Transitioning from Learning to Read to Reading to Learn
Adolescent literacy encompasses learners aged 12-18. This includes students in upper elementary, middle school, and high school. This age group is in a unique transitional period, shifting from learning to read to now being expected to read in order to learn. As texts continue to become increasingly complex, students who haven't fully mastered foundational reading skills may find this this transition particularly challenging. To make learning accessible for every student secondary intervention strategies are essential. Incorporating student's interests and utilizing diverse modalities they encounter daily can enhance background knowledge and increase engagement.
Why do we need literacy interventions for secondary students?
Every student is walking into the classroom with different learning experiences, unique needs, strengths, and challenges. Using decades of research, The National Reading Panel has identified crucial pieces of reading instruction, these areas are known as the five pillars of reading. These five core components of reading comprehension focus on supporting students in their early literacy journey.
While primarily focused on early literacy, the Five Pillars are equally important for upper elementarry through high school teachers to reinforce with students who need continues support.
Secondary Literacy Intervention
Built entirely on the Science of Reading, RGR’s Early Literacy Intervention goes beyond phonemic awareness to include systematic phonics, oral reading fluency, and vocabulary.
Are the five pillars of reading applicable to adolescent learners?
In connection with the five pillars of reading, most students at the middle and high school levels should be proficient in all the pillars: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. As educators know all too well, what should have been taught and the reality of what was taught to students does not always align. Therefore, it may be appropriate to revisit the pillars at the secondary level as some students might need support in the different pillars depending on their previous background in how they were taught to read. Brush up on the 5 Pillars of Reading!
Furthermore, there are developmental stages of literacy-related skills that should increase in rigor as adolescent brains continue to develop. While most learners will have proficiency in phonemic awareness and phonics by the time they reach adolescence, they will still have literacy-related needs that must be addressed. For example, as students are exposed to new texts, they will encounter words that they may need support in pronouncing or understanding. Not understanding pronunciation impacts fluency. This provides an opportunity for an effective literacy intervention.
While it is true that secondary educators need to focus on other literacy-related strategies, like context, analysis, and figurative language, they can only do so successfully if their students have a strong foundational understanding of the five pillars of reading. Once that groundwork is set, educators can confidently move on to more complex and abstract concepts in their curriculum, knowing their students are now ready for these skills. Adolescent literacy instruction is a process, and by addressing the core components of reading comprehension, educators can support adolescent learners as they continue to be appropriately challenged while progressing through their education.
How can Really Great Reading help middle and high school students?
Really Great Reading offers solutions that help create and reinforce the Five Pillars of Reading. Our solutions provide effective reading strategies and interventions that to support students and teachers. If you’ve noticed that your students lack the confidence to read aloud, skip words, read in a choppy manner, or struggle with comprehension, we can help! When used together, HD Word and InferCabulary provide a comprehensive solution for adolescent struggling readers by addressing two critical areas: poor decoding and underdeveloped vocabulary. HD Word focuses on improving decoding skills efficiently, enabling students to read more fluently and accurately. InferCabulary, on the other hand, rapidly enhances vocabulary and oral language skills, giving students a better grasp of the words they encounter in texts.
This combination creates a game-changing literacy solution for many older students who face significant reading challenges. The bundled approach of HD Word and InferCabulary offers an effective intervention for upper elementary, middle, and high school students struggling to pass their state reading tests and comprehend what they read. By addressing both decoding and vocabulary deficiencies, Really Great Reading’s HD Word and InferCabulary bundles provide research-aligned, easy-to-implement solutions that support students' reading development on multiple fronts.
Download our Transitioning from Learning to Read to Reading to Learn infographic!
Navigating the Transition to Reading to Learn
As students transition from learning to read to reading to learn, the challenges they face can be daunting, especially for those who have not fully mastered the foundational skills of reading. The increasing complexity of texts at the middle and high school levels demands that students have a solid grasp of the five pillars of reading to succeed academically. By addressing gaps in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, educators can empower students to confidently engage with increasingly difficult content.
Secondary literacy interventions, such as the combined power of HD Word and InferCabulary, offer effective solutions to support struggling readers by reinforcing critical skills in both decoding and vocabulary development. These research-based strategies help bridge gaps in literacy development and provide students with the tools they need to thrive. By focusing on these essential areas, educators can ensure that their students are not only ready to meet the demands of more advanced texts but are also equipped to continue growing as confident, capable readers.
Really Great Reading equips educators with the tools and strategies needed to ensure every student succeeds in mastering essential literacy skills.
