Slides from workshop on May 30, 2012

1. READING IN THE
CONTENT AREAS
Katie McKnight, Ph.D.
Katie@KatherineMcKnight.com

2. What We Will Do In This Today…
Review Important Information about Content
Literacy (Interdisciplinary literacy)
Introduce learning centers as an instructional
tool for the content areas.
Examine a wide variety of content literacy
(interdisciplinary literacy) focused learning centers
for mathematics, social science, and science.
Examine a variety of text sets for the teaching
of content.
Discuss assessment strategies that are rooted in
content and interdisciplinary literacy.

3. Some Reminders about
Content Literacy

4. Assumptions Underlying
Content Literacy
Subject Role of the
Matter Textbook
Active
Independent
Readers
Readers

5. What is Content Literacy?
Generally defined as:
“the ability to use reading and
writing for the acquisition of new
content in a given discipline”
(McKenna & Robinson, 1990, p. 184)

6. The Impact of Schema
on Content Literacy
The Kingdom Of Kay Oss
Once in the land of Serenity there ruled a king called Kay
Oss. He wanted to be liked by all his people. So onx day
thx bxnxvolxnt dxspot dxcidxd that no onx in thex country
would bx rxsponsiblx for anything. Zll of thx workerxrs rxstxd
from thxir dzily lxbors. "Blxss Kzy Oss," thxy xxclzimxd.
Now, thx lzw mzkxrs wxrx vxry wvsx. But zs wvsx zs wthxy
wxrx, thxy dxcvdxd thzt thx bxst form of govxernmxnt wzs
nonx zt zll.
Source: Alvermann, D. and Phelps, S. (2002). Content Reading
and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms. (5th
Ed.).Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

7. More on Schema
The notes were sour
because the seam split.
Source: Alvermann, D. and Phelps, S. (2002). Content Reading
and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms. (5th
Ed.).Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

8. More on Schema
The batsmen were merciless against the
bowlers. The bowlers placed their men in slips
and covers. But to no avail. The batsmen hit
one in four after another along with an
occasional six. Not once did a ball look like it
would hit their stumps or be caught.
Source: Alvermann, D. and Phelps, S. (2002). Content Reading
and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms. (5th
Ed.).Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

9. Content Literacy is now referred to as
Interdisciplinary Literacy
(Common Core State Standards)

10. What do we know about
our students’ reading?

11. What do we know about readers?
At or Above Proficient on 2002 NAEP Reading
100
80
60 White
Black
40
Hispanic
20
0
Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12
Grigg, W.S., Daane, M.C., Jin, Y., & Campbell, J.R. (2003). The nation’s report card: Reading 2002. Jessup, MD:
Education Publications Center.

12. Students Most At Risk
Below Basic on 2002 NAEP Reading
100
80
60 White
Black
40
Hispanic
20
0
Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12
Grigg, W.S., Daane, M.C., Jin, Y., & Campbell, J.R. (2003). The nation’s report card: Reading 2002.
Jessup, MD: Education Publications Center.

13. Components of Reading
Alphabetics: un derstand ing a nd us ing t he sounds t hat
make up words (phonem ic awareness) and the lette rs that
correspond t o those sounds (decoding) and be ing a ble t o
relat e the letters and sounds to the particular words they
represent (word recognition)
Fluency: identi fying words accurately in a n effortless
manner and be ing ab le to read them in te xt with appropriate
intonat ion, stress and ph rasing
Vocabulary : knowing and u nderstanding t he mean ings of
words and u sing them with flexibility and p recision
Comprehension: the process and product of constructing
meaning from what is read, involving an inte raction between
a reader and a te xt, for a purpose and within a context

14. What are Learning Centers?
Synonymous with Learning Stations.
Learning Stations are locations that
a teacher designs for students to
work in small groups or individually.
Each center has a clearly
articulated learning activity.

15. Getting Started: A Checklist
1 Write out all directions for the students
for each station.
2 Explain procedures and have them
written out and posted in your
classroom.
3 Create a “make up station” at the end
of the rotation so that students can
complete any unfinished work. Review
and revision are key in the development
of literacy skills sets.

16. Getting Started: A Checklist (cont.)
4 The teacher should circulate among
the groups to facilitate answers and
questions about the work.
5 Formal assessment occurs when the
students have finished the novel.
6 When possible, give students a choice
at each station.
I like to make a poster for each station.
Let‟s look at a model for learning centers.

17. A Classroom Picture
Sample Stations for First Rotation
Vocabulary Reading Content
Activity Strategy Study
Practice Listening or
Make Up
With Viewing
Center
Content Center

18. Sample Learning Centers
Directions: Circulate around the room to the different
learning stations.
Consider the following questions:
1 How can you use this learning center activity for
your content area and classroom?
2 As you consider your content area and a specific
learning center, what adaptations and suggestions
do you have for the activity?
Note: These learning centers focus on vocabulary. When
you create center activities for your students, you will have
a variety of activities, not just vocabulary.

19. VOCABULARY AND TERMINILOGY CENTERS

20. Learning Center Station
Vocabulary
Samples are from: McKnight, K. (2010). The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers: 100 Reproducible Organizers that Help
Kids with Reading, Writing, and the Content Areas. Jossey-Bass.

21. Learning Center Station
Vocabulary
Samples are from: McKnight, K. (2010). The Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers: 100 Reproducible Organizers that Help
Kids with Reading, Writing, and the Content Areas. Jossey-Bass.

22. Concept Sorts
 What is it?
 Introduces students to the vocabulary of a new topic or book.
 Students are provided with a list of terms or concepts from
reading material.
 Students place words into different categories based on each
word's meaning.
 Categories can be defined by the teacher or by the students.
 When used before reading, concept sorts provide an
opportunity for a teacher to see what his or her students
already know about the given content. When used after
reading, teachers can assess their students' understanding of
the concepts presented.

23. Concept Map
You or the student selects a word or concept for the center
box of the organizer. In the box directly above, students
should write the dictionary definition of the word or concept.
Students should record key elements of the word or concept
in each of the boxes on the upper left side.
In each of the boxes on the upper right side, the students
should record information that is incorrectly assigned to the
word or concept.
Examples of the word or concept are recorded in the boxes
along the bottom of the page.
The „„What is it like?‟‟ and „„What is it NOT like?‟‟ boxes can be
particularly challenging.
Be sure to model responses to these or allow students to work
in pairs so that they will have greater success in completing
this activity.

25. Word Detective
The importance of encouraging
students to study words cannot be
emphasized enough.
In this center, students are prompted
to research the etymology of words
(and content area terms) and
connect visual images to the words
that they encounter.

26. Creating Slide Shows
www.photopeach.com
Sample from an Algebra
teacherphotopeach.com/album/tculv0?invitecode=b68
4ea3b5c

27. Vocabulary Demonstration Lesson
www.adlit.org/media/mediatopics/vocab

28. Sample
Reading
Activities

29. KWL
K = What the reader
already knows
W = What the reader wants to learn or know
L = What I learned

30. DRTA
The Directed Reading and Thinking Activity
develops the students purpose for reading a
selected text. This activity helps students to
become more active readers as questions are
considered during their reading. When students
use this activity, especially when they are reading
textbooks, they are better able to focus on the
content and main ideas and concepts.

31. DRTA

34. Sketch
Through
Text
Daniels, H. and Zimmerman, S. (2004). Subjects Matter: Every Teachers’ Guide to Content –Area Reading.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, p 121.

35. Stop and Write

36. Inquiry Chart
The Inquiry Chart (I-Chart) is a strategy that enables
students to generate meaningful questions about a
topic and organize their writing.
Students integrate prior knowledge or thoughts
about the topic with additional information found in
several sources.
The I-Chart procedure is organized into three phases:
(1) Planning, (2) Interacting, and (3)
Integrating/Evaluating. Each phase consists of
activities designed to engage students in evaluating
a topic.
http://www.adlit.org/strategies/21826/

37. I Do, We Do, You Do
www.adlit.org/media/mediatopics/comprehension
Comprehension Demonstration

39. Visuals
Graphic Organizers and other visuals support student
comprehension and understanding of text.
Here is an example from a Social Studies teacher:
www.adlit.org/media/mediatopics/contentarea

42. Where is Content Information Stored?
Reference books
Textbooks
Primary Sources
Charts
Web Pages
Images
Formulas

43. Differentiating Texts
Selecting and adapting texts to
differentiate information to meet
the needs of diverse readers.
Making students better readers in
your subject area.
Using efficient and engaging
activities that add to content
learning.

44. Strategies: One-Page Wonder
According to Daniels and Steineke,
One-Page Wonders (OPW) allows us to:
 Provide texts that are interesting
 Keep in-class reading time short
 Allow for efficient practice of
comprehension and discussion
strategies

45. Finding OPWs
 Interesting and relevant to kids
 Surprising, puzzling, funny, quirky, or weird
 Invite the reader to visualize places, faces, and events
 Feature people you can get interested in
 Are complex enough to justify time and thought
 Offer background knowledge in your content area
 Contain open-ended or debatable issues that invite
lively discussion

46. Strategy, Encourage the Students
to Code the Text

47. We’re going to look at some sample OPWs and Strategies
in a “Seated” Gallery Walk…..
 Work in pairs or groups of three. You‟ll have about 5
minutes to look through the materials with your
partner.
 As you look at the text sets, catalogue the strategies
for each text set and record comments and
questions. Be prepared to discuss the following:
 How is this a differentiation strategy?
 How can this strategy be used in the teaching of
your content?
 What do you think you might need in order to
implement this strategy?

48. Sample Text Sets
 These text sets are were created for teachers and
students at George Washington Community High
School in Indiana.
 Samples are for several different content areas.

49. It’s Time To Create and Build
 We‟ve explored many strategies for developing
adolescent literacy skills today.
 In content related groups, create a set of centers
that you could use to teach a topic:
Include the following:
Content Area: Topic
Essential Question
Descriptions of Each Center (at least 6)

50. More Resources
www.readingquest.org
www.adlit.org
www.readwritethink.org

52. How to Reach Me:
Email: Katie@KatherineMcKnight.com
Website: www.KatherineMcKnight.com
Twitter: @literacyworld
Facebook: Katie McKnight Literacy
For more materials and updated powerpoint,
see my blog at www.KatherineMcKnight.com

53. Questions???