Current in-school presentations:

• Exploring teachers’ self-efficacy in enacting literacy practices in content area classrooms 

This study sought to build a more comprehensive picture of literacy instruction related to teachers’ self-efficacy in embedding literacy within their disciplines. Findings of the authors’ survey indicate higher teacher efficacy in some areas of literacy instruction dependent on certain variables and a need for a greater understanding of educational complexities and pedagogical dynamics that occur in content area classrooms.

• Exploring how teachers’ self-efficacy in enacting literacy practices in content area classrooms impacts teacher educators’ professional learning opportunities. 

This session shared the results and implications of a study conducted to determine the degree to which teachers feel they are efficacious in embedding adolescent literacy constructs within their disciplines.

• Disciplinary literacy: What is it? 

Disciplinary literacy (DL) prompts teachers to see literacy as a set of tools, strategies, and practices specific to a discipline’s reading, writing, processing, comprehension, communication, and production. In this session, we examined asset-based DL in social studies, English language arts, mathematics, science, physical education, and the visual/performing arts, including examples of lessons, materials, practices, and texts.

• Disciplinary Literacy by Discipline 

Disciplinary literacy (DL) prompts teachers to see literacy as a set of tools, strategies, and practices specific to a discipline’s reading, writing, processing, comprehension, communication, and production. In this session, we examined asset-based DL in social studies, English language arts, mathematics, science, physical education, and the visual/performing arts, including examples of lessons, materials, practices, and texts.

• Using Content-area and Disciplinary Literacy Practices to Build Procedural Fluency 

This presentation was an opportunity for teachers to review the basics of content-area literacy and disciplinary literacy practices. Presenters bridged the gap between CAL and DL with an emphasis on procedural fluency. How do CAL and DL differ in math? How can teachers seamlessly segue from one to the other to maximize learning? Is DL strictly for the academically advanced? Participants learned and then discussed various ways they have explored what disciplinary literacy entails in their mathematics classroom for students to engage in doing mathematics like experts in the field of mathematics. The LiD 6-12 board members lead the group in sharing strategies and practices that encourage teachers to teach toward the highest level of learning – disciplinary literacy. 

• Determining how teachers’ self-efficacy and dispositions impact literacy instruction in content area classrooms

This study sought to build a more comprehensive picture of literacy instruction related to teachers’ self-efficacy in embedding literacy within their disciplines. The authors surveyed interdisciplinary middle and high school teachers across their state, with findings indicating higher teacher efficacy in some areas of literacy instruction dependent on certain variables. Still, overall there was a need for a greater understanding of educational complexities and pedagogical dynamics that occur in content area classrooms.

• Content Area Literacy Strategies for Your Classroom

Session 1: During this session, we shared before and during literacy strategies that teachers across all disciplines could use to support students’ understanding and engagement. We discussed the purpose and then hands-on application practice for each strategy.

Session 2: The session continued with during and after literacy strategies that teachers across all disciplines could use to support students’ understanding and engagement. We discussed the purpose and then hands-on application practice for each strategy.

• Systems and structures needed to implement and grow disciplinary literacy work: A look at research and practice at the state and local levels

Research has found that instruction focused on content-area and disciplinary literacy can support students to develop a wide repertoire of literacy practices and strategies, and enrich conceptual learning in the disciplines. This symposium was devoted to understanding teachers’ professional learning about content-area and disciplinary literacy. Conducted in very different regions across the United States, the symposium allowed participants a broad view of state and local-level supports for teachers’ learning about content-area and disciplinary literacy.    

• “But I don’t teach reading”: Supporting content area and disciplinary literacy in middle and high schools

Content-area and disciplinary literacy have become buzzwords in secondary schools across the United States. But what do they mean? How does literacy extend past traditional forms of reading and writing? And how can professional development in these areas be designed to incorporate all teachers’ voices? In this presentation, we discussed the need, purpose, and creation of a statewide survey designed to address these questions.

• LiD 6-12: Understanding teachers’ needs with respect to literacy in the disciplines

Increasingly, in South Carolina and across the nation, teachers are being asked to support literacy across the curriculum using content area and disciplinary literacy strategies. But how are those ideas related to one another, and what does that mean for South Carolina educators? In this session, we provided an overview of who we are as an organization, as well as our purpose and goals related to supporting middle and high school educators throughout our state. We discussed our motivation for creating and sending a statewide survey that asks educators their perceptions related to literacy within their classrooms. In addition, we will provide background on content area reading and writing and disciplinary literacy: discussing what each means, providing examples, and showing how these ideas can support instruction across the curriculum in middle and high schools. Finally, we provided space for discussion and questions related to both.

• Supporting content area and disciplinary literacy in South Carolina middle and high schools 

In this session, attendees will become acquainted with a group of educators who have coalesced around issues of content area and disciplinary literacy in South Carolina middle and high schools.  We will begin by introducing who we are and our purpose in establishing an organization to examine disciplinary literacy practices.  Next, we will share the design, validation process, and initial results of a survey distributed to all teachers across the state to determine their knowledge and efficacy in this area.  We will finish by providing next steps in our process and discussion of possible implications for the results

For more information on our presentations or to schedule an in-school session, email us at hello@literacy6-12.org.