EDMI 422 Middle School Literacy

False Assumptions of Content Area Teachers

Assumption 1Students have learned to read in

elementary school.Fact: Reading instruction has been the

traditional interest of the elementary school- the assumption being that the grade-level students in grade-level programs SHOULD enter subject matter knowing how to read. This assumption is pure fantasy. Content area reading is so much different than what is done in elementary school.

Assumption 2Students have sufficient prior knowledge to cope effectively with the important information in content textbooks.Fact: If material is foreign to your personal experiences, adequate comprehension won’t occur. Students usually lack experiential backgrounds and are unfamiliar with the vocabulary concepts in content area.

Assumption 3The processes involved in reading and

comprehending efficiently in content textbooks are identical to those utilized in reading from basal readers in elementary school.

Fact: Basal readers focus on “learning to read” . Textbooks focus on “reading to learn”. These are very different reading processes. Textbooks are made to provide information-not to help students learn to read and learn reading strategies, as basal readers do.

Assumption 4Content reading means teaching

phonics and other skills not directly related to their subject areas.

Fact: Content reading means gaining knowledge necessary to comprehend the particular content/information. It does not include teaching phonics and other reading skills. Though, if your students are not reading proficiently in order to understand the content, these basic skills may need to be taught.

Assumption 5Teachers are information dispensers.Fact: This is actually the role of the textbook. The teacher’s role is to encourage the thinking processes essential to understanding and facilitate learning with texts. Research shows that students best learn when THEY are PART of the learning.