This document discusses the importance of content area reading instruction. It explains that content area reading teaches students how to read, write, speak and think like experts in a given subject area. This helps students better understand technical concepts and communicate their knowledge. The document recommends strategies for teaching content area reading, such as tapping into prior knowledge, using graphic organizers, incorporating writing instruction, and choosing appropriate texts matched to students' reading levels. The overall message is that content area reading is crucial for helping students learn and that teachers play an important role in showing students relevant literacy strategies.

1. Content Area Reading
Shaun Peper

2. As instructors we play an important role
in showing students how to use literacy
related strategies in our discipline.
Students often struggle with academic
texts.
Students tend to make little use of
reading as a tool for learning.
Intro to Content Area Reading
What is Content Area Reading?

3. Literacy is a prerequisite to learning.
Teach students how to read, write, speak,
and think as a person in the content area.
In order to understand technical concepts,
students need to be able to interpret
technical style text.
Students need to be able to communicate
through literacy to enable deeper
understanding.
WHY?

4. CCSS are designed to be aligned with
content standards, they do not replace
them.
Designed to prepare students for life
outside school including college and
career.
Establish guidelines for literacy in all
content areas.
http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/
Incorporating the Common Core
State Standards
(New Focus on Literacy)

5. The Grade Level Equivalent
◦ Indicates readability of the text by grade
◦ A student in 6th grade of the first month of
school would read at a 6.1 reading level if they
are reading on pace.
◦ The decimal ranges from .1 to .9 for each
month of school.
Strategies- Choosing the Correct
Text

6. It is essential for student understanding to
draw on prior knowledge.
Constructivism
KWL chart (use sparingly)
ABC brainstorming
Class Brainstorming Web
Picture books
◦ No matter the age, pictures supplement concepts or
skills students can relate to.
◦ http://www.edutopia.org/blog/prior-knowledge-tapping-
into-often-classroom-rebecca-alber
Strategies- Tapping into Prior
Knowledge

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oVQ
jt_H2SQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YQI
XQNQo5s&feature=youtu.be
Robert Marzano Building Acamedic
Vocabulary

8. The usage of graphic organizers help
students organize and analyze their
thoughts.
Easy for teacher to evaluate.
http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/i
go.htm
Strategies- Graphic Organizers

9. 70-75% of students found to be writing
below grade level.
Writing across content areas needs to be
more than cursory- couple sentences.
5 paragraph essay may do more harm than
good.
Variety of writing is good writing. No 5
paragraph crutch.
Teachers should provide guidance, and ways
to improve drafts.
◦ Teacher plays role of editor, critic, and audience.
Strategies- Writing instruction

10. More than just reading.
More than just a 5 paragraph essay.
CCSS supplement standards
◦ Designed to prepare students for college and
career
Students need to read and write to enable
deeper understanding.
Strategies are available.
Very important in being a good teacher.
Conclusion