This webinar addresses the well-documented “8th grade slump,” when students struggle as instruction shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. Leaders explore why this transition is challenging and how schools can respond with intentional literacy strategies.

The session focuses on supporting comprehension, vocabulary, and knowledge-building to keep students on track for secondary success.

What You’ll Learn

• Why middle school literacy declines during the transition years.
• How knowledge-building instruction supports comprehension.
• Ways to strengthen academic language development.
• Strategies for aligning literacy support across subjects.

Key Themes Discussed

• Reading-to-learn transition challenges in middle grades.
• Vocabulary and language growth as drivers of comprehension.
• Cross-content literacy strategies for sustained progress.
• Equitable access to grade-level texts and ideas.

Who Should Watch This Webinar?

This webinar is designed for:

• District administrators.
• Middle school leaders.
• Literacy and curriculum directors.
• Teams addressing adolescent literacy outcomes.