Literacy Coaching to Build Adolescent Learning: 5 Pillars of Practice

"This book has been long-awaited by literacy professionals in middle and high schools. Guth and Pratt-Fartro use their combined years of experience to provide research-based yet very practical guidance in a highly readable format."
―Elizabeth Sturtevant, Professor
George Mason University

"This is a practical, clear book that addresses an increasingly important topic and will make a significant contribution to a new emphasis in our profession."
―Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Professor of English Education
Director of Boise State Writing Project

Work with teachers to improve adolescents′ literacy achievement!

Prompted by state and federal mandates, school districts are focusing their attention on improving adolescents′ literacy skills and increasingly turning to literacy coaches for instructional support. This rare resource for secondary-level coaches focuses on five pillars of adolescent literacy: time to read for enjoyment, choice in reading materials, strategies for reading texts, vocabulary instruction, and motivation to read―and shows coaches how to work effectively with middle and high school teachers across the content areas.

Drawing on their deep experience in the field, the authors provide guidance on such key topics as how to:

• Clearly define the role and responsibilities of literacy coaches
• Use conversation wisely to make effective decisions and identify design needs
• Implement ongoing professional development for teachers
• Establish collaborative relationships and help teachers use data to inform instruction

Replete with real-world vignettes, current research, and reproducible forms to help facilitate literacy coaching in schools, this accessible resource is an invaluable aid for any literacy leader working with teachers of adolescents.

Nancy DeVries Guth is the supervisor of literacy and humanities for Stafford County Public schools, Virginia, where she supports the literacy programs for close to 30,000 students. She worked as a reading specialist at the elementary, middle, and secondary level and as a resource teacher for literacy programs in Virginia, New Mexico, Michigan, and Brazil. Guth graduated with her PhD from George Mason University and earned her master′s in education from the University of New Mexico.

Tamie Pratt-Fartro is a middle school reading specialist and literacy coach for Stafford County Public Schools. She began her teaching career in Stafford as a fifth-grade teacher and also worked as an elementary reading specialist. Pratt-Fartro earned her master′s in education from Virginia Tech and is currently a doctoral candidate and adjunct instructor at George Mason University. Her research interests include adolescent literacy, literacy leadership, coaching, and education policy.