Literacy Practice: Promoting
Content Area Reading
Designed by
Brenda Stephenson
The University of Tennessee

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Define the concepts for promoting reading comprehension through content area reading materials.
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Identify ways of using content area reading materials to promote reading comprehension in the classroom.
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List materials and resources available to accomplish this practice.

…refers to the challenge of reading in the academic areas such as science, social studies, mathematics, literature, and the arts.

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Scaffolding provides a systematic approach to address the challenges of
Content Area
Reading.

Content Area Reading: Scaffolding
 instructional technique using teacher modeling to introduce the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students
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Scaffolding Graph

Content Area Reading: Scaffolding
 supports students before , during , and after they read.
 enables students to accomplish what is normally beyond their abilities .
 provides enough help so students can succeed with a task that otherwise would be impossible .
(Graves & Graves, 1994)

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Biology Content Video

Content Area Reading: Scaffolding
Temporary
Task-oriented
Support to extend reach
Steps to Teaching:
• Preparation • Assistance • Reflection •

Analyzes
Prior to Lesson
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Assesses Readability
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Modifies text if necessary
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Identifies Key Vocabulary & Concepts
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Identifies Expository Text Structures
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Identifies Relation to Prior Knowledge

Teacher Text:
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Prepare students to read the material by considering readability factors

 interest & motivation of the reader legibility of the print & illustrations
 complexity of words and sentences in relation to the reading ability of the reader

Teacher Text:
Analyze Word & Sentence Complexity
 run a readability analysis at intervention central.org using the OKAPl! Reading Probe
Generator
 use Microsoft Word spell & grammar check with the readability tool option turned ‘on’

Teacher Student:

Running Records
–
– readinga-z.com
Tutorial

Informal Reading Inventories

Teacher Text:
If…

Text Level is higher than Instructional
Level
Then…
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Paraphrase (rewrite)
Many textbooks now have companion readers/study guides developed specifically as content area reading supplements. These are often ordered by schools for the ELL students. Check. It will save you a lot of time and work!

Teacher Text:
Limit the number of words introduced…

Choose words
– critical to understanding the main ideas
– not likely to be learned independently

Teacher Text:
Analyze Word & Sentence Complexity
Researchers have found that instruction in expository text structure has a positive effect on recall and comprehension.
(Armbruster, Anderson, & Ostertag, 1987; Roller & Schreimer, 1985; Taylor
& Beach, 1984).

Teacher Text:
Patterns
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 problem-solving classification experimental cause and effect definition/explanation
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 chronological events definition/ explanation cause and effect compare/contrast question & answer

Teacher Text:
Patterns

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 key words graphic relationships evidence & reasoning symbolic relationships
& operations
 character development
 settings
 plot
 moral & message
 symbolism
 genre

Student Text:
Literacy Skills needed in content areas are:
 Identifying the main idea
 Locating facts and specific details
 Organizing material mentally
 Vocabulary comprehension
 Adjusting
Reading Rate &
Focus
 Summarizing


Content Writing Clip

Content Reading:
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Before Reading
• Building Vocabulary • Activating Prior Knowledge • Setting a Purpose • Previewing • Brainstorming • Predicting •

During Reading
• Scanning • Visualizing • Context Clues • Inferring •
Questioning • Clarifying •
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After Reading
• Summarizing • Drawing Conclusions • Reflecting • Critical
Thinking • Review • Synthesis • Writing to Learn •

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Teach Strategies Using:
– Established programs & techniques which
 address before, during, after
 utilize graphic organizers
 provide modeling of desired skills
 offer variety to address varying learning styles

Content Reading:
(More links from Reading Quest Check out the Print
Charts!)
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Writing to Learn
Directed Reading Activity (DRA)
Directed Reading Thinking
Activity (DRTA)
Guided Reading Procedure (GRP)
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SQR3
Listen-Read-Discuss (L-R-D)

Content Reading:
(Click the links below for information from Reading
Quest on each strategy. Check out the Print Charts!)
 ABC brainstorm  history frames
 carousel  inquiry chart
 clock buddies
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K - W - L
 opinion-proof
 column notes
 power thinking
 comparisoncontrast

Content Reading:
(More links from Reading Quest Check out the Print
Charts!)
 questioning the author
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RAFT papers
 reciprocal teaching
 underlining
 semantic feature
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 analysis story maps
 summarizing
 thesis-proof
 think-pair-share

Content Reading:
(More links from
Reading Quest )

3-minute pause
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3 - 2 – 1
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 venn diagrams word maps
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QARs
(Links to other successful programs & techniques)
 word splash
 word sorts
 anticipation guide

 http://www.timetabler.com/reading.html
 http://www.gopdg.com/plainlanguage/readability.html
 http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2grap.htm


Mora, Jill Kerper. “Content Area Reading for English Language
Learners” March 16, 2006. http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/ContentReadMM/ >

“Reading in the Content Areas: Strategies for Success” March 21,
2006.
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/12

“Literacy Strategies” March 21, 2006 http://www.litandlearn.lpb.org/strategies.html