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...and skills!! how do we build skills alongside content area comprehension at the secondary level?

I think this is a critical question. With only so much time in a day, it comes down to what is more important, the skill of reading well or the content of any general class. We can't always do both effectively.

Sally, you are very right. Student achievement may even hinge on this topic of academic skill v. content knowledge. It is true that our time is precious and we have to balance so much in order to provide effective instruction. When you say; "We can't always do both effectively." I think there are many of us who truly see it this way. However, I'd like to challenge us to look at it from a different angle. Why do we have to choose which part of learning is more important? Aren't both areas of knowledge necessary for success? What if we change the "We can't..." to "How can we...?" How can we use peer buddy/mentoring systems? How can we integrate curriculum with skill development strategies? How can we use small group instruction to support skill development with flexible grouping? How can we use current technology to enhance integrating skills and content? How can we model acceptance and shared responsibility for others skill needs/deficits? How can we facilitate the planning required to address the skills needed? How can we ensure that these skills are generalized across the students academic and social environments? It seems to, again, come back to access. Are the students able to access the content? If not, do they have the skills to- ie. whats getting in the way?.......