Teachers provide explicit instruc-tion of useful comprehension strategies, teach stu-dents to monitor and repair, use multiple strategyapproaches, scaffold support, and make readingand writing connections visible to students.

Many individual reader fac-tors (e.g., cognitive development, culture) are notwithin a teacher’s control. However, teachers canmotivate students by providing them with interest-ing texts, allowing them choices in reading andwriting, and helping students set authentic purpos-es for reading

When studentsperformbelowaverage inthiscriticalarea,itisessential thattheyreceivepromptandeffectivetreatment and thattheybetaughtbywell-qualified professionals(Moats,2010

As students move on to high school, their word-reading (decoding)skills may continue to be challenged by numerous polysyllabic words thatappear in their textbooks, along with increasing levels of lexical and syntactic complexity

Another contrast between early and later language development concerns therole of metalinguistic competence—the ability to reflect upon and analyzelanguage as an entity itself. Gombert (1992) reported that around the age of6 or 7 years, a time when children typically begin first grade, they displayan increasing tendency to employ metalinguismic competence to enhancetheir own understanding and use of language in all domains—phonological,morphological, lexical, semantic. syntactic. and pragtnatic.

“teaching approaches should enhance and accommodate the diverse skills, abilities, andprior knowledge of young adolescents”

Choice

Together, students and their teacher create aclassroom community, and the environment strongly influences the learn-ing that takes place (Angelillo, 2008). The classroom community should be inviting,supportive, and safe so young adolescents will be motivated to participate in readingand writing activities.