Co-teaching to support early adolescents’ writing development in an inclusive summer enrichment program

Co-teaching, defined by Friend and Cook (2013) as substantive instruction by two or more professionals of a diverse group of learners in a shared space, has long been a key feature of middle level instruction. This article reports on a four-year formative experiment (Reinking & Bradley, 2008) intended to generate insights to guide teachers’ collaborations in service of young adolescents’ writing development. The context for the research study was a summer writing program intended to serve as enrichment for rising ninth graders and as professional development for participating teachers, who included both middle and high school practitioners. Findings examine the diverse ways that institute staff collaborated with one another to support students’ writing development. As well, implications for further research and practice are offered.