Content Area Literacy

Our Journey….Content Area Literacy at J. R. Gerritts Middle School

About J. R. Gerritts

• Grade 7 & 8 Middle School317 Students in Grade 7 + 347 Students in Grade 8 = 664 Total

• DemographicsStudents with Disabilities – Approx 10%Economically Disadvantaged – Approx 15%English Language Learner – Approx 2%

• Daily Schedule60 Minute CORE classes & 45 Minute Academy Classes

Assembling the Team

• Science & Social Studies TeachersScience = 7 Staff & Social Studies = 5 Staff

• Literacy Resource Teacher – ContentJenny Thompson / 1 Day a Week – Consultant

• Administrative SupportBuilding and District level administration

Our Journey…

PHASE 1

PHASE 2

PHASE 3

Preparing to Begin the JourneyWe have found a successful approach requires:

• Committing to content area literacy as a priority• Recognizing the importance of providing

coaching support, resources and time• Identifying where staff is at and setting an

appropriate, achievable goal

PHASE 1“I’m not a Language Arts Teacher”

Focus on…1. Setting a purpose prior to reading2. Understanding reading/thinking strategies3. Integrating pre, during and post reading

strategies

Thinking Strategies• Monitoring for Meaning• Using and Creating Schema• Questioning• Determining Importance• Visualizing• Inferring• Synthesizing

PHASE 1“I’m not a Language Arts Teacher”

Focus on…1. Setting a purpose prior to reading2. Understanding reading/thinking strategies3. Integrating pre, during and post reading

strategies

STAFF/ADMINISTRATIVE ROAD BLOCK

SOLUTION

PHASE 1“I’m not a Language Arts Teacher!”

ROAD BLOCK SOLUTIONI’m not qualified to teach reading and writing.

Provide support to help instructors select the appropriate tools and integrate them.

There already isn’t enough time to cover my content.

Staff provided with the freedom to focus on depth of content. Emphasis on quality rather than coverage.

I don’t have access to any resources.

District commitment to resources through improved textbooks, trade books, periodicals, and online databases/internet. Materials are provided at first.

Isn’t this someone else's job? Remind staff that they are not teaching Language Arts (i.e. grammar, plot, character, etc. ). It is the responsibility of content area teachers to teach students to read and write like scientists/social scientists.

PHASE 2“Is this making a difference?”

Focus on…1. Sustaining previous content literacy work2. Collecting data to determine overall impact3. Identifying an area of focus – determining

importance

PHASE 2“Is this making a difference?”

ROAD BLOCK SOLUTIONIs this working? Develop a common assessment to measure

student growth.

Staying committed.

How do I make content area literacy part of my regular practice?

• Staff continued to use planning time to integrate reading comprehension strategies.• Regular conversations with literacy resource teacher and administration. • A clear expectation for setting a purpose and providing pre, during and post reading experiences whenever students are reading.

When are we done learning about content area literacy?

•Many social studies/science staff set professional growth goals to learn more about content area literacy.•Analyze student learning data to determine next step(s).

PHASE 3“Bringing Clarity to our Curriculum”

Focus on…1. Unpacking thinking/reading strategies2. Teaching for student mastery3. Connecting to the Common Core4. Improving our assessment

PHASE 3“Bringing Clarity to our Curriculum”

ROAD BLOCK SOLUTIONHow do we know when a student is proficient?

• Dig deeper to discover what determining importance meant to our team. • Developed a list of five focus areas that were critical to ensuring students could determine importance.

This is too advanced for my students. Shouldn’t this be taught in high school?

• Established a clear focus for the sub skill(s) we wanted students to be able to master.• Used the gradual, release of responsibility (with an emphasis on modeling) to ensure skills were taught.

There are new curriculum standards for literacy in social studies and science?

• Compared our understanding of determining importance with the ten Common Core reading standards.• Selected a standard to serve as our team’s focus -

• Use text structures to aid in determining what information may be of value

• Determine what may and may not be valid information

• Sift important ideas from interesting/less relevant details

• Use strategies to hold important thinking

• Construct main ideas from gathered information

Determining Importance

PHASE 3“Bringing Clarity to our Curriculum”

ROAD BLOCK SOLUTIONHow do we know when a student is proficient?

• Dig deeper to discover what determining importance meant to our team. • Developed a list of five focus areas that were critical to ensuring students could determine importance.

This is too advanced for my students. Shouldn’t this be taught in high school?

• Established a clear focus for the sub skill(s) we wanted students to be able to master.• Used the gradual, release of responsibility (with an emphasis on modeling) to ensure skills were taught.

There are new curriculum standards for literacy in social studies and science?

• Compared our understanding of determining importance with the ten Common Core reading standards.• Selected a standard to serve as our team’s focus -

Gradual Release of Responsibility

Reflection Tool for Teacher Modeling

ROAD BLOCK SOLUTIONHow do we know when a student is proficient?

• Dig deeper to discover what determining importance meant to our team. • Developed a list of five focus areas that were critical to ensuring students could determine importance.

This is too advanced for my students. Shouldn’t this be taught in high school?

• Established a clear focus for the sub skill(s) we wanted students to be able to master.• Used the gradual, release of responsibility (with an emphasis on modeling) to ensure skills were taught.

There are new curriculum standards for literacy in social studies and science?

• Compared our understanding of determining importance with the ten Common Core reading standards.• Selected a standard (connected to the work we’ve done) to serve as our team’s focus

PHASE 3“Bringing Clarity to our Curriculum”

JRG Element of Determining Importance

Common Core Reading Standard

Use text structures to aid in determining what information may be of value

Standard 5 & Standard 7

Determine what may and may not be valid information

Standard 6 & Standard 8

Sift important ideas from interesting/less relevant details

Standard 2

Use strategies to hold important thinking

Standard 1

Construct main ideas from gathered information

Standard 2

Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze

their development; summarize the key supporting details

and ideas.

Important Elements

Paraphrased Summary is written in your own words.

Concise Summary is as brief as possible while including the most important/details related to the topic.

Topic Clear statement of the main idea.

Body Conveys the most important supporting details

Only information from the text is used

Follows a sequential order

Makes effective use of transitions

Conclusion Conclusion restates the main idea and brings the summary to a close

Common Core – Standard 2

Looking Ahead: PHASE 4

Focus on…1. Measuring individual student growth and planning

for differentiation2. Using student learning data to reflect on and then

refine instruction3. Examining the critical elements of guided

instruction4. Expanding the content area literacy focus to health,

computer education and tech. education

• Content is important• Collaboration is key• Support is essential• Time is crucial–Time to learn and time to implement

• Celebrate the successes• Remain student focused

Things to Remember

Questions?

Dave LamersAssistant Principaldjlamers@kimberly.k12.wi.us

Jenny ThompsonLiteracy Resource Teacherjthompson@kimberly.k12.wi.us

Scott OttSocial Studies Teacher – Grade 8sott@kimberly.k12.wi.us

Shannon PetersonScience Teacher – Grade 8speterson@kimberly.k12.wi.us