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Content Literacy
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Adolescent Literacy
Adolescent Literacy is a hot topic around the country, and deservedly so since our national reading scores have been fairly flat beyond fourth-grade. The task of “reading to learn” is exceedingly difficult for many students. It is essential to teach students effective strategies that allow them to be independent and successful readers – especially in difficult content area reading. Two recent research informed documents are worth a look here.
Reading Next is a cutting-edge report that combines the best research currently available with well-crafted strategies for turning that research into practice. Written by five of the nation's leading researchers, Reading Next charts an immediate route to improving adolescent literacy. The authors outline 15 key elements of an effective literacy intervention and call on public and private stakeholders to invest in the literacy of middle and high school students today while simultaneously building the knowledge base.
The second resource is Adolescents & Literacy: Every Child a Graduate.
Content Area Reading in Grades 4-12
The task of “reading to learn” is exceedingly difficult
for many students. It is essential to teach students effective
strategies that allow them to be independent and successful
readers - especially in difficult content area reading. The
California Department of Education has recently put together an
excellent resource book of strategies titled, Strategic Teaching
and Learning: Standards-Based Instruction to Promote Content
Literacy in Grades Four Through Twelve. This new literacy
handbook (grades 4-12) contains a theoretical introduction
and 55 research-based instructional strategies for: (1) application
in content literacy programs (reading and writing across the
curriculum) and (2) high-quality reading interventions. All
strategies are correlated with English-Language Arts Content
Standards for California Public Schools. The handbook is useful
for creating research-based, school-wide literacy programs;
strengthening reading instruction in all content areas; and
developing local literacy leaders. Check the CDE website
for ordering information.
A related book published by WestEd is also quite useful.
Reading for Understanding: A Guide to Improving Reading in
Middle and High School Classrooms contains many practical
suggestions in this domain as well. For ordering information,
visit www.wested.org/cs/we/view/rs/76.
Project CRISS is another well-regarded content area/learning
strategy project targeting grade 4-12 students. Project CRISS
(CReating Independence through Student-owned Strategies) was
created to help students better organize, understand, and retain
course information. In short, students receiving the CRISS
method of instruction will "learn how to learn." Please visit www.projectcriss.com
for more details. |
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Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI)
Concept Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) is a reading instructional program designed to integrate reading strategy instruction and inquiry science in interesting and unique ways. The goals of CORI are to increase students' reading comprehension, reading motivation, and science knowledge. Noted author/reseacher John T. Guthrie of the University of Maryland is the principal investigator of CORI working collaboratively with a number of schools around the nation. |
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"Watering Up" the Curriculum for Diverse Learners
Dr. Edwin Ellis, professor at University of Alabama and president-elect of the Division of Learning Disabilities, has been a leader in designing effective content area enhancements for diverse learners. His website is loaded with examples, resources, and relevant information related to effective instruction and support for content area instruction in mixed ability classrooms. |
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Strategies Intervention Model (SIM)
The University of Kansas is a leader in content area instruction, learning strategy instruction, and related supports for secondary students with learning disabilities. Dr. Don Deshler and colleagues have validated numerous strategies and tactics to support effective instruction in mixed ability content classrooms. For more information visit www.kucrl.org. |
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What Works with Older Struggling Readers?
Many older students have serious literacy challenges. It is never too late to teach a student to read! Dr. Louisa Moats has recently authored a cogent description of exactly what is required to effectively accelerate the literacy of older students who read poorly, When Older Kids Can't Read. The Southwest Regional Lab in Austin Texas has put together a useful document describing their evaluation of reading and literacy interventions for older struggling readers, Building Reading Proficiency at the Secondary Level: A Guide to Resources, that is well worth a look. |
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