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Content Area Reading

​Literacy skills are an important part of every academic discipline. However, each discipline relies on different types of texts, writing styles, and language to convey ideas and learning. Disciplinary Literacy is the use of discipline-specific practices to access, apply, and communicate content knowledge.

The Essentials

• Why Text Complexity Matters: Dr. Timothy Shanahan

Research/Guidance

• ​What is Disciplinary Literacy - Video 
• Disciplinary Literacy - Video by Cynthia Shanahan
• ​Teaching Reading and Writing in the Content Area: Article from AdLit
• ​Hot Topics in Content-Area Literacy

Websites​ and Tools

• Reading in the History Classroom - Teaching History Website
• Adolescent Literacy Toolkit - CCSSO  (Math, Science, Social Science Lessons)
• Text Sets for the Classroom - The Reading and Writing Project​
• Text Resources for Social Sciences - New York State
• ​Six Minutes: How to analyze a speech
  

Strategies

• ISBE Reading and Formative Assessment Strategy Guides: Select Grade Level:

         6th   7th   8th   9th-10th  11th-12th

• ISBE Writing Strategy Guide in the Content Area Classroom: 

         6th-12th 

• ISBE Speaking and Listening Strategy Guides:  Select Grade Level:

          6th    7th   8th   9th-10th    11th-12th ​

• Engaging Students with Primary Sources - Smithsonian National Museum of American History
• ​Reading Strategies for the Social Studies Classroom - Reading Quest
• Classroom Strategies from AdLit
• ​Content Area Strategy Guide - ReadWriteThink