Content Area Literacy Instruction Research Articles

“School” Reading and Multiple Texts: Examining the Metacognitive Development of Secondary‐Level Preservice Teachers

This practitioner‐research study investigated the reading behaviors of preservice teachers from diverse content disciplines as they engaged in reading multiple texts pertaining to a historical topic. Through participant‐observer field notes, reader response journals, reflective essays, and participant debriefing, the authors examined the metacognitive awareness of students enrolled in a content area literacy course for preservice, secondary‐level teachers.Results indicated that prospective teachers relied predominantly on a limited number of metacognitive strategies and engaged in reading behavior ranging from skimming and incomplete reading practices to not reading at all. This trend of engaging in less proficient or “pseudo‐reading” strategies points to similarities in the reading behaviors and identities of these preservice teachers and of struggling readers described in many pedagogical theories surrounding content area literacy instruction. This study offers an explanation for the resistance secondary preservice teachers often exhibit toward content area literacy methods.

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

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.

Looking for Critical Literacy With Postbaccalaureate Content Area Literacy Students

Finding practical applications for critical literacy in preservice teacher education coursework is a challenging pursuit for educators. In this study, the author investigates the possibilities of drawing on critical literacy theories within the context of a content area literacy class designed for secondary level postbaccalaureate students. Through an examination of intersections of critical literacy and content area literacy instruction, this study considers student exchange as an important factor in implementing critical literacy pedagogy. With a series of classroom vignettes, the author examines the extent to which preservice students develop their own sense of critical literacy as they engage in discussions about educational equity while experiencing content area literacy theories and strategies. Data for the study were gathered through qualitative research methods conducted from a teacher‐researcher stance. Data sources include field notes, a reflective journal, collection of student questions, and artifacts of student work. Implications include the importance of fostering preservice teachers' commitment to the roles of agency and advocacy in working with their future students.

The (In)Effectiveness of Content Area Literacy Instruction for Secondary Preservice Teachers

(1998). The (In)Effectiveness of Content Area Literacy Instruction for Secondary Preservice Teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas: Vol. 71, No. 6, pp. 372-374.

Content area literacy instruction: Viewpoints of elementary teachers and literacy professors

Abstract Fifth‐grade teachers' views of teaching a content area literacy lesson were compared with those of literacy professors. The comparison focused on three instructional elements—the roles of the teacher, the learner, and the text. Fifteen teachers and four professors participated in an open‐ended interview in which they described how they would teach a social studies lesson. Summaries of participants' responses were constructed and clustered by similarity of viewpoint regarding the role of the text and the roles of the teacher/learner. The majority of the teachers reported following the text closely and described strategies that allowed them to take a dominant role as the transmitter of knowledge. In contrast, the professors were not constrained by the text and emphasized a constructivist view of learning. Conclusions focus on the implications of this divisiveness and ways to end it as professors and teachers work in collaborative relationships.