Making a Case and a Place for Effective Content Area Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades

Abstract

Today, as never before, content area literacy is gaining the attention of educators. Although it has always been emphasized at the secondary level, the need for content area literacy instruction at the elementary level is becoming more and more apparent. This article begins by providing background on the topic, demonstrating how interest in elementary content area literacy has increased over the past decade and the ways conceptions of content area literacy have changed over time. It identifies three critical reasons for including content area literacy in the elementary grades: Early exposure to exposition may facilitate development of nonnarrative reading and writing skills Informational texts may motivate some children to read more Informational texts may increase student facility with new knowledge domains It then describes five ways that teachers can make a place for content area instruction in their classrooms. They include (a) integrating literacy instruction with content area study, (b) providing students access to multiple text types and time to read them, (c) helping students become strategic readers and writers of informational texts, (d) involving students in inquiry-based experiences, and (e) developing professional expertise in teaching students about nonnarrative texts.