Disciplinary Literacy

Abstract

This article argues that every teacher is not a teacher of literacy, but instead posits that teachers in content areas must adapt literacy strategies to the content being taught and to the context in which that teaching occurs. Examples of adaptations of a literacy strategy for use in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies are provided.

Reading and Engineering: Elementary Students’ Co-Application of Comprehension Strategies and Engineering Design Processes

“…Many scholars (e.g., Conley, 2008;Gillis, 2014;Moje, 2008) have criticized the content area literacy approach to reading instruction, which emphasizes modeling and practicing generic comprehension strategies such as predicting and inferring, because this type of instruction detracts from authentic disciplinary activity. In contrast to this assertion, we found that a content area literacy approach did not preclude authentic disciplinary activity such as engaging in engineering design processes.…”

“…Despite the pervasiveness of CSI, several scholars (e.g., Conley, 2008;Fang & Coatoam, 2013;Gillis, 2014;Moje, 2008) have critiqued this seeming ''one-size-fits-all'' approach to reading instruction, claiming that teachers should instead focus on the cognitive, communicative, and material practices that are specific to each discipline, rather than on generic comprehension strategies that can be applied across disciplines. In the discipline of engineering, a defining practice is design, which includes developing ''concepts for devices, systems, or processes'' that meet a set of criteria and constraints (Dym, Agogino, Eris, Frey, & Leifer, 2005).…”

Comprehension of narratives, non-fiction, and complex syntax as predictors of science achievement

“…Disciplinary literacy differs from 'content area reading,' which claims 'every teacher a teacher of reading' (Brozo et al, 2013;Gillis, 2014). Whereas content area reading aims to teach the application of generic reading strategies to specific content, disciplinary literacy focuses on reading practices that are specific to the discipline (Brozo et al, 2013;Gillis, 2014;Shanahan and Shanahan, 2012;Zygouris-Coe, 2012). For example, science emphasizes natural agents in causal relationships, whereas history focuses on the social agents of causation (Shanahan and Shanahan, 2012).…”

“…Claiming that all teachers teach reading tends to turn some content area teachers away from implementing literacy strategies that may benefit student learning (Brozo et al, 2013;Gillis, 2014;Shanahan and Shanahan, 2008). However, content area teachers often embrace the introduction of strategies that are specifically designed for learning the content of a given subject.…”

“…Disciplinary literacy builds on basic literacy, which includes fundamental reading skills that involve decoding and understanding high-frequency words, and intermediate literacy, which is comprised of general skills such as generic comprehension strategies and basic reading fluency (Shanahan and Shanahan, 2008). Disciplinary literacy differs from 'content area reading,' which claims 'every teacher a teacher of reading' (Brozo et al, 2013;Gillis, 2014). Whereas content area reading aims to teach the application of generic reading strategies to specific content, disciplinary literacy focuses on reading practices that are specific to the discipline (Brozo et al, 2013;Gillis, 2014;Shanahan and Shanahan, 2012;Zygouris-Coe, 2012).…”