Teaching Discipline-Specific Literacies (Zygouris-Coe, 2015)

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How can teachers help?

Disciplinary Literacy

Engage in Scientific Argumentation Help students practice making claims, using evidence, and reasoning through scientific problems to mirror the way scientists write and communicate.

Teach Text Structure Scientific papers and textbooks are often organized differently than literature or history texts, so explicitly teaching students how to navigate these structures (e.g., understanding how a research article is broken into abstract, methods, results, discussion) can make reading easier.

Model Scientific Thinking Encourage students to read and think like scientists by interpreting graphs, analyzing data, and evaluating hypotheses.

Content Area Literacy

Annotating Texts Encouraging students to highlight or summarize key points in scientific texts can improve comprehension.

Graphic Organizers Tools like concept maps, Venn diagrams, or charts can help students visualize relationships between abstract scientific concepts.

Pre-teach vocabulary Introducing key terms before reading helps students focus on meaning rather than being overwhelmed by unfamiliar words.

Similarities between content area literacy and disciplinary literacy

Focus on Reading and Writing Whether students are summarizing a science article (content area) or writing a lab report (disciplinary), they must be able to organize information and communicate clearly.

Use of Reading and Comprehension Strategies Both approaches incorporate general reading strategies like predicting, asking questions, and making connections. Both approaches also teach comprehension strategies, such as summarizing, questioning, and making inferences, to help students understand complex texts.

Application of Critical Thinking Students are taught to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from texts, whether they are reading a scientific paper or a literary work. Disciplinary literacy may focus more on how evidence is interpreted and presented in the context.

Supporting Argumentation and Evidence Use Both approaches teach students how to gather evidence from texts and use it to support their claims.

Engagement with Text Structures Both approaches encourage students to engage with the structures of academic texts, such as headings, charts, graphs, and other features that convey information.

Vocabulary Development Both approaches focus on teaching students how to understand and use subject-specific vocabulary. Content area literacy uses general approaches to learning new terms, while disciplinary literacy goes deeper into how vocabulary is used within the discipline.

Classroom Management for Equity (Milner et al., 2018)

Culturally responsive classroom management

Punishment Referral Patterns Students of color are disproportionately referred for punishment for behaviors that are often subjectively interpreted, such as defiance or disrespect. These referrals often arise from cultural misunderstandings between teachers and students. Traditional punishment, such as suspension or expulsion, removes students from the learning environment, which disrupts their education and reinforces negative behavioral cycles.

Restorative Practices Aim to repair relationships and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. Engage students in discussions about their behavior and how it impacts others, fostering reflection and accountability.

Building relationships Building strong, respectful relationships with students by valuing their cultural identities and engaging with them as individuals. This involves understanding their social and emotional needs and how their culture may influence their interactions and learning preferences.

Empowerment Students feel empowered because they see their culture reflected in the classroom, promoting a sense of belonging and self-worth. This fosters greater student engagement and motivation.

Trust and Respect Students feel seen and respected, which strengthens their connection to the teacher and the learning environment.

Cultural awareness Teachers must recognize their own cultural biases and understand how these may affect their perceptions of student behavior.

Incorporating Students' Culture Using students' cultural knowledge, perspectives, and values as a basis for structuring the classroom environment, rules, and interactions.

Teaching Discipline-Specific Literacies (Zygouris-Coe, 2015)

Disciplinary Literacy Learning how to read, write, and think like experts within a specific field.

Evaluating evidence Scientific texts often include evidence-based arguments, requiring students to assess the quality and relevance of the data. This ensures the validity and reliability of scientific claims, allowing scientists to build accurate explanations based on empirical data, rather than personal opinions or biases.

Interpreting data Students need to understand how to read and analyze data, such as graphs, charts, and tables. This is how scientists/researchers extract meaningful information from their experiments, test hypotheses, draw valid conclusions, and ultimately advance scientific understanding by identifying patterns, relationships, and trends within the collected data. Data also serves as evidence to support or refute scientific claims.

Comprehending scientific text structure Scientific texts are structured in a specific way (e.g. Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion), so students must learn to navigate the text in order to understand its purpose.

Understanding scientific vocabulary This allows students to accurately comprehend and communicate scientific concepts, enabling them to engage with scientific information, discuss findings, and participate in scientific discourse effectively.

Where do students struggle most in science?

Practical Application

Complex Reading Materials

Mathematical Integration

Technical Vocabulary

Abstract Concepts

Content Area Literacy Refers to general reading and writing skills used across all subjects to acquire knowledge.

Navigating and Interpreting Text Features Interpreting diagrams, charts, and tables alongside text.

Inferencing Drawing conclusions or making interpretations based on information in the text.

Note-taking Recording key information for review and deeper understanding.

Comparing and Contrasting Identifying similarities and differences between concepts, processes, or data.

Text Annotation Marking the text with notes, questions, and comments to improve understanding.

Paraphrasing Rewriting the information from the text in one’s own words to clarify understanding.

Critical Reading and Thinking Analyzing and evaluating the reliability and validity of the information.

Summarizing Condensing the main ideas and important details from a text.

Questioning the Text Asking and answering questions to deepen understanding.

Reading Comprehension Strategies Summarizing key points after reading a passage. Paraphrasing complex information in simpler terms. Identifying the main idea and supporting details. Making connections to prior knowledge.

Vocabulary Development Vocabulary acquisition helps students understand specialized terms that are key to grasping scientific concepts.