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.”