This Is Disciplinary Literacy
Reading, Writing, Thinking, and Doing . . . Content Area by Content Area
- ReLeah Cossett Lent - ReLeah Lent Educational Consulting
Foreword by Carol Ann Tomlinson
Corwin Literacy
Content Literacy (K-12) | English/Language Arts (Middle/High School) | Literacy/ELA Leadership
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
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Free resources
Deeper Learning & Disciplinary Literacy Chart
Post this chart from This Is Disciplinary Literacy to help you remember and make the connection between deeper learning and disciplinary literacy daily. (Secondary)
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
I feel it covers all that needs to be addressed to prepare my students to be great science teachers.
HEOA Compliance
Available formats
| ISBN: 9781506326955 | Electronic Version | Suggested Retail Price: $26.95 | Bookstore Price: $21.56 |
| ISBN: 9781506306698 | Paperback | Suggested Retail Price: $26.95 | Bookstore Price: $21.56 |
Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email sageheoa@sagepub.com. Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 1_Literacy Within The Disciplines
Chapter 3_Writing Within The Disciplines