TEACHING READING AND THE CONTENT AREA

THE KEY TO CONTENT AREA READING

Jesseca Sullivan

Raritan Valley Community College

Why worry about reading when teaching a content area?

“Finally, we need to create assignments and courses that offer students not only challenges but also some control in how they meet those challenges as a way to

help them find the pleasure in writing and reading creatively and critically.”

(Williams, 2005, p.342)

Pre-Reading what readers do before reading

Pre-Reading Strategies“Just as athletes warm up before a game to

prepare their bodies for success, a few minutes spent on pre-reading activities can help students read and learn successfully.”

(Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.189)

Pre-reading strategies can build background knowledge

Background knowledge can assist in comprehension

Pre-Reading StrategiesStudent Driven

SkimmingRemind students to read headings,

subheadings, key words, etc. Make predictions about what the chapter

will be aboutRecord ideas about what is already known

and how it might relate to the new topics being discussed in the reading

Pre-Reading Strategies Teacher Driven

• Chapter Goals-Set the Purpose for Reading• Preview the chapter to the students by

listing at most, four chapter goals before reading the chapter.

• While reading, the students can collect information to support the chapter goals

Textbook Example

Chapter Goals From Textbook

Transferring Goals into Notes-Example

A. Goals and Tasks of Promotion    B. Communication Process   C. Elements of the Promotional Mix   F. Integrated Marketing Communications    

Pre-Reading StrategiesTeacher Driven

Preview and Discuss Vocabulary Before Reading Analogies: “…analogies easily apply to

nearly any topic or subject area. Moreover, students engage in sophisticated reasoning as they determine or infer the relationship between word pairs and extend the relationship to a second pair.”

(Rasinski, Padak, and Fawcett, 2012, p.154)

Pre-Reading StrategiesTeacher Driven Example Vocabulary Activity

Possible Sentences: 1.) Select 6-8 vocabulary words from text with

brief definitions

2.) Select 4-6 more words that are familiar

3.) Students write sentences containing 2 or

more words from the listed words

4.) Review sentences after reading

“…Possible sentences not only enhances vocabulary but it is also an effective comprehension strategy.”

(Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.154)

Pre-Reading StrategiesTeacher Driven

Word Splash Teacher picks 8-15 words and displays them

before reading Students write a prediction about the

meaning of the words/phrases (Beers, 2003, p.94)

Pre-Reading StrategiesTeacher Driven Tea Party

Teacher lists out several lines or phrases from the text

Students select phrases and predict how they might be related.

Students will check predictions after reading

(Beers, 2003, p.96)

Tea Party Strategy-Example

Teacher Handout Example

Content Area: Marketing

Text: MKTG by Lamb/Hair/McDaniel 2013

“In contrast to survey research, observation research depends on watching what people do.” (p.154)

“The interaction is not an interview, and communication occurs only so that the mystery shopper can observe the actions and comments of the employee.” (p.154)

“Ethnographers directly observe the population they are studying.” (p.155)

“After data analysis has been completed, the researcher must prepare the report and communicate the conclusions and recommendations to management.” (p.158)

Student Response Example

“I predict that the second quote, the one about

mystery shoppers, is an example of observation

research mentioned in the first quotation. I think this

because mystery shoppers are hidden

shoppers, and they are observing what’s

happening in a store.”

During Reading Strategies What Readers Can Do During Reading

During-Reading StrategiesStudent Driven

“Text discussions during and after reading have long been recognized as effective means of

enhancing students’ comprehension and learning.”

(Rasinski, Padak, & Fawcett, 2010, p.195)

Say Something (Beers, 2003, p.105)

Students make notes while they are reading (ask a question, clarify, comment, or make a connection)

Say Something Strategy Example (Beers, 2003)

Content Area: Education

Text: Supervision and Instructional Leadership (Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon, 2010)

Student Responses While Reading

p.137: After reading about the behaviors of supervisors, I think I have directive control behaviors. I like to lead others like my friends, who come to me with problems, to their own solutions, not just tell them what to do.

Sample Student Comment/Connection

While Reading

“What does it mean by “Interpretation leads to resistance?” (p.237) How do supervisors resolve conflicts with teachers who are reporting different events?”

Sample Student Question Recorded

While Reading

After Reading StrategiesCollaboration Between Teacher and Student

Skimming: Teach students to look back, to review what they’ve read after reading.

Summarize: Using their notes, students should practice summarizing the key parts of the chapter in their own words. (Partner Activity During Class)

Reread

Final Thoughts

Multiple ExposureNewspaper Article Website (resource for students)

Group Discussions“In cooperative learning groups, students

come to rely less on the teacher and more on one another.” (Alvermann & Phelps, 2005, p.72)

Provide specific questions to guide group discussions

ReferencesAlvermann, D.E. & Phelps, S.F. (2005). Content reading and

literacy: Succeeding in today’s diverse classrooms (4th

ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read

what teachers can do: A guide for

teachers 6-12. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Wiliams, B.T. (2005). Are we having fun yet? Students, social class,

and the pleasures of literacy. Literacy and Identity, 48(4),

338-342.

Rasinski, T.V, Padak, N.D., & Fawcett, C. (2010). Teaching

children who find reading difficult (4th ed.). Boston, MA:

Pearson.