This document provides an overview of strategies to support literacy in content area classes. It emphasizes that all teachers are responsible for teaching literacy skills and that content area teachers are best positioned to help students meet literacy challenges in their subjects. The document outlines strategies to use before, during, and after reading to improve comprehension, such as linking new concepts to prior knowledge, teaching vocabulary, using graphic organizers, and having students reflect on and apply what they've learned.

1. Welcome to
Content Area Literacy

2. If not me, then who?
Teaching literacy skills is every
teacher’s responsibility.
We must stop just assigning reading and writing!
Students must be systematically taught how to
comprehend their Math, Science or Social Studies
text! Content literacy strategies give them the tools
to be able to understand your info.
So.. Here are some tools

3. from Meeting the Challenge of Adolescent Literacy…
“Teachers of each content area are in the
strongest position to help student
successfully meet those challenges.
Content area teachers know their subject
matter and the standards they should be
meeting. They also understand the
literacy demands of their content; how to
read the different kinds of text, how to
write in the formats associated with each
subject, how to recognize key concepts
and vocabulary terms…”

4. Before Reading Strategies
The most powerful time to support reading
is BEFORE students begin to read.
Brain research says we must use
movement, connections, and preload the
vocabulary to make the text accessible.

5. Before Reading
 Link new information to prior knowledge
 Hook them!! Get up and move!
 Try movie or tv connections!
 Provide information about the organization
of the content
 Generate questions about the topic
 Make predictions about what might be
learned

6. Before Reading Strategies
Anticipation Guide
Chapter Walk
ABC’s of ______________
KWL/ KNL
Below the Line

7. Anticipation Guide
1. Read each statement and place a check under agree or
disagree in the “before” column.
2. Whole group discussion on agreements and disagreements.
3. Read the text (teacher read or independently).
4. Reread each statement and place a check under the agree or
disagree in the “after” column.
5. Make a note in the box as to where the evidence can be
located to support this statement.
6. Whole group or small group discussion to collaborate on the
text based evidence.

8. Chapter Walk
 Text Features vary from textbook to textbook
 Take time periodically to point out how to use
the text - do not assume that students will
read the text the same way you read it

9. ABC’S of _______________
 Brainstorming on a certain topic
 Can be used independently, whole group, or small
groups
 Can be broken apart to adapt for students with less
prior knowledge (ex. Some students complete A-G,
others H-P and so on)
 Provides information springboard for discussion
where everyone can participate

10. BELOW THE LINE
 Individual brainstorm and then group discussion
 Students have a piece of paper with a line in the center to divide
the page
 Teacher poses a question
 Students brainstorm and list answers above the line
 Whole group - students share responses
 Check mark next to same or similar responses
 Different responses go below the line
 Discussions can occur about which responses occurred most
often and why
 Discussions can occur about the “different” responses

11. Vocabulary Development
Hand them the words on the platter.-Jacobs, 2000
One way to ensure that students get the most
out of their reading is to focus on
vocabulary. –Robb, 2003
Spend the time working with and making sense
of the words, other than defining them. -Runkle, 2009

12. Vocabulary
 Choose the most important and essential
words for the topic of study.
 Provide direct instruction
 Make connections to prior knowledge from
previous chapters or courses
 Organize and categorize the terms in a
meaningful way

13. Vocabulary Development Strategies
Word Sorts (open and closed)
Vocabulary Circles
Magnet Summaries
Vocabulary Chart
Think Alouds

14. WORD SORTS
1. Place vocabulary terms onto small cards, one word per card.
2. Individually, or in groups, students then sort the words into
categories.
1. “Closed Sort”- categories provided by teacher
2. “Open Sort”- students create and label categories discovered of their
own making
3. Students write their list for each category with a brief
explanation of why these words are included together in that
particular category.
Completing VOCABULARY SORTS in small groups using
textbooks and class notes for reference provides
opportunities for in-depth discussion as students consider
the word from many aspects. - Billmeyer and Baron, 1998

15. VOCABULARY CHART
 One of the best ways to learn a new word is to
associate an image with it.
Imagery-based techniques produced achievement
gains that were 37 percentile points higher than
those produced by techniques that focused on
having students continually review word
definitions.

16. During Reading Strategies
All students need to have opportunities to
think critically, organize and question while
they are interacting with the text.
Instruction that encourages students to
continually summarize, visualize, connect,
predict, question, organize, infer and
monitor will increase comprehension.

17. DURING READING STRATEGIES
4 Square Reading
2 Column Note-Taking
Note-Taking with codes
Extract/React
Graphic Organizers specific to text
Venn Diagram
Cause and Effect
Cycle Organizer

18. 4 SQUARE READING
1. Divide text into 4 sections
2. Divide students into groups of 4
3. Assign each student a different role
1. Summarizer
2. Connector
3. Visualizer
4. Predictor/ Questioner
4. Students will read one section of the text in group
5. Each student completes his/her role
6. Discussion of the completed roles
7. Rotate roles
8. Repeat steps 4-7 until all boxes are complete

19. Graphic Organizers
Choose and use the organizer that works
best for the text and the information
Venn Diagram
Cause and Effect
Cycle Organizer
Textbook publishers often send supplemental
guides with graphic organizers.

20. After Reading Strategies
To consolidate their learning, effective
learners reflect on new information
and integrate it into previous
understandings by personalizing and
applying the new concepts.- Buehl, 2001
Have the students use the new
information in a meaningful way that
they can apply prior knowledge and
skills.- Runkle, 2009

21. After Reading Strategies
 RAFT
 Save the Last Word for Me
 Rating Scale
 3-2-1

22. RAFT Informal Writing
 Role of the writer
 (Who are you?)
 Audience for the writer
 (To whom are you writing?)
 Format of the writing
 (What form will your writing assume?)
 Topic to be addressed in the writing
 (What are you writing about?)

23. RAFT- cont.
1. Analyze the important ideas or information
you want students to learn- establish the
topic
2. Brainstorm possible roles for students to
assume
3. Decide who the audience will be for this
communication
4. Determine the format of the writing

24. Rating Scale
 Students must identify important facts or
topic
 Students will then “rank” them in order of
importance – thinking critically about the
topic
 Students must then explain the rankings
Rating Scale.DOC
Rating Scale-EXAMPLE.DOC

25. 3-2-1- quick strategy for the end of any lesson, vary the response
3 - new facts that you have learned over
the past two days
2 - strategies that you will definitely use
this school year
1 - question that you still have about
content area literacy
Laissez les bons temps rouler !!