The achievement gap is a language gap—and you can bridge it! As teachers, we take the language of school—academic language—for granted. But for many of our students, academic language is more than a new language. It is the "make or break" skill for school success. This exciting and much-needed book shows how teachers can help students become fluent, confident speakers of academic language. Debbie Zacarian shares a step-by-step, research-based approach to scaffolding K-12 instruction for students who do not have the language and literacy skills that are needed in school. Readers will find Practical teaching strategies based on the four key facets of academic language fluency Richly detailed case studies about students’ experiences with academic language across the content areas Guidance on family involvement Thought-provoking study questions, along with performance assessment tools An ideal resource for school- and district-wide Common Core initiatives, this book provides teachers with the foundation and tools to ensure an equitable education for all students. "This book engages teachers in active reflection on the nature of academic language and how it is used in different content areas across the curriculum. It represents an extremely useful tool for school communities to promote academic learning for all students." —Jim Cummins, Professor OISE/University of Toronto "Mastering Academic Language provides a practical look at the sociocultural foundations of academic language, relevant classroom and student examples, and a helpful framework for organizing and enacting the complex processes of developing language across a variety of contexts." —Jeff Zwiers, Researcher Stanford University, CERAS 527

This book provides a comprehensive and coherent step-by-step guide to writing in scientific academic disciplines. It is an invaluable resource for those working on a PhD thesis, research paper, dissertation, or report. Writing these documents can be a long and arduous experience for students and their supervisors, and even for experienced researchers. However, this book can hold the key to success. Mapping the steps involved in the writing process - from acquiring and organizing sources of information, to revising early drafts, to proofreading the final product - it provides clear guidance on what to write and how best to write it. Features: Step-by-step approach to academic writing in scientific disciplines Ideal guidance for PhD theses, papers, grant applications, reports and more Includes worked-out examples from real research papers and PhD theses and templates and worksheets are available online to help readers put specific tasks into practice

A research-based vocabulary textbook that gives intermediate to high-intermediate students hands-on preparation for understanding mid-frequency vocabulary, such as that found in novels, newspapers, films and social and workplace settings.

Registering for courses, securing financial aid, developing strong study skills, and mastering difficult course material are just a few of the wide variety of obstacles that college students must overcome on their path to graduation. Beyond inadequate academic preparation, first-generation college students may not be able to rely on family or friends for advice about higher education and thus face the additional burden of constructing a support network of mentors and advisors. Without suitable advice and counseling, these students may make decisions that adversely affect their circumstances—and thus, their education. Academic Language and Learning Support Services in Higher Education is an essential scholarly resource that examines the quality, organization, and administration of academic advisement and academic support systems for college and university students that connect them to the academic community and foster an appreciation of lifelong learning. Featuring a wide range of topics such as enrollment services, professional developments, and service learning, this text is ideal for academicians, academic advisers, mentors, curriculum designers, counsellors, administrators, higher education faculty, policymakers, researchers, and graduate students.

Essential Academic Vocabulary prepares students for academic success by helping them preview, learn, and practice vocabulary from the Academic Word List in context. Engaging academic readings highlight chapter vocabulary in context. From chapter to chapter, the readings and vocabulary increase in complexity level, allowing students to establish and build upon a solid vocabulary foundation.

Focusing on research-related assignments, this book helps you navigate the potential pitfalls of academic writing through the experience of students who face the same challenges you do. Packed with hands-on exercises and insightful feedback, this workbook gives you the practice you need to fine tune your academic writing. Using their years of experience coaching students, the authors help you to: Develop and hone arguments Organise and interpret source material Write effective research proposals Follow academic conventions with confidence Complete collaborative writing projects. Perfect for anyone transitioning from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees, Mastering Academic Writing provides the skills, tips, and tricks you need to move beyond the basics of academic writing and meet the new expectations of further study. The Student Success series are essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to planning your dream career, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips and resources for study success!

Looking Ahead focuses on the various types of writing that successful students must learn to employ; collecting, comparing, defining, developing, classifying, and others. In practicing these various forms of academic writing, students call upon a host of rhetorical modes such as definition and classification to support their ideas and opinions. They also develop facility in using a variety of academic writing formats such as paragraphs, memos, and surveys.

Mastering Academic Reading is meant to challenge advanced academically oriented students of English. The units and the readings within them are long. The comprehension and expansion exercises after them are demanding. The hoped-for outcome is that students trained using this textbook will be able to better hold their own in university classes where the reading volume across disciplines and vocabulary demands are high. Almost every reading is taken, in minimally adapted form, from a book or academic / professional journal. Two introductory passages have been composed expressly for this book in order to provide narrowly focused background material. Beyond these pieces, readers are in the hands of “real-world” authors and their difficult, lexically diffuse, and allusion-filled creations. Journal articles and book excerpts predominate, but Mastering Academic Reading also offers a book review and a government pamphlet as well. Since one aspect of reading practice builds on others, the units are laid out in tiers, not in sections. Each unit has been organized into three tiers. In general, there is one reading per tier, although the first tier in Unit 3 contains two passages (both necessary to provide conceptual background for the other two tiers). Each reading is 3,500-5,000 words. The book focuses on the three primary goals of academic reading: reading to learn; reading to integrate, write, and critique texts; and reading for basic comprehension.

The development of technologies, education, and economy play an important role in modern society. Digital literacy is important for personal development and for the economic growth of society. Technological learning provides students with specific knowledge and capabilities for using new technologies in their everyday lives and in their careers. Examining the Roles of Teachers and Students in Mastering New Technologies is a critical scholarly resource that examines computer literacy knowledge levels in students and the perception of computer use in the classroom from various teacher perspectives. Featuring a wide range of topics such as higher education, special education, and blended learning, this book is ideal for teachers, instructional designers, curriculum developers, academicians, policymakers, administrators, researchers, and students.

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.