Content Literacy and the

Reading Process

Defining terms and perspectives

Assumptions underlying content teaching

1. “It’s a teacher’s responsibility to cover subject matter”

Are we covering the material or teaching how to learn it?

Knowing what vs.. knowing how2. “Students use their textbooks to learn course

content” What is your opinion? What have your own

experiences been? Is the textbook a safety net?

3. “Textbooks present the content coherently and in an unbiased fashion”

Is this true? If not, what have you done?

Active Readers

Cognitive processes are induced by multiple strategies:o Self-questioningo Monitoringo Organizingo Interacting with peers

Independent Readers

Principles of independence:1. Independence comes from practice:

assumes teachers across curriculum provide opportunities

2. Independence develops by design, not chance: modeling is key, as is guidance

3. Independence is a relative state: maturity level should be matched with resources

4. Independence can be achieved in groups: cooperative learning is important

5. Independence means forever becoming: others are still needed to interpret, clarify, or elaborate on what we read

Fluent Readers Have the ability to

comprehend texts of various types with speed, accuracy, and appropriate expression (National Reading Panel 2000)

Guided oral reading procedures have a positive impact

Have fluency with information technology (AAUW Education Foundation 2000)

Information literacy - finding information, designing a home page, organizing a database, communicating with others, evaluating privacy concerns,critical reading online. See link to CELA Standards for information literacy

What is literacy?

Political nature - not a neutral concept

What is your definition of literate thinking?

What is involved in Content Literacy?

New Literacy Studies

Reading for personal meaning

Reading for understanding of authors’ assumptions, world view, social constructions

Resistant reading / critical reading

Bottom - UpLaBerg & Samuels 1976

Readers learn to automatically decode words

Top-DownReader's knowledge determines comprehension

Background knowledge allows reader to make sense of printReader makes guesses to predict meaning

InteractiveUse prior knowledge

Use language knowledge, decode and interpret printmake inferences

Models of the Reading Process

Schema Theory: Prior Knowledge structuresSchema allows organization of experiences into meaningful patterns

Understanding depends on ability to generalize, form opinions

MetacognitionKnowing about knowing

Control over the learning experienceKnowledge is power

A Cognitive View

Reading Process

Metacognition: Key concept in strategies instruction

Declarative Knowledge:Self KnowledgeWorld KnowledgeTask KnowledgeStrategy Knowledge

Procedural Knowledge:

Planning Monitoring/

Identifying Problems

Evaluating

Constructivism

Social constructionist learning theory

Meaning is to be constructed by individuals through their experiences and interactions

Lesson example

Motivation

What do students want? Kohn’s 3 Cs of motivation;

content, community & choice, - similar to page 29 quote: Students want– (a) rigor & joy– (b) balance of complexity &

clarity– (c) time to discuss personal

meanings– (d) relevant, fun learning

activities

Strategic Readers / Struggling Readers

Struggling readers devalue reading use avoidance strategies shift the blame to others may ‘cheat the system’ may fear being seen as

overachievers

Strategic readers

• have a sense of control of their academic environment

• assume responsibility for their own learning

• believe they have a voice in setting their own goals

• are convinced that strategies help accomplish their objectives

• believe their own efforts and skills will determine their success

What do you think?

Willis quote p. 31

“ The real challenge I see is to first halt the fears adolescents (all of us) have of being labeled over- or under-achievers. And then to find ways to propel students to become independent learners.”