Authentic Literacy for Content-Area Teachers

Authentic Literacy Strategies for Content-Area Teachers:Practical Tools to Enhance Achievement for All Students1Why is this important?Global information economy requires advanced literacy skills.One of seven U.S. adults is functionally illiterate.Reading skills = key achievement predictor in all subjects, especially math and science.When students read effectively, teachers can teach more in-depth content in less time.Content learning and reading/writing to learn are deeply intertwined.

Issues to consider . . .Teachers waste an extraordinary amount of literacy-instruction time on activities that have marginal effect on students literacy development (Schmoker).

The Montillation of TraxolineRed Square QuestionRed Square Question. . . It wasnt like it was spread all over the place, like you had to read it. It was just like, if the red square question was here, you knew it was somewhere around that area, right there. And you could just look for the answer and copy it down and you got full credit for it. So you didnt have to read. It was something that you could like slide by without them knowing. I dont know if they cared or not, but thats the way everybody did it. You see the red square question and you sort of calculate where its around, you find the answer, and you write it down, and thats it. ~Rosa, 9th grader, describing her experiences reading history (Leem 17).What works?Develop students abilities to work to make meaning from what they read.Teaching content knowledge and reading strategies in tandem through a process of explicit instruction, guided practice, independent practice (NIL 55-56).Daily literacy practice integrated with content instruction and technology in all classrooms.

What successful strategies/procedures are you currently using that marry content and literacy ?Summarize your departments ideas in the Current Practices discussion (click that subject) on the wikispace discussion tab. In the subject line, add the department name. In the reply section, summarize ideas in response to the above question. Be sure to click Post to add your discussion comment.

Practical Strategy #1: Close/Strategic ReadingReading with discipline-specific purposes with selected short passages; promotes fluency and deep understandingModeling think alouds, meaning making, expert readersEncourages readers to ask questionsBuilds vocabulary skills with pre-teaching new wordsModeling and practice easily integrated with technology; MS Word (highlight, thesaurus, comment, symbols)Repeated practice internalizes skills. Practice is so powerful it changes the brain. Reciprocal teaching model, NIL 57-58; Think Alouds, NIL 49

How can you use the close reading strategies to develop content?Summarize your departments ideas in the Close Reading discussion (click that subject) on the wikispace discussion tab. In the subject line, add the department name. In the reply section, summarize ideas in response to the above question. Be sure to click Post to add your discussion comment.

Practical Strategy: Active Reading

Students work to make meaning of discipline- focused texts to build knowledge over time.Shift responsibility for thinking and making sense of texts to students themselves through guided supports.Practical Strategy #2: Active Reading with Graphic OrganizersHelps students organize concepts during and after readingContributes to development of critical analysis and reading skillsIntegrates with range of technology: MS Word: InsertSmart Art (note relationship categories)Inspiration (on all CFF laptops)Webspiration (collaborative resource)NIL 24, 50-53

10Practical Strategy #3: Question-Answer Relationships (QAR )Types of QuestionsModels/guides students to generate questionsSupports strategies that workUsed before/during/after readingNIL 20-21

11Practical Strategy #4: Student-Generated ChartsReflection ChartInference ChartInquiry Chart, NIL 54MS Word tables, charts SmartNotebook tables12Practical Strategy #5: Bookmarks/Reaction GuidesAnticipation Guide, NIL 54 (for key ideas for inquiry during reading and re-visit after reading)Similar strategy incorporated in before/during/after interactive bookmarks

Practical Strategy #6:Active Reading Post-ItsTo annotate texts:Pose questionsMark main ideasMake predictionsMark reactionsPractical Strategy #7:Note taking Generalizations and RecommendationsVerbatim note taking=least effective way to take notes.Give teacher-prepared notes to students to annotate.Notes should be considered a work in progress.Notes should be used as study guides for tests.The more authentic note taking, the better.Have students practice a variety of note-taking formats and combination notes: Inspiration Templates PowerPoint (notes on bottom, view notes page)

15Practical Strategy #8:VocabularyPre-teaching in context (see close reading)Window paneWord splash: all words in one paragraph rather than unrelated sentencesWord map, NIL 59

Practical Strategy #9:Writing to LearnWhat not to do: Not worksheets, not vapid questions at the end of the selection, not canned formulas (Schmoker).What works:Writing to learnWriting to disclose learningWriting to express opinionsWriting to connectWriting to LearnDiverse demands of content areas: lab report exampleParagraph: basic unit to develop chain of logicManaging this challenge of daily writing: Collins Writing Program.docx; Collins online:The Collins Writing Program; Other examplesQuickwrites, exit slipsMS Word; Office Live; Wiki discussionAnalytical and persuasive writing for advancing critical reasoning: estimating (similarities/differences), synthesis paper Purposeful writing: real world relevance (project based, math, simulations, iEARN )

Authentic Literacy Across-the-Curriculum Benefits Repetition of strategy or skills in different contexts and with different texts . . . contributes to the improvement of adolescent literacy skills (NIL 39).Thoughtful reading, writing, and discussion in redundant abundance, promote faster, more enduring achievement gains on state assessments than quick-fix approaches (Schmoker).How can you use active reading and writing to learn strategies to develop content?Summarize your departments ideas in the Reading and Writing to Learn discussion (click that subject) on the wikispace discussion tab. In the subject line, note the department name. In the reply section, summarize ideas in response to the above question. Be sure to click Post to add the discussion comment.

Works Consulted

Leem, C.D.; Spratley, A. Reading in the Disciplines: The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. New York: Carnegie Corporation, 2009.National Institute for Literacy. What Content-Area Teachers Should Know about Adolescent Literacy. Washington: NICHD, US Department of Education, 2007.Pitler, Howard, et al. Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Denver: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McRel), 2007.Schmoker, Mike. Radically Redefining Literacy Instruction: An Immense Opportunity. Phi Delta Kappan 88.7 (2007): 488-93.Time To Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success. New York: Carnegie Corporation, 2009.VanDeWeghe, Rick. Research Matters: Authentic Literacy and Student Achievement. English Journal 97:6 (2008): 105-108.