English Language Development in the era of Common Core Spring RESA Session 2013 Pass out laminates slides to participant volunteers to be shared out on later in the presentation.

Disciplinary Literacy Content area teachers outside the ELA classroom emphasize literacy experiences in their planning and instruction. Students learn through domain-specific texts in science & social studies classrooms Rather than referring to the text, students are expected to learn from what they read in the text Points to Consider: Disciplinary literacy does not mean the content teacher is teaching students “how-to” read, but rather how to “read” in a subject specific manner Developing disciplinary literacy allows teachers to help students deepen their understanding of critical concepts as they engage with content specific texts in ways that mimic how a content person would gather information (i.e. how to think like a historian, or scientist, or mathematician)

Defining Disciplinary Literacy Disciplinary is anchored in the specifics of individual disciplines. Each discipline has its own unique knowledge and its own ways of inquiring, investigating, reasoning, representing, and forming driving questions in the field. What do historians consider when they read a text? How do scientists write a text to be understood by others in the field? How do artists or engineers or musicians read and write within their disciplines? Points to Consider: Each discipline (subject) contains language students need in order to become literate. Building students’ knowledge and understanding of critical language – beyond defining words allows them to begin growing in their knowledge and understanding of the discipline Being able to understand how a discipline operates (i.e. important rules, patterns, processes, etc.) provides learners with a level of understanding, which will enable them to attain competency in the discipline Once learners begin to understand the language of the discipline and how it operates, they can enhance their ability to take part in the activities that move towards proficiency and mastery

Why it Matters? Literacy is deeper than reading and writing Content areas require students to engage with multiple texts in varying ways The needs of diverse populations require expanded understandings of the scope of literacy Points to Consider: There are baseline literacy structures; however, there are ways of interacting with texts that may vary between disciplines Learners need to understand how domain-specific texts operate and what is necessary to access these texts in order to gain meaning Developing disciplinary literacy prepares learners to encounter a variety of texts using the appropriate skills to gain deep understanding

Why it Matters (cont.) There are multiple ways by which a person can be literate Different disciplines require different literacy actions

Content-Area Literacy Disciplinary Literacy Comparison of Content-area Literacy to Disciplinary Literacy (Shanahan, 2010) Content-Area Literacy Disciplinary Literacy Reading experts Wide range of experts Generalized skills Specialized, discipline specific skills Use of reading and writing to learning information Use of literacy skills to make meaning within a discipline Geared toward remedial students Geared toward all students Often encourages use of literary texts Focuses only on discipline-specific texts Graphics are ignored or taught generally Graphics are specific to the discipline

DPI Disciplinary Literacy On-line Module (NC Education) Introduction to CCSS Literacy in History/Social Studies; Science and Technical Subjects https://center.ncsu.edu/nc/enrol/index.php?id= 1551

Charlotte “Nadja” Trez Contacts Ivanna Mann Thrower ESL/Title III Consultant NC Department of Public Instruction 919-807-3860 ivanna.thrower@dpi.nc.gov Charlotte “Nadja” Trez 919-807-3861 nadja.trez@dpi.nc.gov ESL Website http://esl.ncwiseowl.org/