Many students experience that the prepackaged secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum used in many classrooms does not effectively engage them or further their English acquisition. This article shares the story of creating a curriculum the authors believe other teachers can emulate to successfully teach adolescents who are new to…

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, about 60% of students cannot read proficiently at their current grade level. Findings from the National Reading Panel (NRP) indicate that there is not sufficient research on the topic of struggling middle school readers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the impact…

The purpose of this study was to examine how secondary teachers have been taught to teach reading-to-learn over the last four decades, and to teach the struggling and reluctant readers in their classes. In this study, twelve secondary reading methods textbooks were analyzed. The textbooks were chosen based on four criteria: (a) availability, (b)…

Second of a seven-part series recounting disatisfaction with traditional means of teaching literature to the disadvantaged. Also identifies three approaches which aim at reform. (RB)

A sampling of the literature on reading objectives shows a weak sense of direction beyond elementary school. After assessing the problem, the Bureau of Language Arts of the Chicago Board of Education selected inference as the focus of high school reading. To develop a taxonomy of inferences, the Chicago committee began inductively, by writing or…

Describes how the term "graphic novel" includes fiction as well as non-fiction text with pictures--"comics" in book format. Discusses how in any subject area, studying a graphic novel can bring media literacy into the curriculum as students examine the medium itself. (SG)

Considers how student resistance to literary characters who violate stereotypes can shape the meanings constructed within the interpretive community of the classroom. Concludes that because negative student responses can limit the potential of literature to illuminate human experiences, they must become a formal part of the curriculum, another…

Based on the premise that young people have important stories to tell, this book presents adolescents' lives and experiences to show the importance of understanding their literacy practices, to generate ideas for relating those practices to teaching and curriculum development, and to advance the idea that all children need strong, abiding…

Describes early computer assisted reading projects, reports on subsequent research, and suggests directions for future curriculum development. (FL)

Intended for educators involved in developing secondary school reading programs, this paper describes a carefully balanced program implemented in the Wisconsin public school system for grades 7 through 12. Following a brief introduction to and rationale for the concept of a reading program that balances instruction in reading for skill…

Both the child and the task need to be considered in designing any reading program. The test of the sequence and structure of reading instruction is not simply a matter of completing the learning activities correctly, nor is it the level of attainment reached in the reading test, but it is rather the ability of the student to apply the skills…

Intended for reading curriculum designers and teachers, this manual presents suggestions for developing a balanced reading program at the junior and senior high school levels. The first section discusses the organization and administration of a secondary school reading program, including the essentials of a balanced program and the evaluation of…

A SAMPLING OF SECONDARY SCHOOL READING PROGRAMS DESCRIBED IN THE PROFESSIONAL LITERATURE IS REVIEWED. BOTH SENIOR AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE INCLUDED. FIVE MAJOR QUESTIONS ARE CONSIDERED--(1) HOW DO SECONDARY READING PROGRAMS BEGIN, (2) WHAT STUDENTS ARE INCLUDED, (3) HOW SHOULD PROGRAMS BE SCHEDULED INTO THE CURRICULUM, (4) WHO IS…