member of the International Literacy Association's Literacy Research Panel. Her published titles include Visible Learning in Literacy, This Is Balanced Literacy, Removing Labels, and Rebound. Nancy is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California and learns from teachers and students every day.

Sarah Ortega is a coordinator for instruction and supports for English Language learners at Health Sciences High & Middle College and served as a classroom educator for 19 years. She was recognized as the 2023 Chula Vista Elementary School District Teacher of the Year and her teaching videos have been featured in professional development training and educator magazines. She is also a professional learning consultant and works with schools and districts to design and implement learning solutions that support the emotional, behavioral, and instructional needs of students.

Dr. Kierstan Barbee is the Assessment for Learning Coordinator in Dallas, Texas. She has been the field of education for 13 years, working in both rural and urban districts, at the school and district levels. During this time, she served as a secondary English Language Arts teacher, an academic instructional coach, curriculum developer, professional development supervisor, and Assessment for Learning coordinator. She has served as an ESOL teacher in Thomazeau, Haiti and worked with Haitian teachers to implement sustainable teaching practices. She currently serves on the board of Roam Wild Adventures, a non-profit that works to connect youth from diverse backgrounds in carefully designed outdoor adventure trips. Kierstan is committed to creating equitable learning experiences for all students and strengthening student ownership of learning so that students can be empowered, agentic learners.

Aida Allen-Rotell is currently a full-time professional learning consultant for Corwin and teaching clinician. She has facilitated professional learning and consulted throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Indonesia, and the South Pacific. Aida is an adjunct professor of teacher education at San Diego State University. She has served as a liaison and resource for school districts, superintendent, school administrators, and residency programs, and partnerships that cultivate accomplished teachers. She delivers professional learning and coaching to school districts on instructional rounds as a member of Corwin's Teacher Clarity, and on her other areas of expertise including curriculum design, Visible Learning, Balanced Literacy, English Language Learners, teacher leadership, and school and district leadership.