Teaching across the content areas takes into consideration the differences between individual learners. Teachers need to acknowledge that learners are different and hence do not learn at the same pace. Most teachers move very fast “from concrete to abstract ways of thinking” (Lemon, 2004, p.3). Consequently, learners just memorize formulas, algorithms, or concepts without understanding the fundamental principles therein. This paper will look at reading content area material and reading literature. In addition, it will look at how to select learning materials for reading content area material and literature.
Reading in content areas involves students reading content in, areas such as social studies, science, history, and so on. Students should read and understand expository texts. The texts not only contain factual information but the information is conveyed through the use of technical multisyllabic words. The texts are also structured in a way that they rely on compare or contrast, cause and effect or sequencing (Reading, 2008, para. 1).
Teachers should identify the reading ability of their learners so that they can help them improve in reading to enable them to learn from the readings they use in class. One strategy that helps students in content reading is to give them instructions in reading content in classrooms. This involves three steps that help learners to comprehend the texts they encounter. The first step is called before reading. This is because learners have prior knowledge and using it, they can establish a purpose for reading a given text. Teachers allow the learners to brainstorm, predict, preview headings, skim and identify crucial vocabulary. For instance, if a student visited a rain forest before reading on forests it would be easy because the student will be familiar with some of the vocabulary. Step two- during reading where a student measures their comprehension of the text by building connections of what they are reading and what they already know. Strategies employed in this step include rereading, answering questions, infer by reading between notes or lines, support predictions made before reading and summarizing main ideas in the text. Step three – after reading where students are supposed to deepen their understanding of the text by building connections between prior knowledge and the new information they get from texts. Strategies employed in this step are reread, summarize, question, synthesize, reflect and confirm predictions.
The other strategy that teachers can use in reading content is the KWL chart. Students are asked to write down what they know about the topic they are about to read. They also write down what they expect to learn from the topic and after reading the text, they note down what they have learned about the topic.
Reading literature is very important because it allows learners to examine the thought and actions of characters in texts. Teachers should help their learners grasp the meaning conveyed in literary texts to make reading meaningful. The first strategy is to make learners aware of elements in fiction. The elements are characters, setting, plot, theme, style and conflict (Daischeis, 1948, p.24).
Learners should be taught how to make inferences by reading between the lines and getting the message of the author that is not explicit. Learners should also be told that they should not let their emotions cloud their judgment about the message in a text and must remain objective.
Selecting materials for reading is important because the type of text selected for students can help to either improve their reading or discourage them if it is too complicated for their level. In reading content area, expository texts should be selected. This is because some of them have structures such as problem –solution- such a text presents a conflict or problem and explains why it is a conflict and eventually a resolution to the problem. The text also describes and explains characters and this helps students to understand the text. In addition, the teacher should select texts that have topics that are of interest to the learners and relevant. The teacher needs to establish what the students know about the topic and what they may want to know. The students should be given questions that challenge them and arouse their curiosity.
Teachers normally use narrative texts and little is done about expository texts. Learners do not know much about expository learning and this becomes problematic when they are required to read expository texts outside literature classes. They should be encouraged to read expository texts and shown how to read charts, graphics, diagrams, tables, photographs and so on. These devices are used in textbooks. Therefore, when they understand the structures of the books they can extract meaning from the reading materials.
In literate, a teacher should select narrative texts. These have a structure that focuses on story grammar. The story has characters, settings, plots, themes, conflicts, and resolutions. When students get such texts, they can read and identify the struggles the characters face as well as solutions to the conflicts. This helps learners to improve their thinking and problem-solving skills. Thus, teachers need to teach students about the devices employed in the literature.
To sum up teachers ought to teach students how to read expository texts by giving them the necessary instructions. They should be helped to identify structures used in expository texts and incorporate such structures in their writing styles. They should be able to identify discourse markers in texts so that they can understand the sequences as well as comparisons in text. Only when students learn how to read can learn from reading.
Reference List
Daisches, D. (1948). A Study of Literature for Reading and Critics. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press.
Lemon, D. (2004). Strategies for Teaching Reading across the Content Areas. Web.
Reading (2008). Literacy Matters. Web.