teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: rethinking content-area literacy a review of research...

Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents:

Rethinking Content-Area Literacy

A review of research by Timothy ShanahanCynthia Shanahan

University of Illinois at Chicago

Commonly Held Beliefs “Vaccination” theory of reading All teachers are teachers of reading Grades K-3 are the “learning to read” years and Grades 4-12 are the “reading to learn” years

Increasing Specialization of Literacy Development

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Increasing Specialization of Literacy Development

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Literacy skills such as decoding and knowledge of high-frequency words thatunderlie virtually all reading tasks.

Increasing Specialization of Literacy Development

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Literacy skills common to many tasks, including generic comprehension strategies, common word meanings, and basic fluency.

Increasing Specialization of Literacy Development

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Literacy skills specialized to history, science, mathematics, literature or other subject matter.

Reading Concepts in Study Sourcing Contextualization Corroboration Text Structure Critiquing the Text Re-reading/Close Reading Vocabulary Comprehension

Reading Concepts in Study: Sourcing

History To a high degree with all texts (even high school text books)

Chemistry To a medium degree (with non-textbook materials)

Math Not at all

Looking at the authors, the type of publication and evaluating credibility

Reading Concepts in Study: Sourcing

History To a high degree with all texts (even high school text books)

Chemistry To a medium degree (with non-textbook materials)

Math Not at all

Looking at the authors, the type of publication and evaluating credibility

Reading Concepts in Study: Sourcing

History To a high degree with all texts (even high school text books)

Chemistry To a medium degree (with non-textbook materials)

Math Not at all

Looking at the authors, the type of publication and evaluating credibility

Reading Concepts in Study: Sourcing

History To a high degree with all texts (even high school text books)

Chemistry To a medium degree (with non-textbook materials)

Math Not at all

Looking at the authors, the type of publication and evaluating credibility

Reading Concepts in Study: Contextualization

History To a high degree with all texts

Chemistry To a medium degree

Math Not at all

Paying attention to the context in which a text is written (e.g. analysis of the time period and the political, and social forces)

Reading Concepts in Study: Contextualization

History To a high degree with all texts

Chemistry To a medium degree

Math Not at all

Paying attention to the context in which a text is written (e.g. analysis of the time period and the political, and social forces)

Reading Concepts in Study: Contextualization

History To a high degree with all texts

Chemistry To a medium degree

Math Not at all

Paying attention to the context in which a text is written (e.g. analysis of the time period and the political, and social forces)

Reading Concepts in Study: Contextualization

History To a high degree with all texts

Chemistry To a medium degree

Math Not at all

Paying attention to the context in which a text is written (e.g. analysis of the time period and the political, and social forces)

Reading Concepts in Study: Corroboration

History To a high degree and as a critique of credibility

Chemistry To a medium degree and as a critique of understandability

Math To a moderate degree and as a critique of understandability

Noting agreements and disagreements across texts or between texts and one’s own knowledge

Reading Concepts in Study: Corroboration

History To a high degree and as a critique of credibility

Chemistry To a medium degree and as a critique of understandability

Math To a moderate degree and as a critique of understandability

Noting agreements and disagreements across texts or between texts and one’s own knowledge

Reading Concepts in Study: Corroboration

History To a high degree and as a critique of credibility

Chemistry To a medium degree and as a critique of understandability

Math To a moderate degree and as a critique of understandability

Noting agreements and disagreements across texts or between texts and one’s own knowledge

Reading Concepts in Study: Corroboration

History To a high degree and as a critique of credibility

Chemistry To a medium degree and as a critique of understandability

Math To a moderate degree and as a critique of understandability

Noting agreements and disagreements across texts or between texts and one’s own knowledge

Reading Concepts in Study: Text Structure

History Used as a way to find the author’s position (“where is he going with his argument?)

Chemistry Used as a guide to understanding the text (“It starts with an abstract.”)

Math Looking for where the problem is

The way the message is structured within a particular kind of text

Reading Concepts in Study: Text Structure

History Used as a way to find the author’s position (“where is he going with his argument?)

Chemistry Used as a guide to understanding the text (“It starts with an abstract.”)

Math Looking for where the problem is

The way the message is structured within a particular kind of text

Reading Concepts in Study: Text Structure

History Used as a way to find the author’s position (“where is he going with his argument?)

Chemistry Used as a guide to understanding the text (“It starts with an abstract.”)

Math Looking for where the problem is

The way the message is structured within a particular kind of text

Reading Concepts in Study: Text Structure

History Used as a way to find the author’s position (“where is he going with his argument?)

Chemistry Used as a guide to understanding the text (“It starts with an abstract.”)

Math Looking for where the problem is

The way the message is structured within a particular kind of text

Reading Concepts in Study: Critiquing the Text

History To a high degree, to determine credibility

Chemistry To a moderate degree, to determine understandability and plausibility

Math To a high degree, to determine correctness

Analyzing and evaluating

Reading Concepts in Study: Critiquing the Text

History To a high degree, to determine credibility

Chemistry To a moderate degree, to determine understandability and plausibility

Math To a high degree, to determine correctness

Analyzing and evaluating

Reading Concepts in Study: Critiquing the Text

History To a high degree, to determine credibility

Chemistry To a moderate degree, to determine understandability and plausibility

Math To a high degree, to determine correctness

Analyzing and evaluating

Reading Concepts in Study: Critiquing the Text

History To a high degree, to determine credibility

Chemistry To a moderate degree, to determine understandability and plausibility

Math To a high degree, to determine correctness

Analyzing and evaluating

Reading Concepts in Study: Re-reading and Close Reading

History No discussion of this

Chemistry No discussion of this

Math To a high degree

Reading Concepts in Study: Re-reading and Close Reading

History No discussion of this

Chemistry No discussion of this

Math To a high degree

Reading Concepts in Study: Re-reading and Close Reading

History No discussion of this

Chemistry No discussion of this

Math To a high degree

Reading Concepts in Study: Vocabulary

History Less technical vocabulary but challenging because of dated words, metaphorical terms, general academic vocabulary (i.e. Tier II)

Chemistry Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

Math Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Vocabulary

History Less technical vocabulary but challenging because of dated words, metaphorical terms, general academic vocabulary (i.e. Tier II)

Chemistry Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

Math Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Vocabulary

History Less technical vocabulary but challenging because of dated words, metaphorical terms, general academic vocabulary (i.e. Tier II)

Chemistry Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

Math Extensive technical vocabulary, words with both general and technical meanings

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Comprehension

History Need to critique all aspects of text (including pictures, graphs, etc)

Chemistry Need to access information in varying modes (text, graph, diagram, formula, etc)

Math Extremely dense text. Need to understand the flow of information from print to numeracy, to graph

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Comprehension

History Need to critique all aspects of text (including pictures, graphs, etc)

Chemistry Need to access information in varying modes (text, graph, diagram, formula, etc)

Math Extremely dense text. Need to understand the flow of information from print to numeracy, to graph

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Comprehension

History Need to critique all aspects of text (including pictures, graphs, etc)

Chemistry Need to access information in varying modes (text, graph, diagram, formula, etc)

Math Extremely dense text. Need to understand the flow of information from print to numeracy, to graph

What is challenging in texts?

Reading Concepts in Study: Comprehension

History Need to critique all aspects of text (including pictures, graphs, etc)

Chemistry Need to access information in varying modes (text, graph, diagram, formula, etc)

Math Extremely dense text. Need to understand the flow of information from print to numeracy, to graph

What is challenging in texts?

Summary of Findings The discipline groups differed in:

--the way they read--their ideas about challenges in text--their ideas about how texts should be taught

The experts were guided by their content knowledge and acted within the framework of their discipline

We need to take these frameworks into account when teaching students to read within the context of a discipline

Comprehension Instruction Example

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Comprehension Instruction Example

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Understand literal meaning of text

Review strategies for decoding a word prior to reading

Comprehension Instruction Example

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Use KWL Apply SQ3R strategy to remember text

Comprehension Instruction Example

Basic Literacy

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary Literacy

In history class, study the author’s stance prior to reading

In science class, change reading strategies depending on the type of reading

In math class, study the variable meanings prior to reading

RecommendationsDisciplinary

Literacy

Work extra with students who are reading far below grade level

Teach students reading skills and strategies they can use in every course

Teach high-level discipline based reading skills

Summary of Study

Harvard Educational Review Fall 2009