This document discusses the importance of literacy instruction across all classrooms and subjects. It emphasizes that all teachers share responsibility for developing students' literacy skills, including reading complex texts, writing for different purposes, and engaging in academic discussions. Specific strategies are presented, such as using various genres of writing to help students learn and think critically about content. The role of the language arts and social studies teachers is to provide opportunities for students to improve their reading and access grade-level texts through modeling, coaching, and ensuring lessons help students grow as readers. An effective literacy-rich classroom focuses on higher-order thinking, teaches reading strategies, actively engages students, and reflects on how lessons support literacy development.

1. The Literacy-Rich Classroom Jessica Crooker Literacy Coach North View Junior High

2. Guiding questions: Why should literacy be central to our curriculum? How can teachers provide literacy-rich experiences for their students and teach the standards? What is the role of Language Arts and Social Studies teachers in teaching reading? To accelerate reading growth? To provide opportunities for students to read informational texts and literature within the appropriate grade-level complexity band?

3. Why Should Literacy be central to our curriculum? Adora Svitak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-bjOJzB7LY

4. Her articulate dialogue? Her confidence in public speaking? Her vast vocabulary? Children grow up to be adults? The need to teach children to be better adults than us? Her ability to ask, “why not?”

5. Instructional Inventory Brainstorm typical activities in your classroom & assigned as homework Add, if appropriate: Reading with a purpose Re-reading for deeper learning Writing to learn Writing: expository, creative, persuasive Thinking analytically, critically Evaluating based on reading or writing Participating in academic discourse

6. Instructional Inventory Two most frequent * (star) Two least frequent – (minus) Which column is more literacy-rich? Classroom activities Homework

7. Reading with a purpose Re-reading for deeper learning Writing to learn Writing: expository, creative, persuasive Thinking analytically, critically Evaluating based on reading or writing Participating in academic discourse

8. “Wise teachers (and coaches and orchestra conductors) do not spend time rehearsing what students, athletes, and musicians can already do well – they invest precious practice time on activities that are challenging and difficult.” (Reeves, 2010)

9. “Reading, writing, and discussion—these three—are the foundation for a well-equipped mind.” (Schmoker, 2006, p. 72)

10. “In a recent report, the National Commission on Writing also addresses this concern. They say, ‘If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else. In short, if students are to learn, they must write.’” Carnegie Corporation Writing to Read (Graham & Hebert, 2010)

11. Traditional uses of Writing Evaluative Evidence of understanding Measurement of what learning has been gained High-stakes Summative End of unit Individualistic Not shared Limited in genre essay, academic in nature

12. Writing to Read Learning driven Exploratory Lower stakes Throughout the learning process Collaborative Interactive Shared, discussed Flexible genres “If you want students to dig into the content, take away the constraints of the form. Use a genre they know.” –Dr. Chris Anson, North Carolina State University (C. Anson, personal communication, April 30, 2011)

13. Writing to Read

14. Note Taking & SUmmary

15. Character Journal As you read the first few pages of Lord of the Flies, write from the perspective of one of the boys. Include what you see, think, and feel. Discuss the details that seem especially important considering you are stranded on this strange island?

16. Opinions – taking a stance Boundary Waters: Cell Phone Tower Debate Take on the identity of one the parties involved in the cell phone tower debate. TWEET a message to your “followers” informing them of your stance on this issue.

17. Identities & Points of View facebook info page facebook status update IM chats Text messages Blog entries Emails Thank You card

18. “If you want students to dig into the content, take away the constraints of the form. Use a genre they know.” –Dr. Chris Anson North Carolina State University (C. Anson, personal communication, April 30, 2011)

19. What is the role of Language Arts and Social Studies teachers? To accelerate reading growth? To provide opportunities for students to read informational texts and literature within the appropriate grade-level complexity band?

20. Benchmark 6.13.10.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently. Benchmark 8.5.10.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

21. New complexity Demands

22. Measuring text complexity Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Readability measures and other scores of text complexity Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed)

23. Reading Growth Independent level Choice Differentiate Supplement Mirror Standards Grade-level complexity One shared text Ease will vary Likely core text Window What is our goal? What is our role?

24. Supporting striving readers in accessing grade-level texts

25. Regardless of materials… Focus on these five practices of a literacy-rich classroom: Focus on higher level thinking Teach word recognition and comprehension as strategies, not simply as skills Use a student support stance (modeling, coaching) towards instruction in addition to a teacher directed stance Have students engaged in active vs. passive responses to literacy activities Reflect on the purposes of a lesson: How will my lesson help individual students grow in literacy abilities? (Peterson, 2011)

26. Teacher A MCA/GRAD Reading Test Day 10th grade English Dead Poet’s Society No engagement No movie. Game day. “Regular” English Teacher B MCA/GRAD Reading Test Day 10th grade English Dead Poet’s Society Metacognition notes Total engagement Still talking about the movie! “Striving Reader” English

27. “The value of doing in-class reading, writing, and discussion can’t be overstated…, even an additional 30 minutes of close, purposeful reading followed by regular discussion and writing adds months of growth for each school year.” (Schmoker, p. 98)

28. Resources Graham, S., and Hebert, M. A. (2010). Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can improve reading. A Carnegie Corporation Time to Act Report. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Peterson, D. (2011) Developing Effective Teachers of Reading through School-wide Change [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/reading/ Reeves, D. (2010, Oct. 20). Leading the Change in the Face of Criticism. Retrieved from http://www.leadandlearn.com/blog/2010/10/leading-change-face-criticism Schmoker, M. (2006). Results Now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandra, Virginia: ASCD.