Reading in the Content Areas

Content Literacy is the capacity for readers to make meaning and build understanding through reading and writing with new material in specific subjects. Teachers are often resistance to content literacy for a variety of reasons. First, standards based curriculum pressures many teachers to cover subject material in a timely manner. Teachers feel that they will lose valuable time utilizing time for literacy. Secondly, many teachers do not feel qualified to teach literacy to their students. Some feel when they embark on this task they will have to teach the writing process, reading comprehension strategies, and other skills which they may not feel satisfactory in their abilities. Finally, oftentimes teachers do not feel content literacy is necessary. Teachers believe that this instruction is better suited in traditional reading, language arts, and writing classes. They think their setting would not provide an adequate environment to fulfill students literacy needs. Promoting reading in the content areas provides further instruction in reading and it is easy to fit into schedules. Here is how:

Promoting Content Literacy in the Elementary Setting:

Teachers can use literacy centers as a means of promoting content literacy. Literacy centers in the elementary classroom give students choice and variety in their instruction. The social aspect of learning content area literacy provides students with further development through peer interaction. Recommended centers could include: exploration, experimenting and observation, writing, and computer referencing. While centers can sometimes be time consuming, organization and simplicity in development provide ease.

Promoting Content Literacy in the Middle School Setting:

Using the non-fiction material content literacy needs, middle grades teachers could use the same comprehension strategies used with original reading texts. The can be called these the "Tested 7." Teachers have found these strategies to "show up" in standardized testing. They include: main idea, cause and effect, inferences, text elements, compare and contrast, and sequencing. All comprehension strategies can be used with non-fiction material and in fact, it is encouraged to introduce these strategies through non-fiction expository texts. Promotion of content literacy in the middle setting could not be complete without stating the importance of using writing. When students are able to write material read in their own words, it produces better comprehension. It does not need to be in the writing process format. A text response is sufficient.

Promoting Content Literacy in the High School Setting:

High school students need real world connections to the content material needed for retention. Using authentic questioning with writer response is an important way teachers can incorporate content literacy into subject matters. High school students are almost college students. As these students enter the work place and college, their ability to communicate written and orally becomes increasing important. Role playing, speeches, cooperative groups, and partner projects can provide increase in literacy and a host of other social skills that will equip high school students for the future.

Finally, for all settings Literature Circles work even for content. The article, What's Working in Education: Assigning Roles to get Literature Circles Rolling, discusses the roles to use for student participation. They are discussion director, character captain, scene setter, vocabulary master, passage picker, connector, researchers, and artful artist (Saunders-Smith, 2005, p.7). The idea of having student centered reading circles with students in charge of their learning is exciting. Saunders-Smith suggests that at first other students learn not to interfere with others roles (2005, p.7). This provision allows students to fulfill their roles through ownership. Eventually, the students all become directors within their assigned roles. The roles wear away and the students just discuss the whole text (Saunders-Smith, 2005, p.7).

In conclusion, there are endless possibilities for bring content literacy into the student's curricula. When teachers look past all the demands and get creative the time is often uncovered. The goal is for students to interact with texts they read and make meaning. Reading in the content areas provides a winning solution for teacher and student.

References:

Sunders-Smith, Gail. (2005). What's working in education: assign roles to get Literature Circles rolling. Curriculum Review, v45, n4, p7. Retrieved June 2, 2007, from EBSCOhost database.