Building Academic Literacy

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.

Janet Angelis began her career in the classroom and has devoted the major part of it to linking the worlds of research and practice. She has authored or coauthored numerous articles for practitioners, researchers, and the public, including three books.

Foreword - Judith A. Langer Preface Why We Wrote This Book Who We Are Our Research Base Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Purposeful Pedagogy: Developing Each Mind How to Use This Book Key Elements Common Threads Opening the Classroom to Student Thinking and Voice Secure the Foundation by Teaching Students How to Talk and Think Together Five Essentials of Productive Classroom Discussions Summary Chapter 2. Purposeful Engagement: Activities to Engage and Support All Learners Sharing Thinking One-on-One Journal Jot/Quick Write and Think-Pair Share Extending Think-Pair-Share to Written Conversation about Content Scaffolds for Productive Whole-Class Discussions Reader's Marks and Variations Pass the Hat Pair Engaging and Complex Texts to Foster Critical Thinking Summary Chapter 3. Purposeful Talk: A Framework for Facilitating Academic Discussions A Guide to Facilitating Discussions that Foster higher-Level Thinking The Envisionment-Building Guide (EBG) A Teacher's Role During Discussion Preparing for and Facilitating Discussions that Foster Higher Levels of Thinking Practicing with a Well-Known Poem Trying an EBG and Discussion in Your Classroom Summary Chapter 4. Purposeful Experiences: Assignments to Sustain Thinking and Learning Some Tools to Help Students Capture Thinking in Written Form Why Writing Matters Learning Logs or Journals Open Mind Purposeful Assignments That Provide Opportunities for Students to Share Thinking Gallery Walk Carousel Stand and Deliver Extended Writing Summary Chapter 5. Purposeful Planning: Designing a Coherent and Connected Curriculum Supporting Students as Disciplinary Thinkers Rethinking the Curriculum Staring with the Big Ideas Thinking beyond the Textbook Collaboration Summary Chapter 6. Purposeful Leadership: Supporting Effective Instructional Practices Student Voice Engaging Activities Discussion Assignments Fostering Coherence Rethinking the Curriculum to Be More Coherent Collaboration across Grades and Subjects Summary End Note Appendix A. Sample Lessons An Envisionment-Building Lesson for Science An Envisionment-Building Lesson for Mathematics An Envisionment-Building Lesson for English Language Arts Appendix B. Annotated Bibliography Literary Works Cited Bibliography