Module+10

1. What does research say about this topic? jULY 15TH, LYNN AND JM WERE HERE. Lynn: Showing students how to use reading strategies and language processes to learn in the content area classroom can play an intregal part in an adolescent's literacy development.

JM: Content area teachers can make a difference in their student's educational career by incorporating reading strategies into their daily classroom instruction.

Lisa: Strategic reading is essential in content-area classes. By spending instructional time teaching reading strategies, along with the content of the class 'learning' of the content can be improved. I want to add that this should not begin with the content-area teachers, but rather studetns should already have a toolbox of strategies to use as they enter these classes. However, for students who don't have the strategies yet, the content-area teachers should be skillfull at teaching strategies as well as content. I was amazed at how many content-area middle school teachers are pursuing the masters degree as a reading specialist to help their students learn to read. I think it is great that they are going through so much work to help thier kids.

ML: Visible and invisible aspects of reading are important in content area reading. Strategic instruction,a visible aspect, is explicit teaching of strategies. Implicit use of strategies also has its place in content are teaching. Every teacher is responsible for students' learning. RV: Reserach suggests that all areas of instruction can benefit from teaching reading strategies to adolescents. Regardless of the area of information, students need to be able to read and understand it before they can apply it. 2. Why is adolescent literacy more critical than ever?

Lynn: Adolescent literacy is more critical than ever because adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than at any other time in human history. JM: In addition to what Lynn said, students will need advanced levels of literacy to survive in our ever changing society.

Lisa: Our superintendent told us in one of the 'back-to-school' speeches that most of the jobs today's students will work at have not even been thougt of yet. Therefore, it is not our job to teach them skills involved with a career we know of, but rather to teach them to think, reason,and be literate. In our rapidly changing job market, students have greater chance of success if they are HIGHLY literate and have thinking skills. Students who leave school with many strategies to read and comprehend various texts will have a much better chance of success than a student who only does a fantastic job of sounding out words! ML: Adolescent literacy is more critical now more than ever because of technological advances, highly interactive and engaging electronic texts, and a resurgence of print media.

RV: Not only is adolescent literacy important, but in some schools it is non-exsistant. The jobs they are facing with need for them to be literate in many areas that they arent expecting and preparing for. 3. Content area reading starts any time a teacher reads expository text to a classroom. How can you improve your content area instruction in your class? Lynn: Content area instruction can be improved by using a variety of comprehension strategies at our disposal such as activating prior knowledge, ensuring that students have a good understanding of the vocabulary being used in the text, and using metacognitive strategies to help students to make connections with the text.

JM: I can improve the content area reading instruction in my class by intoducing students to specific reading strategies. The strategies should be explained, modeled, practiced, and students should be able to apply them.

Lisa: I can improve the content area instruction of my early childhood room by reading more expository text and more non-fictions texts. While reading these I can model metagocnitive and comprehension strategies. I am planning an making a set of think clouds to use specifically with these types of texts. I also plan on doing a better job of discussing these types of texts with my kids and making them aware that there are materials that differ from the normal read aloud story they are used to. In early childhood classes, I think we often forget to read non-fiction to our kids. This may be because there are SOOO many excellent and fun fiction books to read that we use to teach PA, phonics and word attack skills that we forget to go farther and teach kids the different ways to read different texts.

ML: I could improve content are instruction by using more non-fiction texts, and explicityly more reading strategies that transfer to content area text. Engaging my students more often in discussions about content area topics is another way I could improve. I would like to try the Socratic seminar for an after reading discussion strategy.

RV: I could also improve my content area reading instrution by reading more non-fiction texts and modeling strategies to process the information. I would also like to show my students how important information from graphs, charts, and pictures can be for their understanding. 4. Your questions from your group. Lynn: 1. How do teachers start the process of strategic reading at the elementary level? 2. Can learning disabled students who utilize books on tape or other accommodations benefit from strategic reading strategies? 3. How can we get content area teachers “on board” with teaching strategic reading skills?* MS. CONTENT AREA TEACHERS MUST REALIZE THE VALUE OF TEACHING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE COMPREHENSION OF THE TEXT. THE TEACHERS MUST BUY IN TO THE NOTION OF STRATEGIES. CONTENT AREA TEACHERS MANY TIMES HAVE TO START SMALL AND THEN ADD ONTO THEIR "BACKBACK" OF STRATEGIES AS THEY GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

I ALWAYS STARTED WITH, "DO YOU WANT YOUR TEST GRADES TO BE BETTER?" DO YOU WANT YOUR END OF THE YEAR TESTS TO REFLECT YOUR TEACHING? THEN LET US START WITH THIS STRATEGY AND SEE HOW THIS GOES TO HELP WITH YOU GROUPS. Lisa: I agree with what you say, however, there are many content area teachers who feel it is only their job to teach content and the reading instruciton should be left to the reading teachers. This paradigm will need to shift for us to see success. JM: What is an easy step content area teachers can take to begin incorporating reading strategies into their daily classroom activities ? * MS: CONTENT AREA READING STARTS WITH THE ARRANGEMENT OF BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER.

IN THE BEFORE SECTION, VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT, HOOK OR MOTIVATION, AND BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE IS DEVELOPED. IN THE DURING SECTION: THE DIRECTED READING WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THE TEACHER IS CRITICAL. THE GUIDANCE CAN COME WITH A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER, A GROUP ACTIVITIY, A QUESTION OR TWO. THEN COMES THE BLOOM'S CONVERSATION WHICH FOCUSES ON CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING AS WELL AS THE NORMAL COMPREHENSION. IN THE AFTER SECTION. THE GOAL IS AUTHENTIC DISCUSSION AND WRITING FOR A REAL PURPOSE AND TO A REAL AUDIENCE.

Lisa: ML: What is the best way to get content area teachers to collaborate with the reading teachers? Why do PASS objectives not give content area teachers specific content area strategies to use? We have a wonderful history teacher in upper elementary. How would I go about sharing "strategies" with her without stepping on her seasoned toes?
 * What is one set of strategies (before, during and after) that would be fantatstic for kindergarten classroom?
 * Is is appropriate to instruct kids (not just modeling) in comprehension strategies in Kindergarten? How about Pre-K?
 * *Give one research-based reason that it is appropriate to teach these strategies in Kdg.* LOOK AT BECK'S RESEARCH; MARZANO'S RESEARCH. STUDENTS WHO HAVE A LOW VOCABULARY WILL BE POOR COMPREHENDERS (THAT IS THE NUTSHELL).

RV: 1. How can I incorporate comprehension strategies with struggling early readers who are still trying to decode and read fluently? 2. How can I help early childhood teachers understand the importance of modeling good comprehsnsion strategies early? 3. Are there any reading strategies that work well with story problems in math?