1. 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.

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. DPI Disciplinary Literacy On-line Module (NC Education)
Introduction to CCSS Literacy in History/Social Studies; Science and Technical Subjects

8. Charlotte “Nadja” Trez
Contacts
Ivanna Mann Thrower
ESL/Title III Consultant
NC Department of Public Instruction
Charlotte “Nadja” Trez
ESL Website