麻豆传媒入口

I had nearly 20 years in the field of education as an English teacher, alternative education teacher, district mentor, and reading specialist when I became the instructional coach at a high school in south Milwaukee.

During one of my first professional development (PD) sessions with my colleagues, I referred to the significance of the 鈥溾�� subjects and how important it was that specific become an integral part of those disciplines.

After the PD, the music department chairperson gently explained how I had completely ignored her discipline, her department, and music鈥檚 worth in my PD. In truth, her discipline wasn鈥檛 on my radar鈥攁nd that was the problem.

As an instructional coach and reading specialist, it was my job, my purpose, to gather together all disciplines and show teachers how standards could be seamlessly embedded into their content area鈥攏ot as one more thing to do, but rather as a pedagogical and logical part of the lesson. What other subjects had I ignored?

In my work, it seems that most of my instructional coach colleagues tended to support, perhaps unknowingly, those classes where literacy seems a most natural fit. But it can be, perhaps, a little more challenging to embed literacy in classes where the content may not obviously lend itself to reading skills and strategies.

Focus on Literacy across all disciplines

If we are truly going to talk about reading, then we must focus on reading in all disciplines, not just the ones that are being tested. When we teach 鈥渞eading across the curriculum鈥濃�攁 well-worn phrase to be sure鈥攚e are enhancing all disciplines and, as a result, significantly improving a student鈥檚 ability to do well, not just on a standardized test but most notably in the classroom and beyond.

According to the , 鈥淭he research is clear: discipline-based instruction in reading and writing enhances student achievement in all subjects. Studies show that reading and writing across the curriculum are essential to learning. Without strategies for reading course material and opportunities to write thoughtfully about it, students have difficulty mastering concepts.鈥� 

This approach can help students learn how to read and write for different purposes and can also reinforce learning across all areas.

What can instructional coaches, teaching and learning coordinators, and curriculum leaders do to ensure that all disciplines are, indeed, a part of the reading conversation?

Know your state鈥檚 standards

This is more than just a cursory read-through. Highlight the skills within those standards. As an example, in my book, , I highlight four states and their standards: , , , and the .  

While these states have differing language regarding their standards, all states require their ninth- and 10th-grade English language arts students to determine a (theme or) central idea of a text. That phrase now becomes a skill. Let鈥檚 say the Health teacher is teaching a lesson about the connection between : I might recommend that students read a brief paragraph and determine the theme鈥攖he main or central idea鈥攚ithin that passage. Therefore, students are applying the standard within the lesson; there is no extra lesson being written or extra work being done.

Observe all disciplines

While this may seem obvious, we cannot respectfully collaborate with teachers without observing their discipline. All disciplines require specific vocabulary to learn and understand; if you鈥檙e not sure what to look for or how to support a teacher in an unfamiliar discipline, begin with the vocabulary. As an example, I鈥檓 English certified; I am not an art teacher or a physical education teacher or a family and consumer education teacher. But I certainly appreciate the learning that goes into those subjects. However, I can still support my colleagues by becoming familiar with the vocabulary of their respective disciplines. 

Let鈥檚 take art as an example. The freshmen art teacher is introducing art terms to her students. I might offer a vocabulary development guide (inspired by Doug Buehl鈥檚 ) as a way to help students remember and use art terms correctly and confidently. In observing all disciplines, you will gain an understanding of what teachers need and how to support them in their work.

Be resource-ready

When meeting with teachers, have your reading skills resources available鈥攇raphic organizers, concept maps, charts, outlines, journals鈥攚hatever students need to apply those standards to the work they鈥檙e doing in class. For example, you might say, 鈥淭oday I鈥檓 going to observe Family and Consumer Science class for the first time this year. Since this is my first observation, I鈥檓 going to bring an all-inclusive strategy that might be helpful to the teacher and their students.鈥� 

Being able to summarize is a skill that is necessary in all content areas. I would therefore bring a summary graphic organizer, such as Using the 5Ws and How to Find Information, found in Janet Allen鈥檚 , to this class. During discussion, students could keep track of the who, what, where, when, and why of the discussion. From that information, they can write a brief summary. Being resource ready encourages inspiration and opportunity. In sharing your resources, the teacher has the chance to revise or modify those resources based on what their students need. 

We know it鈥檚 easy to focus on disciplines we feel most comfortable supporting; however, we do our colleagues and our students a great injustice if we鈥檙e merely giving lip service to reading across the curriculum and not actually embracing it as a part of our practice.