Adolescent Literacy: Overview

Young people do more reading and writing today — on paper and online — than ever before. Their literacy development is just as important, and requires just as much attention, as that of beginning readers.

IRA offers extensive resources for those who work with adolescent learners — whether they struggle with reading or are achieving at or above grade level. Follow the links below to find more information, or use advanced search and select “Early adolescence” or “Adolescence” under the Learner heading to identify resources on specific topics.

• Adolescent Literacy
• Supporting Young Adolescents’ Literacy Learning
• On Adolescent Literacy (resolution)

Find high quality, peer-reviewed lesson plans in reading and language arts at ReadWriteThink.org, a joint project of IRA and the National Council of Teachers of English, supported by the Verizon Foundation.

• Lesson plans for grades 6–8 (younger adolescents)
• Lesson plans for grades 9–12 (older adolescents)

• Teaching vocabulary in middle and high school
• Supporting struggling adolescent readers
• Elizabeth Moje on literacy in the subject areas

• Young Adults' Choices

IRA's large international conferences, smaller regional meetings, and special one-day events offer the best kind of professional development—the chance to learn and share with colleagues in a professional community. Check out our Meetings page or view the calendar to see what's coming up.

• Nila Banton Smith Award, for effective translation of theory into practice by a middle or secondary teacher