English Learners, Academic Literacy, and Thinking - National ...

English Learners,
Academic Literacy, and Thinking
Learning in the Challenge Zone
PAULINE GIBBONS
FOREWORD BY JIM CUMMINS
Pauline Gibbons’ book provides inspiration and
guidance. It convincingly refutes the argument that EL
and low-income students are incapable of benefiting
from an intellectually challenging, inquiry-based
curriculum.
–JIM CUMMINS
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
pauline gibbons (author of Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning) shows how
to empower English learners to meet the same expectations we have for all students. She presents five broad
strategies that support every student but are targeted to the needs of ELLs:
• engaging deeply with intellectual contexts
• developing academic literacy
• employing reading strategies and improving comprehension
• gaining writing independence and learning content-area genres
• using classroom talk to make sense of new concepts and as a bridge to writing.
Gibbons offers strong supports for teachers and students, including guidelines on designing long-term, high-quality instruction,
specifics on explicitly scaffolding learning for English learners, dozens of rich activities that support all students across the
curriculum, doable plans for instruction, and reflection questions for individual or group study.
Challenge your English learners to meet your high expectations and give them the support
they need to succeed. Find out how with English Learners, Academic Literacy, and Thinking.
2009 / 224pp / $23.50 est.
To place an order, call 800.225.5800, fax 877.231.6980, or visit www.heinemann.com and join the Extra Credit Club.

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NCTE PRESENTS...
Middle Ground
Exploring Selected Literature from and about the Middle East
Sheryl L. Finkle and Tamara J. Lilly
For years, literature from and about the Middle East has largely been missing from middle
and high school curricula. Changing demographics and global citizenship necessitate a
better understanding of Middle Eastern history, culture, and literature.
Recognizing this need, veteran teachers Sheryl L. Finkle and Tamara J. Lilly offer a comprehensive
review of the theory and practice of teaching Middle Eastern literature. In this book, they:
• Review principles of multicultural/cross-cultural pedagogy
• Describe principles for selecting quality texts and explain the importance of teaching both contemporary and
ancient literature of the region
• Illustrate how using these texts can engage young readers and help develop their language and literacy skills
• Provide activities, lessons, and materials for various print and nonprint texts, including books such as Habibi,
The Kite Runner, and Behind the Burqa: Our Life in Afghanistan and How We Escaped to Freedom and the films
Osama and Reel Bad Arabs.
Studying literature from and about the Middle East not only enables students to gain a deeper understanding of
the world around them but also allows them to develop crucial critical thinking and literacy skills that can be applied
outside the English classroom. 149 pp. 2008. Grades 6–12. ISBN 978-0-8141-3161-9. Theory & Research Into Practice series.
No. 31619 $25.95 member/$34.95 nonmember
To Order: Visit our website at www.ncte.org or call toll free at 1-877-369-6283
THE PROFESSIONAL HOME OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS COMMUNITY

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Whether teachers are teaching their stu-
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6
EDITORS’ MESSAGE | On a Quest for New Discoveries: Effective Professional Development
Calls for Manuscripts
International Literacy
September 2010. The world is shrinking as globalization
brings us closer to people around the world. We want to widen
the focus of this call to include the following: What kinds of
literacy projects are happening in countries around the world?
What aspects of literacy are currently drawing attention in your
country? What can we learn from your best literacy practices?
How do literacy practices compare across different countries?
We also invite articles from American teachers and researchers
that address the following questions: What literacy
projects have you and your students engaged in that involve
other countries? How has current technology opened the door
to international literacy practices? What projects have your
students been involved in that support the literacy development
of students in underdeveloped countries? Are you involved
in other international literacy practices, projects, initiatives,
and issues that would be of interest to VM readers?
Deadline: September 1, 2009.
Talking about Talk
December 2010. As educators of young adolescents, we understand
the importance of the social nature of literacy and
the role of talk in the classroom. In recent years, our understanding
of talk has deepened, and we have worked consciously
to provide our students with opportunities to share their ideas
with others. As students explore new ideas, participation in
discussion enriches, deepens, and expands their understandings.
What do students talk about in your classroom? What
does talk look like and sound like? How does observing and
reflecting on this talk inform your teaching? How do you facilitate
rich and meaningful talk? How do you invite all students
into the conversation? How does talk inform student
learning in the classroom? Deadline: December 1, 2009.
Honoring Student Voices
March 2011. In the most authentic and engaging classrooms,
students feel a sense of ownership and responsibility toward
the learning community to which they belong. In this issue,
we are honoring the voices of young adolescents by inviting
them to submit their stories about authentic and engaging
literacy experiences. What makes literacy meaningful and relevant
to you? What positive middle level literacy classroom
experiences have you had that you want to share with others?
What advice do you have for teachers in the future to make
literacy learning more valuable? Please talk to your students
about these questions and help them brainstorm additional
topics. Deadline: March 1, 2010.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
May 2011. NCTE and Voices have traveled together toward
new understandings about young adolescents’ literacy and
learning. As NCTE celebrates its 100th anniversary, we are
taking our final steps as VM’s editorial team. We invite you to
get on board and join us as we reminisce about where we have
been and as we look to the future for new possibilities. In this
final issue, we reflect on seminal literacy practices of yesterday
and seek new and evolving ways of helping our diverse
students become strong and independent learners. What are
the seminal literacy practices advocated by NCTE that every
teacher of young adolescents should embrace? In looking forward
to the future, what new and evolving practices should
we take along? Let’s get “on the road again” (Willie Nelson)
and take one final journey together. Deadline: May 1, 2010.
Voices from the Middle, Volume 16 Number 4, May 2009