Incorporating Evidence-Based Literacy Practices into Middle School Content Areas

Middle school students with reading disabilities and difficulties require evidence-based literacy instruction to access complex grade-level text and acquire content-area knowledge. Because the majority of students with disabilities spend most of the school day in the general education setting, general education and special education co-teachers should make an effort to integrate evidence-based literacy instruction into their daily lessons in this setting. However, teachers face unique content-area demands that may determine how and when they deliver this literacy instruction. In this article, we provide step-by-step guidance on how teachers can prepare for and implement a set of evidence-based literacy practices in their classes. We also provide examples of ways teachers can tailor these practices for different content areas. Teachers can seamlessly incorporate the practices to meet students' literacy and content-area needs.