Literacy Practice: Promoting Content Area Reading Designed by Brenda Stephenson The University of Tennessee At the end of this presentation students should:    Define the concepts for promoting reading comprehension through content area reading materials. Identify ways of using content area reading materials to promote reading comprehension in the classroom. List materials and resources available to accomplish this practice. Content Area Reading …refers to the challenge of reading in the academic areas such as science, social studies, mathematics, literature, and the arts. Content Area Reading  Scaffolding provides a systematic approach to address the challenges of Content Area Reading. Content Area Reading: Scaffolding  instructional technique using teacher modeling to introduce the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students  Scaffolding Graph Content Area Reading: Scaffolding    supports students before, during, and after they read. enables students to accomplish what is normally beyond their abilities. provides enough help so students can succeed with a task that otherwise would be impossible. (Graves & Graves, 1994) Video Clip  Biology Content Video Content Area Reading: Scaffolding Temporary Task-oriented Support to extend reach Steps to Teaching: • Preparation • Assistance • Reflection • Teacher Analyzes Text Prior to Lesson  Assesses Readability  Modifies text if necessary  Identifies Key Vocabulary & Concepts  Identifies Expository Text Structures  Identifies Relation to Prior Knowledge Teacher  Text: Readability Prepare students to read the material by considering readability factors  interest & motivation of the reader  legibility of the print & illustrations  complexity of words and sentences in relation to the reading ability of the reader Teacher Text: Readability Analyze Word & Sentence Complexity   run a readability analysis at intervention central.org using the OKAPl! Reading Probe Generator use Microsoft Word spell & grammar check with the readability tool option turned ‘on’ Teacher Student: Reading Level Assess Student Reading Levels:   Running Records – readinga-z.com – Tutorial Informal Reading Inventories Teacher Text: Modify If…  Text Level is higher than Instructional Level Then…  Paraphrase (rewrite) Many textbooks now have companion readers/study guides developed specifically as content area reading supplements. These are often ordered by schools for the ELL students. Check. It will save you a lot of time and work! Teacher Text: Vocabulary Limit the number of words introduced…  Choose words – critical to understanding the main ideas – not likely to be learned independently Teacher Text: Text Structures Analyze Word & Sentence Complexity Researchers have found that instruction in expository text structure has a positive effect on recall and comprehension. (Armbruster, Anderson, & Ostertag, 1987; Roller & Schreimer, 1985; Taylor & Beach, 1984). Teacher Text: Text Structures Patterns Science Social Studies  chronological events  problem-solving  classification  experimental  cause and effect  cause and effect  compare/contrast  definition/explanation  question & answer  definition/ explanation Teacher Text: Text Structures Patterns Literature  Math character development  key words  settings  graphic relationships  plot  evidence & reasoning  moral & message symbolic relationships & operations  symbolism  genre  Student Text: Skills Literacy Skills needed in content areas are:  Identifying the main idea  Vocabulary comprehension  Locating facts and specific details  Adjusting Reading Rate & Focus  Organizing material mentally  Summarizing Graphic Organizer Video  Content Writing Clip Content Reading: Teaching Teacher Text Student  •  Before Reading Building Vocabulary • Activating Prior Knowledge • Setting a Purpose • Previewing • Brainstorming • Predicting • During Reading • Scanning • Visualizing • Context Clues • Inferring • Questioning • Clarifying •  After Reading • Summarizing • Drawing Conclusions • Reflecting • Critical Thinking • Review • Synthesis • Writing to Learn • Content Reading: Teaching  Teach Strategies Using: – Established programs & techniques which  address before, during, after  utilize graphic organizers  provide modeling of desired skills  offer variety to address varying learning styles Content Reading: Techniques (More links from Reading Quest Check out the Print Charts!)  Writing to Learn  Directed Reading Activity (DRA)  Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)  Guided Reading Procedure (GRP)  SQR3  Listen-Read-Discuss (L-R-D) Content Reading: Techniques (Click the links below for information from Reading Quest on each strategy. Check out the Print Charts!)  ABC brainstorm  history frames  carousel  inquiry chart  clock buddies  K-W-L  opinion-proof  power thinking   column notes comparisoncontrast Content Reading: Techniques (More links from Reading Quest Check out the Print Charts!) questioning the author  analysis  story maps reciprocal teaching  summarizing  underlining  thesis-proof  semantic feature  think-pair-share    RAFT papers Content Reading: Techniques (More links from Reading Quest)  3-minute pause (Links to other successful programs & techniques)  word splash  3-2–1  word sorts  venn diagrams  anticipation guide  word maps  QARs Materials and Media  http://www.timetabler.com/reading.html  http://www.gopdg.com/plainlanguage/readability.html  http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2grap.htm Bibliography   Mora, Jill Kerper. “Content Area Reading for English Language Learners” March 16, 2006. http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/ContentReadMM/> “Reading in the Content Areas: Strategies for Success” March 21, 2006. http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/12  “Literacy Strategies” March 21, 2006 http://www.litandlearn.lpb.org/strategies.html