Keep It R.E.A.L.!

This book introduces a set of pedagogical practices designed to assist adolescent English learners in developing their English skills in a way that honors and leverages their native languages and cultures.

Responding to the linguistic and educational diversity of adolescents, the R.E.A.L. (Relevant, Engaging, and Affirming Literacy) method offers teachers a range of scalable activities, reading lists, and other resources, along with numerous suggestions on how to adapt them for students’ particular needs. By sharing experiences from actual secondary English classes, Stewart presents diverse learners making meaningful connections to texts and responding through writing, speaking, and other artistic means. These students are developing high levels of literacy, English language skills, and even biliteracy through R.E.A.L. instruction that all English teachers can use.

Book Features:

• Shows educators how to effectively engage middle and high school students through reading and responding to literature.
• Provides creative solutions for centering students’ needs and interests within standards and other curricular restraints.
• Brings together theory from reader response, second language acquisition, and bilingual research.
• Written for all English language arts teachers and for all levels of adolescent ELs—beginners to advanced students.
• Considers ELs’ full literacy development in all of their languages, not just English.

Mary Amanda (Mandy) Stewart is assistant professor in the Department of Reading at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas and a member of the North Star of Texas Writing Project, a local affiliate of the National Writing Project. Her research focuses on the biliteracy and language development of middle and high school students who are learning English as an additional language. She is the “biblioburra”, the book donkey, who loves to bring new books to multilingual adolescents for them to read and share their responses with her. She currently is learning with high school students and teachers through the ELLevate! grant from the U.S. Department of Education which she directs.

Her research with adolescents learning English has appeared in various journals including Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, The English Journal, Research in the Teaching of English, Literacy Research & Instruction, and TESOL Journal. She is also the author of Understanding Adolescent Immigrants: Moving Toward and Extraordinary Discourse for Extraordinary Youth published with Lexington Books. Find her on Twitter: @drmandystewart.

"Stewart presents a clear philosophy that empowers, celebrates, and models an approach for building English and biliteracy skills which is embedded in equitable and respectful practice.... Keep it R.E.A.L. is a highly accessible and practical text that will be a valuable resource for teachers of multilingual students."

—Teachers College Record

"Keep It R.E.A.L is a must-read for secondary teachers and teacher educators who want their students to appreciate literacy as a critical resource for lifelong learning. This is truly an invaluable resource for teachers of multilingual youth."
—Christian Faltis, chair and professor, The Ohio State University

“A must-have resource! The powerful student-centered and teacher-friendly framework Mary Amanda Stewart offers in this book makes building literacy skills for adolescent English learners achievable and impactful.”
—Andrea Honigsfeld, associate dean and director, Molloy College, New York

A Note to the Reader

Chapter 1. Keep It R.E.A.L. for Adolescent English Learners
   What Is R.E.A.L. Instruction?
   Who Are Adolescent English Learners?
   Purpose of the Book
   Theory Supporting R.E.A.L. Instruction
   Experiences Supporting R.E.A.L. Instruction
   Action Time

Chapter 2. Set High Expectations Through R.E.A.L. Instruction
   Nothing Less Than Rigorous Standards
   Nurturing Multilingual Readers and Writers at School and at Home
   Threefold Purpose of R.E.A.L. Instruction
   Current Climate: Increasing Diversity and Standardization
   Five Simple Rules for Literacy and Language Learning
   Action Time

Chapter 3. Read in a Literature-Rich Classroom
   Reading Within a Theme
   Methods for Classroom Reading
   Multiple Genres
   Literature at Various Reading Levels
   Action Time

Chapter 4. Respond to Texts in a Literacy-Rich Classroom
   Reader Response Through Oral Language
   Reader Response Through Written Language
   Reader Response Through Other Creative Methods
   Evaluating Students’ Responses
   Action Time

Chapter 5. Connect to Students’ Cultures and Lived Experiences
   A Holistic View of Culture
   Reading and Responding with Cultural Insiders
   Privileging Students’ Lived Experiences
   Reading Beyond Students’ Experiences
   Action Time

Chapter 6. Support Biliteracy Development
   Biliteracy Within Monolingual Standards
   Affirming Students' Languages
   Purposefully Leveraging the L1
   Multilingual Texts
   Multilingual Responses
   Action Time

Conclusion: Keep It R.E.A.L.—Play to Win!

Glossary

Appendices
   Appendix A: Sample Texts for Short-Term Unit on Rosa Parks
   Appendix B: Sample World War II Texts and Reader Response Activities

References

Literature Cited

Index

About the Author