AIM Academy: Effective Literacy Instruction in Secondary Schools

Literacy instruction and interventions don’t look the same at every age.

In the past few years, applying the Science of Reading to develop more confident, capable elementary-level readers has been a popular topic. But many students in secondary school — Grades 6-12 — also struggle with fluency and comprehension, sometimes due to a late-diagnosed or overlooked learning difference.

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, about one-third of our nation’s middle and high school students are performing below NAEP Basic in reading, indicating they are struggling to demonstrate fundamental reading comprehension skills on grade-appropriate texts.

The real challenge: In these secondary grades, most educators don’t have the skills or experience to identify struggling readers, much less provide effective instruction to alter their trajectory.

ALDS schools understand the nuances of adolescent literacy.

For starters, it is not simply “primary school instruction applied to more complex phonics,” as AIM Academy explains. Building language comprehension skills and background knowledge through age-appropriate content are key.

Gently and effectively peeling away the years of academic frustration and loss of confidence are also a critical part of the work.

A few other instructional essentials that ALDS schools prioritize when it comes to adolescent literacy:

• An enduring belief, among all educators, that even if an LD isn’t uncovered until middle or high school, with the right instruction, tremendous progress can be made.
  
  

• Practices used with elementary readers aren’t overgeneralized and applied to middle and high school students; interventions match learning levels, are customized to the learner, and are always evidence-based.
  
  

• Literacy instruction exists in every classroom, not simply English or “reading;” content-area teachers are trained and teach using the same methods as literacy coaches.

Whether students are rising up from their LD elementary school or entering an LD school for the first time as a middle or even a high schooler, their reading skills continue to grow — because instruction aligns with the unique needs of their age. 

That’s the impact of an ALDS school.

Read AIM Academy’s “Deep Dive” on adolescent literacy for a closer look.