This practical handbook shows teachers how to help students develop literacy skills they need in the real world, including:

• writing and deciphering messages — phone messages, thank you notes, directions, and letters
• making purchases — buying online, reading package labels, writing checks, writing an advertisement
• decoding all kinds of schedules, timetables, and guides

Aimed at meeting the needs of a diverse range of students, the book explores personal planning tools in twenty-five lessons that make a connection between the classroom and everyday communication. This unique guide fills in the gaps missing from traditional language arts classes and makes valuable connections between school and the real world.