In this commentary, the authors bring insights from their work on science-literacy integration at the elementary level to bear on the ongoing conversation about disciplinary literacy at the middle and secondary levels. In particular, the authors discuss what they have learned about inquiry, disciplinary reading strategies, and the role of text in…

Can daily access to laptop computers help students become better writers? Are such programs affordable? Evidence from the Inspired Writing program in Littleton Public Schools, Colorado, USA, provides a resounding yes to both questions. The program employs student netbooks, open-source software, cloud computing, and social media to help students in…

Contemporary transformations in digital technologies have prompted a reassessment of what literacy means and what is determined a "text." Traditionally, text has been perceived as written messages and symbols in the forms of books, magazines, and newspapers. Today, text is recognized as much more than written words or images. As teachers consider…

To date, nearly all one-to-one literacy instruction is delivered in person, often in university-based reading clinic settings. This traditional tutoring format, however, has not met the needs or fit the schedules of many adolescents. Distance technology, accompanied with research that confirms literacy instructional components do remain intact,…

A fifth-grade science teacher and university researcher challenged the notion that textbook reading follows the same archaic formula: read the textbook and answer the questions at the end of the section. Together, they adapted literature circle roles to fit textbook structures, resulting in the strategy they call Textmasters. This article…

As digital portfolios become more prevalent in teacher education, the purposes and processes for creating them have become contested. Originally meant to be critical and reflective spaces for learning about multimedia and conceived as contributing to professional growth, research shows that digital portfolios are now increasingly being used to…

An analysis of what appears initially to be a typical literature circle discussion about the book "Shiloh" illuminates larger issues of the influence of class and gendered discursive practices. Drawing on critical discourse analysis, the author suggests that the ways these fifth-grade students enact class and gender roles actually positions them…