While elementary school instruction emphasizes “learning to read,” middle school focus shifts to “reading to learn.” By this time, students encounter more texts in the content-area disciplines and must apply literacy strategies to learn new information — challenging for students who struggle in reading and responding to informational and narrative texts.

Along with 40 blended student lessons designed to enhance the literacy skills of struggling readers in middle school, a professional development video from WGBH shows teachers, students, and a literacy expert presenting their perspectives on self-paced lessons to inspire middle school literacy. Watch the PD video to learn new strategies in multimedia to help your students build proficiency in reading, vocabulary, and writing skills here.

Designed for struggling readers in grades 5–8, the 40 blended lessons from PBS LearningMedia’s Inspiring Middle School Literacy collection are designed to enhance literacy skills use videos, interactive activities, note taking, readings, and essay writing to engage students in science, social studies, English language arts, and mathematics topics. View here.