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Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Areas (middle/high)
This course will give teachers the tools they need to integrate literacy strategies into content learning to help raise student achievement.
In order to be successful in content area classes such as social studies, science, and mathematics, students must be able to read a variety of informational texts and produce written documents. This course will give teachers the tools they need to integrate literacy strategies into content learning to help raise student achievement. Participants will use the Literacy Matters web site as an anchor throughout this course for exploring instructional strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be able to locate web-based tools, strategies, and lessons that foster literacy skills in all content areas. They will also have developed a preliminary lesson plan incorporating these tools and strategies.
Goals and Products
This workshop will enable participants to:
- Understand the benefits and challenges of teaching literacy skills in the content areas
- Learn and apply specific strategies for teaching reading and writing in the content areas
- Develop an understanding of different types of text structures and how to teach students to recognize them
- Gain experience in developing literacy activities to support curricular goals in different content areas
- As a final product, participants will create a lesson plan that incorporates literacy strategies in their content area curricula
Format and Requirements
| Session 1 | Content Literacy |
| Session 2 | Using Technology to Enhance Reading Instruction |
| Session 3 | Reading in the Content Areas |
| Session 4 | Text Structures |
| Session 5 | Specific Strategies for Different Content Areas |
| Session 6 | Creating a Content Area Lesson Plan |
Prerequisites
Participants are expected to have regular access to computers. In addition, participants should be proficient with using email, browsing the Internet, and navigating to computer files.
