Truths about Adolescent Literacy

• Adolescence is not too late to intervene.  Interventions do benefit older students.
• Older students with reading difficulties benefit from interventions focused at both the word and text level.
• Older students with reading difficulties benefit from improved knowledge of word meanings and concepts.
• Word-study interventions are appropriate for older students struggling at the word level.
• Teachers can provide interventions that are associated with positive effects.
• Teaching comprehension strategies to older students with reading difficulties is beneficial.
• Older readers’ average gains in reading comprehension are somewhat smaller than those in other reading and reading-related areas studied.
• Older students with learning disabilities (LD) benefit from reading intervention when it is appropriately focused.

Scammacca et al., 2007