[LIT] Reading and Writing in all content areas

ljackson ljackson at gwtc.net
Sat Mar 8 12:28:05 EST 2008 

And I see, sighing here, a staff that spent a year studying these strategies
in a credited study group and many who seemed to have been present in body
only.  It wouldn't hurt to include a unit on textbook reading in the
Language Arts Classes, either.

Lori


On 3/8/08 9:20 AM, "Heather Poland" <hpoland at gmail.com> wrote:

> I agree with both of you! I think that lots of content area teachers don't
> know where to begin though. They need the students to get the content, but
> they have not been taught how to teach the students how to read the texts or
> how to instruct them in writing. They get frustrated and end up dumbing down
> the reading and writing. I would love to see single subject credential
> programs have a course on this!
> 
> On Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 8:36 AM, ljackson <ljackson at gwtc.net> wrote:
> 
>> I agree.  I see far too many content folks just assuming the kids can read
>> what is put in front of them.  I don't see their role as teaching reading
>> so
>> much as teaching genre and form.  Understanding text features and the
>> special kinds of strategies that make sense for the text book and other
>> supplementals they may use is very much their job.
>> 
>> Lori
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/8/08 8:02 AM, "Alice Cortigiano" <ac at take5audio.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> Reading strategies should be known and used by all content teachers. It
>> is
>>> not rocket science and if everyone used the same language it would help
>>> reinforce what the language arts teacher are trying very hard to do in
>> the
>>> classroom. If it is only addressed in the LA classroom then there will
>> be no
>>> application in other classes.
>>> 
>>> Writing....social studies could focus on sequencing, compare/contrast
>> and
>>> summarizing, science.....summarizing, compare/contrast essays, lab
>> reports,
>>> etc. Math, written explanations of what they are doing and why, making
>> up
>>> and sharing their own word problems, summarizing what they have learned
>> in
>>> class..
>>> 
>>> The content teachers can NOT put all the writing off on the language
>> arts
>>> teacher. They need to pull their weight here too. I have been on both
>> sides
>>> of the fence and feel that we should all be teachers of reading and
>> writing
>>> and that means more collaboration and integration.
>>> 
>>> Maybe when SS teacher assigns a written report the LA teacher can also
>> work
>>> with the students to support this assignment. Or, both teachers can
>>> collaborate on what the students need to work on to support their
>> learning.
>>> When we just give out these assignments to do at home, we should not be
>>> surprised at what we get back!
>>> 
>>> JMHO! :)
>>> Alice
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org
>>> [mailto:lit-bounces at literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Mary Dovey
>>> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 5:58 PM
>>> To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.
>>> Subject: Re: [LIT] Course names help
>>> 
>>> Hi Jaime-
>>> I used to feel the way you do, particularly when I was teaching high
>> school
>>> English. Now, I don't, and here's why: middle school is the place where
>>> reading as a skill moves from decoding to comprehension very, very
>> quickly.
>>> Middle School reading teachers, besides teaching about literary genres,
>> and
>>> helping kids develop healthy independent reading habits, need to focus
>>> largely on teaching comprehension skills to tackle difficult content
>> area
>>> textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and other materials in the world at
>> large.
>>> 
>>> Science, social studies, math and other content teachers, however, are
>> held
>>> responsible for making sure their students learn "the stuff" of their
>>> disciplines, matter whether the learning is through reading, or hands-on
>>> activities. Most content teachers, I think, would agree that they need
>> to be
>>> aware of techniques to assist their students in reading their textbooks.
>>> Fortunately, many of our content teachers have asked me for help in ways
>> to
>>> build background knowledge, use active reading techniques such as
>> hotseating
>>> and tableaux, and interactive note-taking, etc. At the end of the day,
>>> however, kids have to know the causes of the Civil War, fractions, and
>> what
>>> body part is which.
>>> 
>>> Our role as writing teachers is even more important: We teach the
>>> frustrating/exhilarating process of composing, the characteristics of
>>> different writing genres and modes of writing, as well as the traits of
>> all
>>> good writing. Great writing teachers find wonderful models of good
>> writing
>>> in and use these to create skill lessons. They modeling writing
>> ourselves,
>>> provide regular, daily time to write, conference with their students,
>> and
>>> allowing kids to build portfolios of writing. We're less concerned with
>>> product, and more with a child's skill development as s/he progresses
>> from
>>> one unit of study in writing to another. Content area teachers certainly
>>> should provide their students with models of what good writing in their
>>> classes looks like, but they're looking for product--the report on wind
>>> energy, the comparison/contrast essay on healthy eating habits, etc.
>>> 
>>> I think the role of a middle school reading/writing teacher is one of
>> the
>>> hardest in a school because many of the moves we teach, both in reading
>> and
>>> in writing, are invisible! Making thinking and decision making visible
>> to
>>> kids is a HUGE challenge, but it's also a blast, don't you think?
>>> Mary
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 3/7/08 7:41 AM, "Jaime Mendelis" <Mendelij at oacsd.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> It's English/Language Arts (ELA) at our school.  I find calling a class
>>>> "Reading" or "Writing" frustrating.  Aren't all teachers supposed to be
>>>> teaching reading and writing?  I find the overall assumption at my
>> school
>>> is
>>>> that the English teacher is responsible for all reading and writing
>>>> instruction!  It drives me nuts!
>>>> 
>>>> Jaime
>>>> 
>>>>>>> "Lucinda Marcello" <rpmgrace at cox.net> 3/5/2008 8:39 PM >>>
>>>> Language arts--- at our school.
>>>> 
>>>> I prefer calling it reading and writing.
>>>> Or maybe strategic reading and effective writing. Why not add a few
>>>> adjectives?
>>>> 
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Mary Dovey" <mgdovey at comcast.net>
>>>> To: <middle-lit at interversity.org>; "A list for improving literacy with
>>> focus
>>>> on middle grades." <lit at literacyworkshop.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 5:55 PM
>>>> Subject: [LIT] Course names help
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> Hello, sorry for the cross posting, but I'm not sure who gets what
>> these
>>>>> days and I wanted to reach everyone.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Our middle school principal would like to rename the two core subjects
>> of
>>>>> reading and writing that we currently teach under the umbrella term,
>>>>> Communication Arts. This is due only to the fact that our students
>> will
>>>>> now
>>>>> get a separate grade for each, not any dissatisfaction with Com Arts
>> as
>>>>> the
>>>>> term. I've suggested the obvious: reading (since I want to continue
>>>>> stressing to teachers that we are teaching reading, not just
>> literature
>>>>> and
>>>>> literary analysis, etc.) and writing. Nothing fancy, nothing tough to
>>>>> figure
>>>>> out, very plain: reading and writing.
>>>>> 
>>>>> What do your schools call these core subjects? As the literacy coach,
>> I
>>>>> need
>>>>> to bring back info to him and thought I'd start with you kind folks.
>> (I
>>>>> think he thinks "reading" is too elementary, and I suspect I'll be
>> able
>>> to
>>>>> show him it's not.) Thanks.
>>>>> Mary
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>> 
>> --
>> Lori Jackson
>> District Literacy Coach & Mentor
>> Todd County School District
>> Box 87
>> Mission SD  57555
>> 
>> http:www.tcsdk12.org
>> ph. 605.856.2211
>> 
>> 
>> Literacies for All Summer Institute
>> July 17-20. 2008
>> Tucson, Arizona
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org
>> 
>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to
>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org.
>> 
>> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
>> 
> 
> 

-- 
Lori Jackson
District Literacy Coach & Mentor
Todd County School District
Box 87
Mission SD  57555
 
http:www.tcsdk12.org
ph. 605.856.2211


Literacies for All Summer Institute
July 17-20. 2008
Tucson, Arizona

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