Disciplinary Literacy

Michael Manderino, Northern IL University

Text complexity

Tim Shanahan has written a lot about disciplinary literacy, and this blog post does a GREAT job explaining the difference between DL and Content Area Reading in a succinct manner.

Like this site because it shows reading and writing strategies for all teachers to use in any subject area

Study that asked university & college professors of entry-level classes if they found the CCSS applicable to their teaching work, and if so, to what extent. Social Studies DL info can be found on pp36-38 & pp42-45. Discussion starting on p94. p96: a large proportion of respondents along all course types found the Speaking and Listening strand to be applicable. Applicability ratings for non-literary reading & writing standards are very high, esp when ELA is combined with the literacy standards. "When asked if the standards as a whole are sufficiently challenging cognitively to prepare students for their classes, nearly 96% of respondents said they are, and at least some of those who responded "no" did so because they felt the standards are more challenging than they need to be, not insufficiently challenging. In responses to the question of whether the standards omit key knowledge and skills, nearly 84% responded no, they do not." CTE info on p98

Website that can help us find examples of best practices in DL.

Although this is geared towards social studies educators, there is a lot of general, research-based information.

Great foundational document for understanding Wisconsin's approach to adolescent and disciplinary literacy