| | | | Motivation, Diverse Books, and More September 2021 |
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| Carrie Simkin, PhD
Director, AdLit
Educator, Mom of Twins,
and Lover of Books
Dear AdLit Readers,
I am so excited to begin my tenure as the Director of AdLit.org. I remember when adolescent literacy was first recognized as a hot topic by the International Literacy Association (ILA) in 2001, igniting discussions of how to best define adolescence and the literacy needs of older learners.
Fast forward 20 years and our understanding of adolescent literacy development continues to evolve, as does our knowledge of how to best support teachers of adolescent learners.
That urgency still remains strong for those of us who have worked with adolescent learners and alongside secondary teachers. We know that literacy is "power and the cornerstone of our freedom" (Ippolito, Steele, & Samson, 2008), and yet too many of our adolescent learners, particularly students of color, diverse language backgrounds, and students living in poverty, have yet to experience the joy of reading. I hope as a community we can collaborate and problem-solve on how to change that trajectory for our students.
We hope to take a fresh look at what we know about adolescent readers and best literacy practices on our relaunched AdLit.org site. We are working to add new content, including a rich library of diverse middle grade and YA books, new and revamped strategy pages, practical and caring guidance on teaching ELLs, and many additional resources for educators and families in the coming months.
I look forward to connecting with you this year.
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| A special thanks to the National Education Association for their support of AdLit.org, its recent relaunch, and our ongoing partnership. Their generous grant affirms the NEA's commitment to literacy, equity, and achievement for all of our students. |
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In the Classroom: Motivation |
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| Each month we will focus in on one area of literacy development important for our adolescent learners. Make sure to explore all of the links and let us know if you have suggestions for future content you'd like to see. |
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| As a new school year begins we are reminded of the importance of engaging readers. What motivates students to read (or not to read) is a complex topic. McKenna & Stahl (2015) write that our students’ attitudes towards reading are affected by all of their reading experiences, what they believe will happen when they read, what they believe about those they respect, and how they feel about reading.
A teacher can have a magically positive influence on their students’ attitudes toward reading, but first we must figure out how students feel about reading and what their likes and dislikes are when they choose to read. To make these determinations, we can administer ... Reading Interest Inventories
Example 1 Example 2 Reading Attitude & Self Perception Surveys
Example 1 Example 2 To learn more about developing students’ reading motivation and engagement, browse our AdLit resources. |
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AdLit Diverse Books Project |
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Kids need diverse books — places where they can see reflections of themselves and see worlds different from their own. Learn more about why increasing all students’ access to diverse books is so important, how different authors and organizations are supporting that effort, and how movements such as the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign are having an impact. We are truly excited about our Diverse Books Project for All Readers. Take a look!
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| Listen in as celebrated YAL author Jacqueline Woodson discusses the importance of students finding themselves represented in stories. Watch the video > |
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| Each month we will share books that have piqued our interest. Make sure to click on the book icons for links to more information about the books and other related resources. Please contact us if you'd like to make a book recommendation for a future newsletter. |
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Young Adult Literature (YAL) |
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Love Is a Revolution by Renee Watson
Nala Robertson, a 17-year-old Black girl of Jamaican descent who is plus-size, just wants to be loved. Her love story is not just about a romantic relationship but how a girl finds herself and falls in love with who she really is. Watch the book trailer!
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When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Ever since Omar was four years old and soldiers forced him and his brother Hassan to flee from their farm in Somalia, Omar has promised to always take care of his nonverbal brother — but he is also eager for an education and an opportunity for a life outside of their Kenyan refugee camp. Watch the book trailer!
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Do I Really Have to Read This? by Cris Tovani Cris Tovani shares her best secrets, lessons learned from big fails, and her most effective literacy and planning strategies that hook these hard-to-get learners. |
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More Books & Authors Resources ... Browse the Books & Authors section to find our library of video interviews with top middle grade and YA authors, themed booklists, our step-by-step Author Study Toolkit, resources on using historical fiction in the classroom, the Walter Dean Myers Second Chance Initiative, and more. |
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Share our Monthly AdLit Newsletter Spread the word about our new AdLit Newsletter and help build our community of educators, parents and researchers. To receive our AdLit newsletter, encourage others to sign up here. |
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Sign up for the Weekly News Headlines Don't miss the big education stories of the week, current stories on best teaching practices, news for families, and buzz on the latest books for middle grade and YA readers! To receive weekly news headlines curated by AdLit and emailed every Friday, sign up here. |
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Contact us
We want to hear from you. Have you created resources you would like to share with other educators on AdLit? Is there content you would like to see featured on our site or in our monthly newsletter? Please send us your ideas. We are eager to hear from you! |
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Help Support Our Work at AdLit You can make a difference in the lives of adolescent learners.
Consider making a donation today!
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