Teaching Reading of

Content Area Texts

Cynthia Shanahan

University of Illinois at Chicago

The Reading Transitional

Course website:

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instruction

al+Resources/Secondary+and+Virtual+Lear

ning/Reading+Transitional+Course.htm

Welcome to

Media Specialists

Content Area Teachers

Counselors

Administrators

Reading Teachers

Any one interested in helping students

become college and career ready!

CTE Educators

WHY?????Why content area

reading? Why a

transition course?

Standards

New Common Core Standards Include

Reading Language Arts Standards in Social

Sciences/History and Sciences and

Technical Subjects

Common Core aligned to the ACT

High School Students are

Underprepared

Reading achievement has risen for 4th

graders since 1992, while 8th grade achievement has been stagnant.

U.S. 4th graders are first or second in the world in all academic areas, while 8th

graders are much lower.

More American 8th graders are on track for college than is true of either 10th or 12th

graders

International data shows that the U.S. high school students lag behind other countries when we used to be first.

A large proportion of students entering college must take remedial coursework.

They haven‘t learned to read

subject matter texts

Subject matter high school teachers don‘t

teach reading.

When students have difficulty reading, they

make the rationale decision to take away

texts and teach by other means.

Yet….reading is different

depending on what is being

read

Reading in history is different from Reading

in science, which is different from reading

literature, which is different from…….

Each subject matter….

Relies on different ways creating,

disseminating, and evaluating knowledge

These differences are played out in the way

texts are structured, in vocabulary choices,

in differences in what is important to learn

and think about in texts.

History Reading

History is interpretative, and authors and

sourcing are central in interpretation

(consideration of bias and perspective)

Often seems narrative without purpose and

argument without explicit claims (need to

see history as argument based on partial

evidence; narratives are more than facts)

Single texts are problematic (no

corroboration)

Language use in History

Reading

Text constructs time and causation

Attributes agency (readers need to focus on

the reasons for actions and the outcomes of

those actions—cause/effect)

Presents judgment and interpretation

(argument)

Often narratives or primary documents with

lack of clear connections to thesis

History Reading (Fang &

Schleppegrell)

Grammatical circumstances: construct meaning about

time, place, manner

In history, many clauses begin with grammatical

circumstances realized in prepositional phrases and

adverbs

Over the next decade events led to war.

They gathered in Philadelphia.

They made enemies by their harsh stands

History Reading (Fang &

Schleppegrell)

History also constructs participants/actors and the

processes that they engaged in towards their goals.

History Reading (Fang &

Schleppergrel)Clause Circumstance Actor Process Goal Circum.

1 Over the next

decade,

further

events

steadily led to war

2 Some

colonial

leaders,

such as

Samuel

Adams

favored independ-

ence from

Britain.

3 They Encour-

aged

conflict with

British

authorities.

4 At the same

time,

George II

and his

ministers

made enemies of

many

moderate

Colonists

by their

harsh

stands

An example…

A Short History of the Great Depression

By Nick Taylor is the author of “American-Made,” a 2008 history of the Works Progress Administration.

The Great Depression was a worldwide economic crisis that in the United States was marked by widespread unemployment, near halts in industrial production and construction, and an 89 percent decline in stock prices. It was preceded by the so-called New Era, a time of low unemployment when general prosperity masked vast disparities in income.

The start of the Depression is usually pegged to the stock market crash of ―Black Tuesday,‖ Oct. 29, 1929, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell almost 23 percent and the market lost between $8 billion and $9 billion in value. But it was just one in a series of losses during a time of extreme market volatility that exposed those who had bought stocks ―on margin‖ – with borrowed money.

Science Reading

Text provides knowledge that allows prediction of how the world works

Full understanding needed of experiments or processes

Close connections among prose, graphs, charts, formulas (alternative representations of constructs an essential aspect of chemistry text)

Major reading strategies include corroboration and transformation

Language use in Science

Technical, abstract, dense, tightly knit

language (that contrasts with interactive,

interpersonal style of other texts or ordinary

language)

Nominalization (turning processes into

nouns)

Suppresses agency (readers need to focus

on causation not intention)

Science Reading (Fang &

Schleppergrell)

Sentence density: unpacking complex

nouns

Experimental verification of Einstein’s

explanation of the photoelectric effect

was made 11 years later by the

American physicist Robert Millikan.

Every aspect of Einstein’s interpretation

was confirmed, including the direct

proportionality of photon energy to

frequency.

Climate Change

Literature Reading

Text provides the author‘s perspective on

―the human condition‖

Interpretation involves reading from different

lenses (Marxist, Freudian, feminist)

Goal is to understand the theme(s);

analyzing character‘s

Language use in literature

Metaphorical, descriptive

Changes in voice

Asynchronous narration

The Bluest eye

Nuns go by as quiet as lust, and drunken

men and sober eyes sing in the lobby of the

Greek hotel. Rosemary Villanucci, our next-

door friend who lives above her father's

cafe, sits in a 1939 Buick eating bread and

butter. She rolls down the window to tell my

sister Frieda and me that we can't come in.

We stare at her, wanting her bread, but more

than that wanting to poke the arrogance out

of her eyes and smash the pride of

ownership that curls her chewing mouth.

Math Reading

Goal: arrive at ―truth‖

Importance of ―close reading‖ an intensive

consideration of every word in the text

Rereading a major strategy

Heavy emphasis on error detection

Precision of understanding essential

Language use in math

Spare

Interspersed with symbolic language

Must know meaning of variables and

constants

Sequencing of symbolic language different

than prose.

Math Example

1.1 Introduction to Linear Equations

A linear equation in n unknowns x1, xx…, xn is an equation of the form

a1x1 + a2x2 +…+ anxn = b,

where a1, a2,…,an, b are given real numbers

For example, with x and y instead of x1 and x2, the linear equation 2x + 3y = 6 describes the line passing through the points (3, 0) and (0, 2).

Similarly, with x, y and z instead of x1, x2 and x3the linear equation 2x + 3y + 4z = 12 describes the plan passing through the points (6, 0, 0),

(0, 4, 0), (0, 0, 3).

A system of m linear equations in n unknowns x1, x2, …, xn is a family of linear equations

Intermediate Literacy

Disciplinary

Literacy

Reading instruction changes as students goes through school, but in

middle and high school, reading instruction may include THESE

THREE LEVELS

Basic Literacy

Reading Demands have

changed

Reading is an experience that is..

multi-text,

multi-modal,

multi-media,

Multi-genre

Critical thinking is at the core.

High levels of reading competence are required in nearly every job and every profession.

Why is this a good time?

ACT Scores

SB1 (2009 Mandates)

Common Core Standards include:

Reading in Social Studies/History

Reading in Science and Technical

Subjects

Literacy in History/Social

Studies (6-8, 9-10, 11-12) –

Key Ideas/DetailsCite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Determine the main ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; summarize the source, basing the summary on information in the text rather than on prior knowledge or opinions.

Identify key steps in a text‘s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

Determine the main ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; summarize how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text and the causes that link the events; distinguish whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

Determine the main ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide a summary that makes clear the relationships between the key details and ideas.

Analyze how ideas and beliefs emerge, develop, and influence events, based on evidence in the text .

Literacy in History/Social

Studies (6-8, 9-10, 11-12) –

Craft & StructureDetermine the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains

related to history/social studies.

Identify how a history/social studies text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author‘s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including the vocabulary describing political, economic, or social aspects of history.

Explain how an author chooses to structure information or an explanation in a text to emphasize key points or advance a point of view.

Compare the point of view of two or more authors by comparing how they treat the same or similar historical topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.

Interpret the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10 and No. 51).

Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

Evaluate authors‘ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors‘ claims, evidence, and reasoning.

Literacy in History/Social

Studies (6-8, 9-10, 11-12) –

IntegrationIntegrate graphical information (e.g., pictures, videos, maps, time lines) with other information in

a print or digital text.

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a historical account.

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Integrate quantitative or technical information presented in maps, time lines, and videos with

other information in a print or digital text.

Assess the extent to which the evidence n a text supports the author‘s claims.

Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

Synthesize ideas and data presented graphically and determine their relationship to the rest of a

print or digital text, noting discrepancies between the graphics and other information in the

text.

Evaluate an author‘s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with

other sources of information.

Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent

understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Literacy in History/Social

Studies (6-8, 9-10, 11-12) –

Integration

Integrate graphical information (e.g., pictures, videos, maps, time lines) with other

information in a print or digital text.

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a historical account.

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Integrate quantitative or technical information presented in maps, time lines, and videos with

other information in a print or digital text.

Assess the extent to which the evidence n a text supports the author‘s claims.

Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary

sources.

Synthesize ideas and data presented graphically and determine their relationship to the rest

of a print or digital text, noting discrepancies between the graphics and other information

in the text.

Evaluate an author‘s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them

with other sources of information.

Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent

understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

The Course

Purpose

So students can

begin college taking credit bearing rather

than remedial coursework

Be more successful in college

Features

21st Century Reading

Critical thinking

Creativity

Use of Technology

Multiple Texts

Critical Thinking

Thinking like a historian, a scientist, a….

Using knowledge of how information is

created, communicated, and evaluated in

a discipline to determine what is important

to know and to think about

Understanding what questions can be

asked and answered given certain texts

Engaging in synthesis, analysis,

evaluation

Involving meta-awareness

Example: non-fiction literary

texts

Say, show mean activity

Constant questions of ―why,‖ ―how,‖ and ―where‖ should abound. Citation and correct documentation can also be worked in to this activity. Assert, Evidence, Commentary; the idea that a paragraph can be composed of an assertion, the evidence to back up the assertion, and commentary on the assertion and evidence.

Finally, the mean is the heart of the activity where student use their say and their show to determine the ―why‖ or the meaning of the text, the message of the author or the reasons for the text, word choice, structure, etc.

Creativity

Taking on different perspectives

Looking for new solutions

Putting ideas together in ways that are

unique

Finding interesting connections across texts

Example from Humanities

Taking perspectives:

How would Boudreax respond to the ideas

in the text?

Use of Technology

Reading web-based sites

Using search skills to find information

Communicating with others electronically

and in multiple formats

Using links to dig deeper on topics of

interest

Comprehending and critically thinking about

information in different formats and text

types

Example from History

Taylor, Nick. ―A Short History of the Great Depression.‖ NYTimes.com. 21 May 2010. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/index.html?offset=0&s=newest

Zernike, Kate. ―Generation OMG.‖ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/weekinreview/08zernike.html?ref=great_depression_1930s

Garrett, Thomas. ―Institutions and Government Growth: A comparison of the 1890s and the 1930s.‖ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review. March/April 2010, 92 (2) p. 109-19

Baker, Peter. ―Obama to Wall St: ‗Join Us, Instead of Fighting Us.‘‖ NYTimeswww.nytimes.com

Multiple Texts

Answering big questions that require

drawing from multiple sources

Synthesizing, analyzing, and evaluating

information across texts

Thinking about the trustworthiness of various

sources to decide what to believe, what

arguments to make

At the heart of critical thinking!

Example from science

Essential Question(s):

How does science work in the environment?

What are scientists ―talking‖ about right

now?

What are the responsibilities of the individual

and/or society in regards to the

environment?

Organization

Four units

Reading in Literary Non-Fiction

Reading in Science

Reading in History/Social Studies

Reading in Humanities

Principles of Instruction

Gradual release of learning—including

Direct instruction and modeling

Collaborate or small group work

Independent practice

Feedback

http://www.glencoe.com/glencoe_research/Jamestown/gradual_release_of_responsibility.pdf

High school level Literacy Instruction

Writing

Project-Based Learning

Motivation and Goal Setting

In each unit

Essential Questions

Multiple Texts

Vocabulary

Strategies:

Prior to reading

During reading

After reading

Student writing and reflection

Lots of teacher resources

References Shanahan & Shanahan. (2008). Teaching disciplinary

literacy to adolescents. Harvard Educational Review, 78, 40-59.

Fang & Schleppegrell. (2008). Reading in second content areas: A language-based pedagogy. University of Michigan Press.

Brozo & Simpson. (2003). Teachers and learners: Expanding literacy across the content areas. Merrill, Prentice-Hall.

Kaine, T.M. (Chair). A Critical Mission: Making Adolescent Reading an Immediate Priority in SREB States. Atlanta, Ga: SREB.

Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy (2010). Time to Act. New York: Carnegie Corp.

The Alignment of the Common Core and ACT‘s College and Career Readiness Stancards: www.act.org/commoncore/pdf/CommonCoreAlignment.pdf