As students enter adolescence, they are making what some researchers assert is the most challenging transition of their lives (Hume, 2008). They are experiencing physical, social, emotional, and intellectual changes. By the time adolescents enter the middle grades, they have learned a great deal about literacy. However, they need to learn more. Literacy continues to evolve as the world changes and its demands shift and become more complex. Literacy is not only used for reading and writing, but also to increase one’s understanding of the world. Adolescents require continual practice over time to refine their skills in thinking, reading, writing and oral communication.

literacy Critical literacy critical thinking adolescents development