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This Is Disciplinary Literacy
Foreword by Carol Ann Tomlinson
This Is Disciplinary Literacy helps content area teachers put into action the key literacies of their specialties—taking students from superficial understanding to deep content expertise.
- Grade Level: PreK-12
- ISBN: 9781506306698
- Published By: Corwin
- Series: Corwin Literacy
- Year: 2015
- Page Count: 232
- Publication date: September 21, 2015
Price: $30.95
Description
Disciplinary Literacy is about to go from theory to game plan—taking students from superficial understanding to deep content expertise. And guess what? ReLeah Lent’s big secret lies in highlighting each content area’s differences—advancing a discipline-specific model in which literacy is used as a tool for strategic thinking, reading, writing, and doing within each field.
That’s right—no more reading strategies used uniformly across the curriculum. Instead, This Is Disciplinary Literacy helps content-area teachers put into action the key literacies of their specialties. Teaching science? Students must evaluate evidence and question as they read. History? Comparing and contrasting sources and interpreting the import of events are key. Writing in Math? Accuracy is favored over elaboration and craft. Reading fiction in ELA? Synthesizing and attuning to voice and figurative language reign supreme. Students fully own knowledge because your instruction zeroes in on the academic habits that matter most.
Content area by content area, ReLeah shows how to immediately incorporate these literacies into lessons, units, and project-based learning. Inside you’ll find:
- “Spotlights” on all major disciplines that highlight how implementation looks in real classrooms
- Extend and Adapt sections with ideas for augmenting activities for students who need different challenges or support, tips for companion activities, and digital sources for short texts and video
- Q&A sections bringing both reassurance and get-it-done advice
- New ways to re-boot essential research-based practices that work in any field—reading, writing, inquiry, and collaboration
- Free companion website featuring a complete PD workshop with PowerPoint slides for ready-to-go professional learning
And best of all, students not only engage in the genuine intellectual challenges of the disciplines—they are eager to do so! This Is Disciplinary Literacy gives students entrance to the global communities of practice, and provides schools, districts, and teachers with a proven approach that makes college-and-career-readiness a reality.
Featured Book:
Common Core CPR
Key features
- Common questions and answers (FAQs) regarding each chapter topic
- Mixed into every chapter are “Spotlight on______” , a feature that takes readers inside science, math, social studies, history and ELA classes to see the practices in action.
- Sample activities related to the topic of each chapter. Each activity includes the following sections.
- How it Works (including examples)
- Why it Works (research and reasoning behind activity)
- Extend and Adapt (other ways to use the resource or activity
Author(s)

ReLeah Cossett Lent
ReLeah Cossett Lent is an international consultant known for speaking, writing, and providing workshops on various topics ranging from literacy to leadership teams. She was previously a middle and high school English, Social Studies, and Journalism teacher before becoming a founding member of a state-wide literacy project at the University of Central Florida. There, she contributed to developing Florida's Reading Endorsement courses and coordinated literacy leadership teams statewide. Her most impactful work stems from multi-day residencies in schools, districts, and consortiums, where she has created numerous professional learning initiatives with positive results in student achievement and teacher leadership. An advocate for student ownership and active learning, ReLeah emphasizes powerful collective efficacy as teacher teams engage in problem solving. She has been recognized with several awards, including intellectual freedom awards from the National Council of Teachers of English and The American Library Association, the PEN First Amendment Award, and the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE) President's Award for her "significant contributions to the teachings of English in State of Florida."
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Carol Ann Tomlinson
Chapter 1. Literacy Within the Disciplines
The Problem With Reading Strategies
Unpacking Disciplinary Literacy
Deeper Learning and Disciplinary Literacy
Disciplinary Literacy and Standards
The Role of the Teacher
Disciplinary Reading, Writing, Inquiry, and Collaboration
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chapter 2. Reading Within the Disciplines
The Benefits of Reading Within the Disciplines
Shifts for Reading Within the Disciplines
Reading Within Science
Reading Within Math
Reading Within History and Social Studies
Reading Within ELA
Questions (and Answers) About Reading Within the Disciplines
How to Get Students Reading in Every Discipline Every Day
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chapter 3. Writing Within the Disciplines
Benefits of Writing Within the Disciplines
Shifts for Teaching Writing Within the Disciplines
Writing Within Science
Writing Within History and Social Studies
Writing Within Math
Writing Within ELA
Questions (and Answers) About Writing Within the Disciplines
How to Get Students Writing Within the Disciplines
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chapter 4. Inquiry Within the Disciplines
Inquiry and Disciplinary Literacy
Shifts for Implementing Inquiry Within the Disciplines
Inquiry Within Science
Inquiry Within History and Social Studies
Inquiry Within Math
Inquiry Within ELA
Questions (and Answers) About Inquiry Within the Disciplines
How to Get Students Inquiring Within the Disciplines
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chapter 5. Collaborative Learning
The Power of Collaboration
Collaborative Learning by Any Other Name
Vocabulary: The Tool of Disciplinary Talk
Shifts for Implementing Collaborative Learning Within the Disciplines
Collaboration Within Science
Collaboration Within Math
Collaboration Within History and Social Studies
Collaboration Within ELA
Questions (and Answers) About Collaboration Within the Disciplines
Activities for Collaborative Learning Within the Disciplines
Suggestions for Further Reading
Chapter 6. This Is Disciplinary Literacy
Enter: Food Lit
Literacy Alive
Campfire: Literacy and Food
A Student Perspective
Collaboration and Community
Class Meals: A Metaphor for Community
Service-Learning at Home
Cross-Culture Connections
An Administrative Perspective
Students as Learners, Students as Presenters
The Power of Disciplinary Literacy
References
Index
Reviews
"ReLeah Lent has developed a great framework for helping content area teachers think about their discipline-specific literacies. More important, she has equipped them with tools that allow them to use these literacies to forward content learning. From student-led discussions to reading infographics, This is Disciplinary Literacy brings today’s literacies into content classrooms."
NANCY FREY"ReLeah Lent has developed a great framework for helping content area teachers think about their discipline-specific literacies. More important, she has equipped them with tools that allow them to use these literacies to forward content learning. From student-led discussions to reading infographics, This is Disciplinary Literacy brings today’s literacies into content classrooms."
co-author of Rigorous Reading and Text Dependent Questions, Grades K-5 and 6-12
"Content area teachers will be delighted to find their concerns regarding disciplinary literacy finally addressed with discipline specific ways of integrating literacy that will to help all students deepen their content learning. Teachers who’ve struggled with how to integrate literacy into their discipline or who are looking for fresh ideas for increasing literacy in their content area will find classroom ready examples they will be able to use. What I like most about this book is the focus on literacy as a vehicle to enhance learning for all content areas."
JAYNE ELLSPERMANN"Content area teachers will be delighted to find their concerns regarding disciplinary literacy finally addressed with discipline specific ways of integrating literacy that will to help all students deepen their content learning. Teachers who’ve struggled with how to integrate literacy into their discipline or who are looking for fresh ideas for increasing literacy in their content area will find classroom ready examples they will be able to use. What I like most about this book is the focus on literacy as a vehicle to enhance learning for all content areas."
National Principal of the Year (2014)
"Acquiring skill in disciplinary literacy is essential for students to become college and career ready. This is Disciplinary Literacy is a contribution to teachers everywhere striving to meet the needs of their students. This book hits the right balance between rationale for disciplinary literacy and providing useful approaches to use in each content area instruction. The book will help teachers provide opportunities for deeper learning of content as well as a demonstration of rigorous reading, writing, thinking, and doing. Congratulations on a job well done by ReLeah Lent."
JUDITH IRVIN"Acquiring skill in disciplinary literacy is essential for students to become college and career ready. This is Disciplinary Literacy is a contribution to teachers everywhere striving to meet the needs of their students. This book hits the right balance between rationale for disciplinary literacy and providing useful approaches to use in each content area instruction. The book will help teachers provide opportunities for deeper learning of content as well as a demonstration of rigorous reading, writing, thinking, and doing. Congratulations on a job well done by ReLeah Lent."
Executive Director of the National Literacy Project
"This is Disciplinary Literacy is your go-to book for everything you need to know about this important topic. Lent expertly guides middle and high school teachers through an explanation of disciplinary literacy as well as how and why teaching and learning approaches differ in each content area. Overflowing with examples from diverse classrooms and practical suggestions that teachers will embrace, chapters dedicated to reading, writing, inquiry, and collaborative learning will deepen your understanding of what literacy means in your subject."
LAURA ROBB"This is Disciplinary Literacy is your go-to book for everything you need to know about this important topic. Lent expertly guides middle and high school teachers through an explanation of disciplinary literacy as well as how and why teaching and learning approaches differ in each content area. Overflowing with examples from diverse classrooms and practical suggestions that teachers will embrace, chapters dedicated to reading, writing, inquiry, and collaborative learning will deepen your understanding of what literacy means in your subject."
author of Vocabulary is Comprehension
Other Titles in: English/Language Arts (Middle/High School) | Content Literacy (K-12) | Literacy/ELA Leadership
For Instructors
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Related Resources
- Access to companion resources is available with the purchase of this book.
- Deeper Learning & Disciplinary Literacy Chart [Checklist or assessment]