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Effective Literacy Instruction Across the Disciplines
Effective Literacy Instruction Across the Disciplines
Providing adolescent learners with instruction that meets their needs and continues to develop their ability to read and think critically about text is the shared responsibility of teachers across all disciplines. At MSQI, we support schools with developing strategies for both cross content area and disciplinary literacy.
In the context of disciplinary literacy, students gain practice with reading, interpreting, and discussing exemplar texts in the way that a expert in that discipline would. For example, in mathematics class, students might evaluate and critique solutions like a mathematician would; in history class, students might corroborate evidence across sources like a historian would, and so forth in each discipline (ILA, 2017). Below, you will find resources to support genre-specific and disciplinary specific literacy instruction.
Disciplinary Literacy Resources
Summer Reading
Reading volume plays a major role in the acquisition of vocabulary and background knowledge, both of which greatly impact reading comprehension. Summer presents the opportunity for our students to exercise choice over reading materials and to experience reading for pleasure.
Summer Reading Project Educator Guide (1).pdfSummer Reading
Educator's Guide
MSQI_Summer Reading Student Packet.pdfSummer Reading
Interactive Student Packet
Science
Developing science literacy requires not only firsthand explorations of the material world, but also secondhand investigations with text (Fang, 2013). Disciplinary literacy in Science focuses on supporting students in experiencing how a scientist approaches, thinks about, and uses a text.
Four Strategies for the ClassroomLiteracy Strategies for the Science Classroom
Literacy Strategies for the Science Classroom
SERP Science Generation Curriculum
SERP Science Generation Curriculum
Social Studies
A disciplinary approach to literacy in social studies engages students as partners in creating their own historical knowledge. Reading like a historian involves focusing on such practices as building relevant background knowledge, investigating and discussing historical questions; the analysis of sources and artifacts; and development of evidence-based claims through writing and discussion.
Reading Like a Historian Resources
SERP Social Studies Lessons and Strategies
English Language Arts
While English Language Arts traditionally focuses on teaching students the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that encompass literacy instruction, English as a discipline also has its own thinking dispositions and areas of foci. The resources in this section support teachers in building a readers' identity, teaching protocols leading to analysis of themes and content in literature, and approaches to small group and independent reading.
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