Teaching reading is an integral part of all content areas. Therefore, every teacher must be a reading teacher. The concern is why is reading so important in the content areas. Firstly, content area teachers affirm that students do not have the skills to read and comprehend text. As such, teachers need to be skilled in content - based reading strategies. Secondly, skills needed depend on the content and text.Undoubtedly, content teachers are best qualified to help students comprehend the material presented by developing prior knowledge on the topic. Thirdly, teachers must provide opportunities for students so that they will be better prepared to meet identified standards in all areas. In addition, background knowledge provide an essential link between what students understand and what they read.
Teachers need to acquaint themselves with techniques and strategies in teaching reading so as to be more competent in their respective content area. These strategies include:
-Reading Instruction
-Respond to Reading
- Develop Vocabulary
- Questions-Answers - Relationships
- Use a Reader's checklist
- Think Aloud
- Anticipation Guide
-SQ3R- Survey, Question, Recite and Review
- K-W-L strategy
- Expository Text Structure and
- Develop Prior Knowledge
Also, from my readings when students engage in experiences that invite reading, writing, speaking and listening to be used in concert, they gain a sense of the wholeness of English.They cease to think of these language processes as discrete and so they develop 'a sense of community" as they talk together, share perceptions from their reading and respond to each others written drafts and most importantly they grow toward full language maturity.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are often reminded that every teacher, is a teacher of reading. Some may not agree, but from the points you outlined, one can clearly see why content area teachers must also be reading teachers. Reading, as we know is not just the ability to decode words, but more importantly the comprehension of what is being read. Over 70% over content words have more than one meaning, therefore it is important that each content area teacher, go through the vocabulary for the various disciplines since a word may have different meanings in the different disciplines.
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