Teaching Reading and the Content Area The Key to Content Area Reading Jesseca Sullivan Raritan Valley Community College

Why worry about reading when teaching a content area? “Finally, we need to create assignments and courses that offer students not only challenges but also some control in how they meet those challenges as a way to help them find the pleasure in writing and reading creatively and critically.” (Williams, 2005, p.342)

Pre-Reading what readers do before reading

Pre-Reading Strategies “Just as athletes warm up before a game to prepare their bodies for success, a few minutes spent on pre-reading activities can help students read and learn successfully.” (Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.189) Pre-reading strategies can build background knowledge Background knowledge can assist in comprehension

Pre-Reading Strategies Student Driven Skimming Remind students to read headings, subheadings, key words, etc. Make predictions about what the chapter will be about Record ideas about what is already known and how it might relate to the new topics being discussed in the reading

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven Chapter Goals-Set the Purpose for Reading Preview the chapter to the students by listing at most, four chapter goals before reading the chapter. While reading, the students can collect information to support the chapter goals

Textbook Example

Chapter Goals From Textbook

Transferring Goals into Notes-Example A. Goals and Tasks of Promotion   B. Communication Process C. Elements of the Promotional Mix F. Integrated Marketing Communications

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven Preview and Discuss Vocabulary Before Reading Analogies: “…analogies easily apply to nearly any topic or subject area. Moreover, students engage in sophisticated reasoning as they determine or infer the relationship between word pairs and extend the relationship to a second pair.” (Rasinski, Padak, and Fawcett, 2012, p.154)

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven Example Vocabulary Activity Possible Sentences: 1.) Select 6-8 vocabulary words from text with brief definitions 2.) Select 4-6 more words that are familiar 3.) Students write sentences containing 2 or more words from the listed words 4.) Review sentences after reading “…Possible sentences not only enhances vocabulary but it is also an effective comprehension strategy.” (Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.154)

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven Word Splash Teacher picks 8-15 words and displays them before reading Students write a prediction about the meaning of the words/phrases (Beers, 2003, p.94)

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven Tea Party Teacher lists out several lines or phrases from the text Students select phrases and predict how they might be related. Students will check predictions after reading (Beers, 2003, p.96)

Tea Party Strategy-Example Teacher Handout Example Content Area: Marketing Text: MKTG by Lamb/Hair/McDaniel 2013 “In contrast to survey research, observation research depends on watching what people do.” (p.154) “The interaction is not an interview, and communication occurs only so that the mystery shopper can observe the actions and comments of the employee.” (p.154) “Ethnographers directly observe the population they are studying.” (p.155) “After data analysis has been completed, the researcher must prepare the report and communicate the conclusions and recommendations to management.” (p.158) Student Response Example “I predict that the second quote, the one about mystery shoppers, is an example of observation research mentioned in the first quotation. I think this because mystery shoppers are hidden shoppers, and they are observing what’s happening in a store.”

During Reading Strategies What Readers Can Do During Reading

During-Reading Strategies Student Driven “Text discussions during and after reading have long been recognized as effective means of enhancing students’ comprehension and learning.” (Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.195) Say Something (Beers, 2003, p.105) Students make notes while they are reading (ask a question, clarify, comment, or make a connection)

Say Something Strategy Example (Beers, 2003) Content Area: Education Text: Supervision and Instructional Leadership (Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon, 2010) Student Responses While Reading Sample Student Comment/Connection While Reading Sample Student Question Recorded While Reading p.137: After reading about the behaviors of supervisors, I think I have directive control behaviors. I like to lead others like my friends, who come to me with problems, to their own solutions, not just tell them what to do. “What does it mean by “Interpretation leads to resistance?” (p.237) How do supervisors resolve conflicts with teachers who are reporting different events?”

After Reading Strategies Collaboration Between Teacher and Student Skimming: Teach students to look back, to review what they’ve read after reading. Summarize: Using their notes, students should practice summarizing the key parts of the chapter in their own words. (Partner Activity During Class) Reread

Final Thoughts Multiple Exposure Group Discussions Newspaper Article Website (resource for students) Group Discussions “In cooperative learning groups, students come to rely less on the teacher and more on one another.” (Alvermann & Phelps, 2005, p.72) Provide specific questions to guide group discussions

References Alvermann, D.E. & Phelps, S.F. (2005). Content reading and literacy: Succeeding in today’s diverse classrooms (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read what teachers can do: A guide for teachers 6-12. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Wiliams, B.T. (2005). Are we having fun yet? Students, social class, and the pleasures of literacy. Literacy and Identity, 48(4), 338-342. Rasinski, T.V, Padak, N.D., & Fawcett, C. (2010). Teaching children who find reading difficult (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.