Building Academic Literacy
Engaging All Learners in Every Classroom
By (author) Janet I. Angelis, Karen Polsinelli, Eija Rougle, Johanna Shogan
Publication date:
11 January 2016Length of book:
198 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781475823264
Building Academic Literacy is a coach-in-a-pocket for educators seeking to build strong academic literacy and higher-order thinking. This book is for anyone with responsibility for instruction – teachers, instructional coaches, professional developers, principals, curriculum leaders, teacher preparation faculty. It provides pathways to developing higher-order thinking in every student and setting.
Key to its success is that it connects reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking. Readers will find that they can engage all students with content, but more importantly, students will process content in ways appropriate to a particular subject. They also develop independent learning skills -- exactly what the Common Core State Standards call for.
The text is engaging yet practical and practicable – grounded and useful to teachers in enacting more student-centered classrooms. Its strategies serve to actively engage all students in high-level thinking and learning, those who have always found school easy and those who have not. Not a prescription, but a book designed to deepen individual and group teacher competencies to implement learning strategies in new ways and to continually refine and develop their craft.
Key to its success is that it connects reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking. Readers will find that they can engage all students with content, but more importantly, students will process content in ways appropriate to a particular subject. They also develop independent learning skills -- exactly what the Common Core State Standards call for.
The text is engaging yet practical and practicable – grounded and useful to teachers in enacting more student-centered classrooms. Its strategies serve to actively engage all students in high-level thinking and learning, those who have always found school easy and those who have not. Not a prescription, but a book designed to deepen individual and group teacher competencies to implement learning strategies in new ways and to continually refine and develop their craft.
Building Academic Literacy provides teachers and instructional leaders with pedagogical strategies that promote academic literacy and higher-order thinking skills. The authors bill the text as a ‘coach-in-pocket,’ in which they make suggestions, explain why the suggestions should work, and ask questions to help readers reflect on teaching and learning and troubleshoot if necessary. Chapters are written in an accessible manner with explanations of each topic; examples drawn from classrooms, which vary by grade and subject; suggestions of specific strategies to use that engage learners in disciplined thinking; and prompts to help readers reflect on implementation. All activities discussed are meant to purposefully engage learners in developing knowledge and/or skills. The authors are clearly concerned about always engaging every student in learning, promoting higher-order thinking, and further developing language skills. This book is recommended for pre-service teachers, teacher-practitioners, and school leaders who are interested in finding ways to guide students to higher levels of thinking, help them use literacy more effectively, and take greater ownership of their learning. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners.