Barbara Moss

Making a Case and a Place for Effective Content Area Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades

Today, as never before, content area literacy is gaining the attention of educators. Although it has always been emphasized at the secondary level, the need for content area literacy instruction at the elementary level is becoming more and more apparent. This article begins by providing background on the topic, demonstrating how interest in elementary content area literacy has increased over the past decade and the ways conceptions of content area literacy have changed over time. It identifies three critical reasons for including content area literacy in the elementary grades: Early exposure to exposition may facilitate development of nonnarrative reading and writing skills Informational texts may motivate some children to read more Informational texts may increase student facility with new knowledge domains It then describes five ways that teachers can make a place for content area instruction in their classrooms. They include (a) integrating literacy instruction with content area study, (b) providing students access to multiple text types and time to read them, (c) helping students become strategic readers and writers of informational texts, (d) involving students in inquiry-based experiences, and (e) developing professional expertise in teaching students about nonnarrative texts.

The Information Text Gap: The Mismatch between Non-Narrative Text Types in Basal Readers and 2009 NAEP Recommended Guidelines

The purpose of this study was to compare the text genres represented in two recent California-adopted basal readers (grades 1 through 6) with the guidelines for informational text types in the 2009 NAEP framework. Phase 1 of data collection involved the use of two measures to determine the presence of each text genre: number of pages and number of selections. The researchers assigned pages and selections to one of four categories: narrative, poetry, play, or nonfiction. The second phase of data collection involved classification of nonfiction selections according to one of four categories: literary nonfiction, or one of three types of informational text: expository, argumentation and persuasive, or procedural and documents. The researchers computed percentages of pages and selections devoted to each genre and each type of nonfiction across grade levels and series. Results overall indicated that 40% of pages/selections in both series were devoted to nonfiction text, and that 50% of nonfiction text selections were expository and 33% were literary nonfiction. The findings indicate that these basal readers expose students to more nonfiction text than in the past, but that the exposure to informational text is still less than recommended by the 2009 NAEP and limited mainly to exposition.

Envisioning New Literacies Through a Lens of Teaching and Learning

What are new literacies and how do they mesh with core curriculum? Classroom teachers who find their students’ interests and bases of knowledge about new technologies expanding exponentially often ask this question. While broadening the definition of new literacies beyond internet literacy this article explores the history of new literacies and offers an answer to the question of how to blend new literacies while not losing the focus of the core curriculum. An example of how one teacher remixed new literacies, core curriculum, and intentional instruction to support critical literacy is shared to illustrate the reality and possible process of weaving new and existing literacy instruction.

Nonfiction in the Classroom Library: A Literacy Necessity.

“C assroom libraries are a literacy necessity; they are integral to successful teaching and learning and must become a-top priority if our students are to become thriving, engaged readers” (Routman, 2003, p. 64). As Routman notes, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of classroom libraries. Studies of early readers and interviews with avid readers have found that children who love to read almost always have access to books at home. Since many students today do not have that access, it is paramount that all children be provided with books in the classroom (Fractor, Woodruff, Martinez, & Teale, 1993). Classroom libraries provide students with immediate access to books; they can provide teachers with the opportunity to put the right book in a student‘s hands at a moment’s notice. Students who have ready access to books in their classrooms have better attitudes about reading, reading achievement, and comprehension than their peers with less access to books in the classroom. Moreover, students are likely to spend more time reading when they are in classrooms with adequate classroom libraries (Allington & Cunningham, 1996; Krashen, 1998; Routman, 2003). For example, Morrow (2003) and Neuman (1999) note that students read 50-60 percent more in classrooms with libraries than in classrooms without them. This increase in voluntary reading can contribute to gains in reading achievement. In a study of 32 schools in Maryland, for example, Guthrie, Schafer, Von Secker, and Alban (2000) found that an abundance of trade books in the classroom predicted gains on statewide reading, writing, and science tests. According to Krashen (2004), more books in the classroom leads to more voluntary reading, which, in turn, results in higher achievement. This increased volume of voluntary reading is critical because students who score well on standardized reading tests read far more outside of school than students who perform poorly on such tests (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988).

Preparing students for college‐level reading and writing: Implementing a rhetoric and writing class in the senior year

Abstract This study investigated the instructional practices of three high school teachers perceived as successful in implementing a new rhetoric and writing course in an ethnically diverse high school district in the Southwest United States. Using qualitative research methods over a three‐month period, researchers examined teacher practices related to the yearlong course, teachers’ perceptions of the successes and challenges in applying the curriculum, and the impact of the curriculum on teachers and students. Through an analysis of field notes, structured interviews, a pilot survey, and course‐related documents, researchers found that the class provided important bridging opportunities aimed at preparing students for college‐level reading and writing. The curriculum also emphasized direct, explicit instruction, which several scholars contend benefits linguistically and culturally diverse students. In addition, course creators offered weekly staff‐development sessions that supported teachers in implementing the new curriculum. Areas of challenge that emerged included the course pacing, reading selections, and the focus on writing and revising.

Students' Close Reading of Science Texts

A question being asked by teachers across the country is, How can I teach students to acquire both the skills and knowledge demanded by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) while simultaneously guiding them to read challenging texts such as those presented in Appendix B of the CCSS? Answering this invites the integration of ideas and the innovation of novel instructional plans. Illustrating close reading procedures in two classrooms- one 1st grade and one 5th grade- this article provides an answer by detailing the manner in which a student might approach a challenging science text using annotated reading, partner talk, text-based questioning and reflective writing to build competence and a capacity for reading, writing, listening, and speaking about informational texts.