Teaching Against the Grain: One Title I School's Journey Toward Project-Based Literacy Instruction

Parsons, S. A., Metzger, S. R., Askew, J., & Carswell, A. R. (2010). Teaching Against the Grain: One Title I School's Journey Toward Project-Based Literacy Instruction. Literacy Research and Instruction, 50(1), 1-14.

In an environment where standardized test-taking is valued above all, particularly in high-poverty schools, one Title 1 school teaches against the grain by focusing on high level literacy instruction such as project-based instruction.  This article describes this school's professional development of high level literacy versus adopting a scripted program aimed at improving test scores.  Teacher implementation and teachers’ view of using this instructional model is detailed throughout the article.

keywords: Project Based Literacy, high level literacy, professional development