The document discusses strategies for motivating students to read informational texts, including building self-efficacy, using social motivation, and giving students choices over texts. It also presents questions for discussion about using informational texts and group reading assignments, and expresses that while literacy is important in science, teaching reading skills can feel unfamiliar to science teachers.

1. Making Common Core
Standards Meaningful
Kristin Angello
Don Nenninger

2. How to Get Students to Read
Informational Texts
Show
Students
the Text’s
Value
Build Self- Use Social
Efficacy Motivation
Motivated Give
Develop
Student Students
Dedication
Readers! Choices
source: Guthrie, J.T. &Klauda, S.L. (2012). Making textbook reading meaningful. Education Leadership, 69, (6), 64-68. As presented in
class lecture, 3/6/12 by Dr. Donna Mahar.

3. Discussion Question
 Using the practice of social motivation, develop three
questions regarding Guthrie &Klauda’s premise on using
informational texts
Kristin and Don deep in discussion about literacy in science curriculum

4. 1. Is it a fair expectation that
students can learn from text
in a similar manner?
 Students within one classroom typically have varied
reading abilities.
 If students are not at the same reading level, will it be
difficult for them to read together in a group?

5. 2. Should we be teaching
students how to read a
textbook?
 As Dr. Mahar pointed out, many students find science
textbooks difficult to read.
 Reading a science textbook is different from reading
fiction or literature in that you do not read every word,
nor do you read it like a story.
 Students find the headings and bold type intimidating,
but the authors chose this style to help the reader.

6. 3. How effective is a group
reading assignment?
 How can reading and discussing a paragraph as a
group develop students’ reading skills?
 Is this similar to a social constructivism model where
peers learn better because they hear concepts
explained in “their own language”?

7. Other Thoughts…
 We are excited about the introduction of literacy into
science classrooms! We feel reading comprehension
and good writing skills are essential knowledge.
 We are concerned about how to best teach literacy
skills to our students. Let’s be honest: we’re all very
comfortable with science, but teaching reading can feel
like wading into unknown waters!