Literacy extends beyond English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms—it’s essential in every subject, from science to history, math, and the arts. Disciplinary literacy focuses on equipping students to read, write, and think like experts in each field. By integrating discipline-specific literacy strategies, we enhance student learning across all subjects. To support this, we can leverage Diane Sweeney’s Student-Centered Coaching Model, which shifts the focus from simply delivering content to achieving specific student outcomes.
But how can instructional coaches effectively guide teachers in incorporating disciplinary literacy strategies? By blending Student-Centered Coaching with co-planning, co-teaching, and insights from experts like Jim Knight and Elena Aguilar, we can create a powerful framework for elevating literacy instruction across disciplines.
What is Disciplinary Literacy?
Stephen Sawchuk in Education Week (2024) suggests that the concept of disciplinary literacy extends beyond simply reading and understanding the vocabulary associated with each content area. Implementing disciplinary literacy practices equips students with the skills needed to navigate and interpret the texts and concepts unique to each academic discipline. In an interview with Sawchuk, Tim Shanahan described disciplinary literacy as “the recognition that each field has a different body of text and different types of text that readers have to read, and that readers really have to have a different stance,” highlighting the need for specialized approaches to literacy. This goes beyond general reading comprehension; it’s about empowering students to approach science like scientists, history like historians, math like mathematicians, and art like artists. Each discipline has its own language, ways of thinking, and methods for analyzing and communicating ideas.
For example, scientists prioritize precision and evidence, historians emphasize sourcing and perspective, mathematicians focus on logical reasoning, and artists explore symbolism and creative interpretation. In ELA, students dive into analyzing themes, character development, and literary devices.
To effectively implement disciplinary literacy, educators must adopt approaches that prioritize student learning and mastery of discipline-specific skills. This is where good instructional coaching models become invaluable in driving meaningful progress.
Using Student-Centered Coaching to Drive Disciplinary Literacy
Diane Sweeney’s Student-Centered Coaching Model focuses on student learning rather than teacher performance. In this model, coaching centers on student work, using it to inform and guide the instruction provided by the teacher. It emphasizes setting student-centered goals, utilizing data to drive instruction, and measuring progress based on student outcomes. When applying this approach to disciplinary literacy, the question shifts from “What strategies can we teach?” to “How can we ensure students master the literacy skills specific to each discipline?”
To make this model actionable, we can draw on the coaching stances, dispositions, and stems from Jim Knight and Elena Aguilar to guide our work. This approach allows us to blend these frameworks in a way that supports teachers in integrating disciplinary literacy across content areas. This link provides steps for Instructional Coaches to co-plan and co-teach with student-centered disciplinary literacy goals and various coaching approaches and dispositions in mind. This link provides possible Disciplinary Literacy coaching questions organized by discipline.
In his interview with Sawchuk, Tim Shanahan shared his experience co-teaching with a laboratory science teacher, highlighting the overwhelmingly positive response from students. To create similar positive learning moments, let us now explore specific examples of how disciplinary literacy can be applied across different content areas to enhance student learning through the Student-Centered Coaching Model.
Disciplinary Literacy Lessons Across Content Areas
1. English Language Arts (ELA): Analyzing Themes and Literary Devices
Student-Centered Goal Example: “Students will analyze how authors use literary devices to develop themes.”
Lesson Idea: Use Ray Bradbury’s The Pedestrian to explore symbolism. Co-plan a close reading where students annotate for the various literary devices and discuss their impact on the theme of isolation.
Coaching Tip: Co-teach by modeling a think-aloud on identifying literary devices, then observe students as they practice the skill. Co-teach by modeling a think-aloud on word choice and its impact on theme then observe students as they practice using the assigned text.
2. History: Evaluating Primary Sources
Student-Centered Goal Example: “Students will analyze primary sources for bias and perspective.”
Lesson Idea: During a unit on the American Revolution, co-plan a lesson where students compare the Declaration of Independence with Loyalist responses.
Coaching Tip: Use a “One Teach, One Coach” approach. While the teacher leads a primary source analysis, the coach observes how students identify bias while progressing toward the learning target.
3. Science: Reading Technical Texts
Student-Centered Goal Example: “Students will extract key information from scientific articles.”
Lesson Idea: Co-plan a jigsaw activity where students read and summarize sections of a text on ecosystems, becoming “experts” on different parts. The students will then use a Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning graphic organizer to show their understanding of ecosystems.
Coaching Tip: Team-teach to model strategies for decoding complex vocabulary and text features and model how to write high-quality, scientific claims.
4. Math: Using Academic Vocabulary
Student-Centered Goal Example: “Students will use precise mathematical language in their explanations.”
Lesson Idea: Co-plan a lesson where students write about their problem-solving process using specific vocabulary.
Coaching Tip: Model how to incorporate academic language in explanations, then provide feedback as students practice.
Final Thoughts
By centering our coaching on the Student-Centered Coaching Model and incorporating insights from Jim Knight and Elena Aguilar, we can create a collaborative and empowering approach to disciplinary literacy. Knight (2019) emphasizes that, while collaborating with a coach, teachers should maintain significant autonomy over their learning. This allows teachers to engage meaningfully with their curricular goals. Additionally, Aguilar (2016) asserts that coaches should prioritize listening and allow teachers to drive the conversation. Through co-planning, co-teaching, and focusing on student outcomes, we ensure that literacy skills are integrated across disciplines, fostering deeper learning and student success.
Let’s continue to unlock the power of literacy across all classrooms—one co-planned lesson at a time. Happy coaching! If you would like to see a sample coaching cycle rooted in disciplinary literacy, click here. If you would like to see ways coaches can reflect on coaching practices that best support teachers in “making it stick,” read this blog.
Sources
Aguilar, E. (2016, September 27). 20 tips for new instructional coaches. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-new-instructional-coaches-elena-aguilar
Education Week. (2024, October). What is disciplinary literacy? Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-disciplinary-literacy/2024/10
Harris, Leanna. “How to Make Sure Coaching Sticks.” Student-Centered Coaching, 19 Nov. 2024, www.dianesweeney.com/how-to-make-sure-coaching-sticks/.
Knight, J. (2019, November 1). Why teacher autonomy is central to coaching success. Volume 77, Issue 3. Retrieved from https://ascd.org/el/articles/why-teacher-autonomy-is-central-to-coaching-success
Sweeney, D. (2011). Student Centered Coaching: A Guide for K-8 Coaches and Principals. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press
About the Authors
Dr. Wanda Littlejohn has 24 years of experience in the field of education. Currently, she is an Instructional Specialist at Carolina High School where she provides ongoing support and professional development for teachers.
Dr. Fran Rogers is an experienced educator in Greenville, SC with a diverse middle and high school background. She has served in various instructional positions at the school and district levels, including classroom teacher, instructional coach, and Secondary Academic Instructional Specialist.
