By IU PIIC Mentors Loriann Ruddy and  Missy Petrilak

Four years ago, Richard Vaca, author of the book, Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum, articulated the need to promote literacy across the content areas.  He stated, “Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21^st century will write more than any other time in human history.  They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives.”   

With the implementation of the PA Core Standards, there is currently a shift toward content area literacy.  The standards now demand that instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language are a shared responsibility within a school setting.   There is an emphasis that content area teachers should include literacy experiences not only in the lesson planning but in their instruction as well.  If today’s students are to be competitive they need ample opportunity for practice and effective instructional support as well as motivation to engage in literacy tasks. 

Many content area teachers are under the impression that teaching reading isn’t their responsibility.   The thought of teaching reading and writing within content classes is not a focus of many core content teachers.  Many middle and high school teachers do not know how to use reading and writing as a vehicle for learning the content within their classes and do not see their subject linked to conversations about literacy. 

Reading, writing, speaking, and listening is a big part of the everyday world of adolescents.  They access the Internet for research, use their cell phones to send text messages, and read assignments on their E-books.   It is evident that teens are actually highly motivated to read and write; however, these habits don’t translate well into classroom settings. 

Secondary teachers are confident in their ability to teach content but become overwhelmed with being asked to consider modifying their instruction to support literacy.  Few teachers have had little professional development to support literacy in their content area. In a 2012 survey conducted by the Gates Foundation, teachers indicated that they need more professional support and development to implement literacy standards.  Instructional coaches can help bridge the gap between process and content by addressing what is taught, why it’s taught, and how best to teach it to students. 

In order for districts to address literacy across content areas, a significant investment in professional development that is ongoing, sustained, and job- embedded needs to be established.  Through the use of instructional coaches, teachers engage in a process of exploration and assessment.  Coaches can provide one-on-one support to teachers in identifying evidence based literacy practices.   Working within the PIIC model and using the BDA cycle of coaching allows coaches to help teachers become more reflective in their practices by crafting conversations that focus on engaging students in using instructional techniques with a literacy focus.

Click here to return to Mentor Blogs