Planning Instruction and Writing

Content-Area Reading Chapter 5: Planning Instruction for Content Literacy

When thinking of planning instruction for my future Spanish clasroom, I imagine one of my greatest challenges will be supporting struggling readers and helping them to understand the information in our textbooks and workbooks. Chapter 5 of Content-Area Reading offers several research-based strategies for supporting literacy in content classrooms based on reflective and resposive teaching. I now know how  important it is  that I take the time to know my readers, and to know my texts in order to help ensure that my students are comprehending my content and classroom texts.

Before beginning to dive into our text, I plan to collaborate with  English teachers, literacy coaches, counselors and other staff members in the building to get to know the individual interests, strengths, and weaknesses of all of my students in terms of my content-area, and get to know their reading and writing abilities. Knowing which of my students read above, at, or below grade level will help me to plan for instruction and develope grouping strategies to best meet the learning needs of all of my students.

I also plan to carefully examine textbooks and supplemental  materials that my students will read throughout the course to determine what areas may be difficult for my students. Finding ways to guide my students through our texts will not only help to build comprehension in my discipline, but will also give students strategies that they can use in other classes to help them better understand their text books.

After identifying the needs of my students and the challenges of my text I will work on an instructional plan using the B-D-A instructional framework.

Before Reading - How can I help my students be successful and maximize the understanding of my content area?

• Plan activites that activate and build on prior knowledge
• Introduce essential questions, broader concepts, or real-world connections
• Identify a key purpose when assigning texts and share that purpose with my students
• Preview texts with my students

During Reading - How can I support my students when challenges arise?

• Use Read-Alouds to model fluent reading and share my thought process while making sense of the text
• Make thinking visible
• Mini lessons and activities such as rereading, retelling, and discussions about what students are reading

After Reading - How can I assess understanding?

• Graphic organizers
• Double Entry Journals
• Make connections to personal experiences
• Reteach as neccessary

Content-Area Reading Chapter 9: Writing across the Curriculum

I am firm believer that writing increases retention and facilitates a deeper learning experience for everyone. When studying for exams in college I found it impossible to retain any information unless I was writing it down as I was reading or listenng to lectures.
"It is one of the most effective ways for students to understand what they have read."(Vacca, 284)
Writing to Learn Activities can easily be incorporated into all disciplines and proves to enhance student learning. As I discussed in my reflection on chapter 5 of Content Area Reading, building on prior knowledge is essential in increasing comprehension of our texts. Several WTL activities are geared to do this. Our text tells us that connecting writing and reading during instruction will help to enhance students reading experiences.

Some examples of WTL activities that I plan to use in my future classroom are:

• Reading Journals
• Focused Summaries
• Response Papers
• Discussion Starters
• Entry/Exit Slips

WTL activites will not increase reading and comprehension in each discipline, but will aslo serve  to help teachers assess student understanding and needs on a day-to-day basis. This weeks readings leave me excited to incorporate reading and writing strategies in my instruction plannin for my future classrom!