Attention to how to meet the social and emotional needs of adolescents in learning situations is correlated with how
motivated students are to further develop their literacy skills and engage in reading and writing.
Literacy clearly has social and cultural attributes. Those who have experienced repeated failure at reading are
often unwilling to participate as readers or writers.
School and classroom cultures that successfully promote the development of adolescent literacy skills are characterized
by connections, interaction, and responsiveness, leading to student engagement and reflection
(Collins, 1997; Davidson & Koppenhauer, 1991; Krogness, 1995; Moore, et al., 2000; Schunk & Zimmerman, 1997;
Wilhelm, 1995).
