DEVELOPING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS’ READING AND WRITING ABILITIES THROUGH DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND MEANINGFUL AND AUTHENTIC LITERACY EXPERIENCES

Abstract

A model of integrated middle school literacy instruction that emphasizes direct instruction within the context of meaningful and authentic literacy experiences is presented. Background information on the direct‐instruction and whole‐language approaches and their historical influence on middle school literacy instruction is provided first, and the lack of mingling of these two approaches is cited as a problem with current middle school literacy programs. The integrated model is then presented, the components of which are meaningful and authentic literacy experiences and three instructional actions associated with direct instruction—explanation, modeling, and mediation. Examples of integrated literacy instruction in which the direct instructional actions are thoughtfully and carefully embedded within meaningful and authentic literacy experiences are provided.