Supporting MLs Through Disciplinary Literacy: A Practical Guide for Teachers

by Carrie Rieder

You’ve learned about disciplinary literacy and are convinced that this is the best path of success for your students. You’ve been to professional development, read books, found this blog…you are all in!

Or perhaps you are an administrator, embarking upon a school-wide plan to focus on disciplinary literacy. The first day of school arrives, and you greet students as they come through the door. As you smile and say hello, inwardly you realize that you might have forgotten about one not-so-small thing: several of your students are new to the country and have only just begun learning English.

Your anxiety increases when you have a conversation with your ESOL teacher and she explains that one of the students only attended school sporadically, and had no formal education for the past two years during the family’s transition to the United States.

What now? You’ve planned so many exciting, challenging lessons centered around the specific characteristics of your content language. Can the students even learn that? Should you just give them something else? Do nothing at all?

I’m here to tell you that not only is it possible, but it is beneficial and necessary to teach disciplinary literacy to your newcomer multilingual learners (MLs)

I’ve been working with and living beside multilingual learners of all ages and language levels for 20 years. For the past four years at Carolina High School, I have focused on newcomer MLs and SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education). As a co-teacher, and now a sheltered class teacher, I’ve used many strategies that teach and expose my students to the disciplinary literacy required in English Language Arts.

Accommodating for these students doesn’t have to be time-consuming or daunting. I can give you insight into the best mindset and strategies to use in general education classes to ensure that every student in the room can access what is taught.

Accommodation is not “dumbing-down”

As educators, we know that we are expected to teach with rigor and high expectations. Accommodating lower-level MLs in your classroom does not remove rigor or high expectations. MLs are still expected to do challenging work, achieve success, and grow academically. The only thing you are lowering is the language load.

You might be familiar with cognitive load theory. The application of cognitive load theory to teaching means that teachers need to design lessons that reduce confusion and overwhelm so that students can focus on actually understanding and learning content.

For MLs, this means reducing the amount and complexity of the language so that students can focus their energy on learning new concepts or practicing skills. We are not changing the destination—-we are simply paving the road.

Accommodations—-often outlined in ML language acquisition plans—-are guidelines for engaging MLs in disciplinary literacy at their level of English language proficiency. They are not a rigid set of rules. These supports allow the MLs to reach the same standards as English-proficient students. Many states even include “best practice” strategies that work for all students—-because good teaching is good teaching.

Accommodating for your MLs can feel overwhelming. Language acquisition plans can seem lengthy or vague. I encourage you to start your mindset shift by reading an ML language acquisition plan, start to finish—-not just the list of accommodations. Doing this will open your mind to what it really means to support MLs in your classroom.

Accommodation is not an afterthought

Planning a unit takes time and attention to detail. I often see teachers get to the end of a unit plan and realize that they must accommodate for their MLs. After investing so much energy into the core content, there’s little left to adapt it. The result? A translated test or reliance on digital translation tools.

But if your goal is to teach the language of your discipline, translation won’t be enough. It won’t help students develop the academic language needed to access the content. Not to mention—-this assumes a high level of native language literacy, that students may not have. There is a better way.

The best way to accommodate is to start from the beginning—-by pairing each standards-based learning target with a language target.

Learning targets focus on the knowledge or skills that students must master.

Language targets focus on the language students need to access and express that knowledge.

Together, they tell students what they are learning and how they’ll use language to show it. This is a key step in making disciplinary literacy accessible at any level of English proficiency.

Step 1: Accommodate Input

Students receive new information through instruction and texts. As you plan your unit, ask:

Where will ML students struggle with language?

How complex are the texts?

Which lessons or texts are essential for content mastery?

Feeling overwhelmed? Take a breath. Like riding a bike, the best way to learn to accommodate is to start—and keep trying.

Step 2: Accommodate Output

Once you have thought about how to scaffold input, turn to output —-how students will demonstrate understanding. This includes assessments, writing, and projects. Begin by:

Accommodating instructions.

Modeling expectations.

Using an adjusted grading rubric based on language level.

Accommodation does not have to be difficult

Creating Language Targets

My favorite way to create language targets is by using AI tools such as MagicSchool or Chat GPT. The key is crafting a simple prompt. Here’s an example:

“Create a language target from this learning target [insert target] for a WIDA Level 2 English language learner. Include sentence frames.”

You may need to revise the AI output to best suit your needs—-but it’s a great place to start..

Accommodate Input: Lessons

Pre-teach vocabulary:

Use your language and learning targets to create a list of 8-12 vocabulary words per unit. Avoid trying to teach too many at once. Use a pretest to narrow your list.

Create a word wall (physical or digital)

Create a glossary with native-language translations and student-friendly definitions

Refer to the word wall throughout lessons

Encourage students to use the word wall or glossary during class and assessments.

Add visuals:

Use pictures, charts, icons, or illustrations to emphasize meaning. AI tools can generate custom images.

Reduce cognitive load:

Give students a copy of your notes/slides (paper, digital, or both)

Encourage two language note-taking using resources like Read&Write or bilingual dictionaries

For higher level students, create fill-in the blank guided notes

Accommodate Input: Texts

Using grade-level texts is essential to ensure equitable access to rigorous content. When scaffolded appropriately, these texts allow MLs to develop the skills necessary to long-term success. Do not limit students with simplified or below-level texts.

Translanguaging:

Translanguaging harnesses the power of all of the student’s languages to make learning more meaningful.

Allow students to annotate and summarize text in their own language.

Pair students with their native-language peers to discuss key points before sharing in English.

Encourage native-language drafting or brainstorming.

Provide a native-language copy of side-by-side with English text (use a two-column table for display)

Offer native-language summaries (AI tools can generate these)

Accommodate Output: Assessments, projects, and writing

Instructions:

For lower level students, translate instructions yourself—-don’t rely on students to do it

Paste translations onto worksheets, post them in Google Classroom, or project them on your board

Review instructions—in English—before modeling

Modeling:

Always model tasks or show examples

Think-aloud while modeling

Show completed examples of writing or projects

Rubrics:

Use student-friendly rubrics aligned to their proficiency level

Include native-language translations of the criteria along with English

Use single-point rubrics for clarity

Sentence Frames and Stems:

Provide word or phrase banks for sentence frames

Use AI to generate frames and stems based on your learning and language targets

Multiple-Choice Tests:

For written response items, provide sentence frames with a wordbank.

Remove one incorrect answer choice

Repeat familiar vocabulary, language patterns, and visuals

Open-note tests

Accommodation is not a smooth road

This list will jump-start your dive into supporting disciplinary literacy for MLs. The first time you try something, it might not work perfectly. You may still see students struggle, even after accommodation. That’s okay.

Struggle is expected. You are lightening their cognitive load—-you cannot remove it entirely. The goal is to bring the content closer, so they can reach out and touch it, not jump and miss it altogether.

Sometimes a scaffold works like a charm—fantastic! But often, you will need to adjust.

Keep trying, keep tweaking, keep going.

You, and your students, will get there.

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
Hakuta, K., Butler, Y. G., & Witt, D. (2000). How long does it take English learners to attain proficiency? University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Carrie Rieder holds a Master’s in TESOL from Furman University and has over a decade of experience supporting multilingual learners. A certified Literacy Teacher and member of the Greenville County Impact Leadership cohort, she brings both academic and personal insight into language acquisition, shaped by raising bilingual children and living abroad. At Carolina High School, she teaches ESOL and sheltered English classes, working closely with colleagues to support the school’s high population of multilingual students.

Supporting Multilingual Language Learners in interdisciplinary literacy learning contexts

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by Dr. Elke Schneider, Winthrop University

Who are multilingual language learners?

Multilingual language learners (MLLs) in middle and high school settings are as uniquely different as any plant and animal life, as the human race itself. Their personal life stories, their own or their families’ immigration stories from the past make them fascinatingly diverse members of a classroom when it comes to learning disciplinary content such as social studies, science, math and even English Language Arts. For instance, many are born here in the United States and have only known schooling in America (called second generation immigrants) while others have distinct socio-emotional imprints from their migration story (first or 1.5 generation immigrants) with either no or partial schooling experiences in the country they left. Students who have spent much time in refugee camps or an otherwise long migration experience with no or hardly any schooling (Students with Interrupted Formal Education or SIFE students) require significantly different attention than those born in the US without such experiences.

One might think only of the ‘deficits’ MLLs may have regarding the disciplinary curriculum content and/or language and cultural competencies. However, this narrow view fails to consider that MLLs can be great assets in an interdisciplinary learning community because of their varied life and home culture experiences. As educators, we can provide support mechanisms for language and content issues and integrate MLLs as valuable contributors to interdisciplinary learning in which everyone’s life story and experiences provide meaningful pillars for learning.

What constitutes interdisciplinary literacy?

Interdisciplinary literacy is based on the understanding that literacy, the ability to read, write, hold critical, academic dialog about disciplinary content with active listening and speaking skills, is a vital component of learning in every content area, may that be science, social studies, English language arts or mathematics. Digital literacy skills can also be added to interdisciplinary literacy since much of today’s learning in middle and secondary schools involves using digital devices and learning how to use digital resources in effective and ethically appropriate ways. These components are all embedded in South Carolina’s recent Career Ready Standards (2024) as well as in new 2024 Read to Succeed Standards. Each content area discipline has discipline-specific questions that are asked and pursued along with unique vocabulary and sentence structures that are used in discipline specific readings and writing. These discipline-specific features are new for all students, not just MLLs, but MLLs in various language acquisition stages will require specific support to become comfortable in using these unique disciplinary literacy skills.

What is the challenge for multilingual language learners with interdisciplinary literacy?

Based on their life story and background knowledge on content, MLLs require different kinds of support. Most commonly, it is the content language support that is in focus. However, language acquisition and acculturation to the school system and way of life go hand in hand. The more safe and accepted MLLs feel in the learning community of the school and the classroom, the faster their language skills improve (Ariza & Coady, 2018). Their background knowledge on academic content is also a key factor in determining what kind of language and social-emotional support MLLs need to succeed in interdisciplinary learning.

How can we support MLLs in succeeding in interdisciplinary literacy?

While collaboration with the multilingual teacher is paramount when paying individual attention to MLLs’ socio-emotional and academic needs, the general education teacher plays a crucial role in helping MLLs succeed in the interdisciplinary learning settings common in middle and high schools. The ways MLLs can be supported include a) helping MLLs comprehend and use the codes of disciplinary literacy, including both language features and disciplinary procedures, b) utilizing and honoring MLLs’ home language and cultural /content knowledge, c) providing an interactive, collaborative, and trusting learning environment in which peers and teachers interact closely and teachers foster questions and dialog. Here are some selected ideas how to ensure MLLs feel actively integrated in interdisciplinary learning.

Suggestions for content literacy instruction

Utilizing and honoring MLLs’ home language and cultural /content knowledge

Take time to develop a personal bond with your MLLs by spending lunch time in small groups with them or individually to build the trust based necessary for MLLs’ healthy risk taking in the challenging tasks of disciplinary literacy. In this process, find out about MLL’s home situations and cultural and academic background and interests so you can utilize that when helping students make personal connection to disciplinary literacy tasks.
Prior to any disciplinary literacy task and content introduction, activate MLLs’ prior knowledge by eliciting experiences from their home culturewhere appropriate (i.e., wild life, weather, socio-cultural routines, historic sites, life/historic events, or how basic math skills were taught in the home culture). Focus on making real life connections of the disciplinary literacy content/skill explicit. This provides MLLs with motivation to explore disciplinary language and content because they feel valued and see a real life connection.

Providing an interactive, collaborative, and trusting learning environment

When possible, build in station work in which students work collaboratively in teams, native speakers and MLLs mixed together so they naturally engage in problem-solving team work and language use prior to individual work or assessment tasks. For a different collaborative learning set up, pair MLLs up with a trusting peer (native speaker or MLL) to talk through the steps of a tasks before requiring written notes. (i.e. math task, comprehension questions, science report content)
Include project-based learningin which MLLs can engage hands-on without being at a linguistic disadvantage. Using foldables in which student can paste drawings to images with supporting phrases or given sentence frames allows MLLs to demonstrate gained knowledge. This can meaningfully replace a standard written exam. (for resources see Dinah Zike’s website: https://dinah.com)
Schedule regular personal or small group meetings to check on and provide individualized learning support and feedback on learning progress. This is much more easily done when the classroom is set up for station and group work so that individual or small group conferencing can naturally be integrated. This allows for personal teacher-student connections in which MLLs can ask questions that they otherwise might not dare ask in front of the whole group.

Helping MLLs comprehend and use the codes of disciplinary literacy

Explicitly teach content specific vocabulary in connection with common phrases and sentence frames typical for the discipline so that MLLs can get used to using these structures with the vocabulary. In this practice, provide at least 10-20 opportunities for MLLs (and other students who struggle with academic language tasks) to orally use the content vocabulary and break multisyllabic words down first demonstrating how to say these words syllable by syllable and then blending them together into the whole word at natural pace after having gone slowly on each syllable. For instance, for the word ‘photosynthesis’, the teacher has students repeat several times “photo”, then “syn”. Then students are shown to blend “photosyn” together several times. Then “the” (with unvoiced TH and long E)”, then “sis”, then “thesis” and then all syllables together as a whole word pronounced as ‘photosynthesis” several times in whispering, loud, happy, grouchy, or stern tones of voices to make the repetition more fun. Then students practice using the word in given sentence frames with common verbs and structures used to discuss and write about photosynthesis.
For MLLs, vocabulary instruction includes Tier 1, 2, and Tier 3 vocabulary. Therefore, word and language structures at Tier 1 (basic common life vocabulary) and Tier 2 (words that can be used in common life and disciplinary-specific contexts)
Support learning resources with visuals such as graphic organizers, handouts, PowerPoint Presentations and posters (illustrations graphs, pictures) so MLLs can derive meaning from them. If content specific graphs or charts are used, do not assume that MLLs know how to interpret and use them. Instead, demonstrate explicitly how to gain information from them. This is an essential component of building visual literacy in the content areas.
Encourage and provide space on graphic organizers or other platforms, for MLLs to use in their home language to engage in interdisciplinary literacy learning. This assists in utilizing translanguaging and the use of the whole learner with their home and new culture knowledge. It also fosters a sense of being respected as a multilingual learner.
Visually display sentence frames typical for a given task. For instance, sentence frames needed to complete certain math task in all its steps or sentence frames to use to make statements about a science experiment, or sentence frames to talk or write about a comparison of historic facts or two poems. MLs can use such structures in oral reflection about content or a task they have completed. Since even standardized math exams require students to write down their reasoning for steps taken, practicing orally before asking students to write down their thoughts is crucial (for more on academic oral language practicing in content areas, see Zwiers reference below). These sentence frames can vary in complexity so that various language competencies can be addressed in a scaffolded way. The following table (Table 1) provides a selective collection of sentence structures commonly used in interdisciplinary literacy settings:

Table 1: Examples of Sentence Frames for oral and written tasks

*Literacy context*	*For oral dialog*	*For writing*
Compare-contrast information	…. is/look/feels like. But …. Is/feels/looks like….…. Is/has/can…. On the contrary/in contrast, …..When I look at…., on the one hand I notice…., on the other hand I see…. I hear you but I see x differently/ I have another perspective to offer. While you…., I think…. because…. I would like to add a contrasting point of view/argument….	When comparing…., it is obvious that….. is/has/shows…… while….. is/shows/has…. In contrast to…., x can….. As opposed to …, X can … because…..While……., x can/does….Contrary to…., ……
Cause and effect information	In my observation of/experience with…, I see the cause for….. in……I think based on what I read in…/we saw in the video clip, …. happened because….I conclude/infer that … because/because of …..Because….., …. happened.Because I forgot to…., I miscalculated….One reason for…..seems to be…. since/because…..	As a result of…., ….. X was/is caused by….. Due to……, ……… Consequently, Based on information by (author) on page,… …. resulted in….

Use gap filling exercises or assessments only with word banks. This allows MLLs to find the correct word which they can only do if they can receptively recognize the correct word. You can place more than the needed words in the word bank to increase the challenge. Without word banks, MLLs in initial and medial language acquisition stages are put at unjust disadvantages.
Allow for digital translation devices to assist when needed and let students write their translanguage findings down in a digital or handwritten resource file/folder. Allow students to use this as a reference whenever needed. Discuss this approach with grade level teams so MLLs can use their resources across disciplines.

Provide opportunities forchoral or paired readingto increases MLLs’ linguistic confidence in interdisciplinary reading, writing oral tasks. In choral reading, teachers read sentence by sentence with appropriate intonation, pausing, phrasing and pronunciation in natural pace and ask students to repeat these modeled sentences aloud as a class chorally. Students follow along on their own printed text copy. Teachers select such sentences/passages for choral reading based on important information and vocabulary.
A variation is choral responses of essential content in phrases and sentences. The teacher mindfully makes an important statement and then has students chorally repeat that essential content once or twice by saying the information/sentence again but then letting students complete the sentence with the missing information.
In order to build basic content vocabulary and routine language for novice MLLs with next to no understanding of English, label classroom items, provide images/photos with supporting language underneath for content specific routines (i.e. science lab procedures, mathematical procedure). Do also for content specific items such as science, math, social studies, technology tools (i.e., cursor on screen, magnifying glass, microscope, ruler, compass, scale, historic timelines, poetry features)

Selected resources:

Ariza, E. N. & Coady, M. R. (2018). Why TESOL? Theories and issues in teaching English to speakers of other languages in K-12 classrooms. (5^th edition). Kendall Hunt.
Blair, L., Oliveira de, L. C., & Avalos, M. A. (2024). Expanding teacher understanding of scaffolding for multilingual learners using a language-based approach to content instruction. TESOL in Context, 33(1), 25-42.
Harrell, A. & Jordan, M. (2019). 50 strategies for teaching English language learners (6^th edition). Pearson.
Zwiers, J. (2019). Next steps with Academic conversations. New ideas for improving learning through classroom talk. Routledge.

Macintosh HD:WINTHROP:FALL 2022_classes & tasks:IDA proposals for F22:BIO PIC Elke.png For over 20 years, Dr. Elke Schneider has been a professor of literacy, special education, and multilingual learner education at Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Webinar: Multilingual Voices, Disciplinary Spaces: Literacy Practices for Equity and Inclusion

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Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Multilingual Voices, Disciplinary Spaces: Literacy Practices for Equity and Inclusion”! Held on June 17, panelists Shari Revels-Davis, Jasmine Lauer, Diana Vargas Hager, and Carrie Rieder discussed proper resources for MLLs, how to navigate linguistic & cultural diversity, centering MLLs’ identities, and leveraging multilingualism as an asset.

Webinar: Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise

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Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise”! Held on May 29, 2025, this insightful session members were Nikki Upchurch and Haleigh Jo Baker. Discover how Nikki, a middle grade teacher, and Haleigh, a high school math teacher, engage in creative and effective literacy practices that support classroom learning.

Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise

Unlocking Literacy Across the Curriculum: Coaching Disciplinary Literacy

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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.

Performing Poetry: How Music Shapes Poetic Analysis

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Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Performing Poetry: How Music Shapes Poetic Analysis”! Held on April 24, 2025, this insightful session led by Catheryn Cofield explored the powerful connection between musical literacy and deeper poetic analysis for grades 6-12 educators. Discover practical strategies to illuminate complex elements of spoken word and poetry, such as cadence and structure, using the universal language of music. Learn how to reinforce key reading skills and enhance student engagement, as presented by music educator Catheryn Cofield. Click the link below to watch the recording and unlock new ways to connect your students with poetry!

About the Author

Ms. Colfield is a first-year teacher serving at Chester Middle School in Chester, SC. She graduated from Anderson University in 2024 with her bachelor’s in Vocal Music education and is currently serving as both a general music teacher and choir director at her school. She believes musical literacy is a key component of any competent music program and one of the greatest tools that a developing reader can have.

Excavating Voice Across the Disciplines: Poetic Inquiry as a Portal to Understanding

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What happens when we invite students not only to analyze a poem but to become the poem?

This is the question I return to—again and again—when I think about the role poetry plays in our classrooms. Not just in English class, but across the disciplines. In Science, Math, History, even in research methods. When we bring poetry into these spaces, we aren’t just making room for creativity—we are making space for presence. For embodiment. For students to find language for what has felt unspeakable (Cutts, 2020; Summerhill, 2020). In my NCTE article, Embracing Every Hue: Using Our Narratives to Cultivate Healing (Phelps, 2023), I wrote about the power of narrative and poetry as a form of liberation—especially for young people of color who have been asked to shrink themselves to fit into white-washed educational molds. I believe that poetry invites us—and our students—into the radical act of naming. Naming the joy. The ache. The history. The hope. Across all disciplines, this act of naming becomes a reclamation of self and story.

Poetry as Critical Methodology in Every Classroom

Poetic inquiry is more than a practice; it’s a methodology rooted in resistance. It honors what Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz (2021) calls “The Archaeology of Self,” demanding that students and educators alike excavate the layers of identity, memory, and place that inform our learning and teaching. When I invite students in a science classroom to write a poem from the perspective of a cell, or ask them to personify the periodic table, I’m not diluting content—I’m deepening it. I’m asking them to see scientific concepts as more than formulas on a whiteboard. Poetry offers language for wonder. For awe. For complexity. The student who writes, “I divide, I replicate, I hold multitudes” is learning not only cellular biology but also something about multiplicity, about existing as more than one thing.

Similarly, in social studies classrooms, poetry becomes a site for critical questioning. I’ve seen students use found poetry and blackout poems to confront primary source documents, challenging the omissions of history and unearthing voices buried in the archive. In my NCTE blog post, Exploring Identity Through Poetic Inquiry (Phelps, 2024), I shared how poetry became a bridge for students wrestling with who they are and how they have been shaped by their sociopolitical contexts. These cross-curricular moments show us that poetry doesn’t have to be contained within the boundaries of English Language Arts—it can transform every classroom into a space of inquiry, advocacy, and healing.

The House in the Sky: A Case of Multimodal Poetics

In my various courses for pre-service teachers, I use a poetic prompt called House in the Sky, inspired by Kyle Liang’s How to Build a House (2018). I ask students to imagine a home not bound by gravity—a metaphorical structure that holds their stories, traumas, dreams, and pedagogical values. It’s a practice that invites vulnerability, but also possibility. I’ve read poems from future educators about growing up in food deserts, about navigating linguistic shame, about being the first in their family to go to college. Through metaphor, these future teachers begin to name the invisible architecture of their identities. And that naming transforms how they understand their role in the classroom.

They begin to ask:

What kind of home am I building for my students?
Whose stories are centered in the curriculum?
Whose pain is ignored? Whose joy is allowed to be loud?

This is the kind of critical reflection that poetry makes possible. It isn’t just an expression—it’s excavation. It’s the start of a pedagogical stance grounded in care, criticality, cultural responsiveness, and radical honesty (hooks, 1994; Freire, 1970; Gay, 2019).

Strategies to Begin

For educators seeking to bring poetic inquiry into content-area classrooms, here are a few starting points:

Science: Have students write persona poems from the perspective of atoms, ecosystems, or scientific innovators. Encourage metaphor to unpack abstract processes—like comparing DNA replication to musical rhythm or memory.
Math: Ask students to write “I am” poems about their relationship with mathematics. Use metaphor to describe concepts like symmetry, infinity, or equations that changed the world. What does a struggle with fractions feel like? How does one narrate a moment of mathematical clarity?
History & Social Studies: Use erasure or found poetry with historical documents to highlight whose voices were omitted. Invite students to write ekphrastic poetry in response to artifacts or photographs from key moments in history.
Research & Inquiry: Incorporate reflective poetic journaling throughout the research process. Ask students to write poems as they collect and interpret data—honoring the emotional, ethical, and embodied dimensions of their learning (Leavy, 2015; Barone & Eisner, 2012).

These practices don’t detract from rigor—they reveal its humanity.

Every Hue Speaks: Radical Love & Healing

bell hooks reminded us that “the classroom remains the most radical space of possibility” (hooks, 1994, p. 12). Poetry, when used intentionally, can help us tap into that possibility. It invites students to bring their whole selves into the room—their grief and their brilliance, their anger and their aspirations. As I’ve written elsewhere, poetry makes healing possible in places where pain was once unnamed (Phelps, 2024). It makes visible what dominant narratives have tried to erase. So, I leave you with this poem—an offering, a reminder, a declaration:

Every Hue Speaks
By Darius Phelps

I am the ink that refuses to dry,
the verse that lingers long
after the page has turned.

I am the echo of stories
once silenced,
now rising—
unashamed,
unshaken.

Do not ask me to shrink into grayscale,
to press my voice into the margins,
to soften my edges so they fit neatly
into a world that fears their sharpness.

I have seen what happens
when color is erased,
when tongues are taught
to whisper instead of roar
when truths are bent
into palatable shapes
for those who would rather
not taste their weight.

But here—
in the rhythm of our reclamation,
in the cadence of our collective breath,
we write ourselves whole again.

We name both the wounds & the wonders.
We let joy & grief walk hand in hand
We let resistance & rest sit at the same table.
We let love carve out a home
where erasure once stood.

This is the work.
This is the knowing.

This is the unbreaking,
the unfolding,
the remembering
of every hue—

every shade of self,
every layered truth,
every voice that
refuses to be
forgotten.

& so, we write.
& so, we heal.
& so, we rise—

in every hue,
in every word,
in every breath
that dares to say:
We are still here.

References (APA 7)

Barone, T., & Eisner, E. W. (2012). Arts based research. SAGE.
Cutts, Q. (2020). Poetic approaches to qualitative data analysis. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/education_pub/145/
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. Ramos, Trans.). Herder and Herder.
Gallas, K. (1994). The languages of learning: How children talk, write, dance, draw, and sing their understanding of the world. Teachers College Press.
Gay, G. (2019). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). Teachers College Press.
Greene, M. (1995). Releasing the imagination: Essays on education, the arts, and social change. Jossey-Bass.
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.
Leavy, P. (2015). Method meets art: Arts-based research practice (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Liang, K. (2018). How to build a house. Swan Scythe Press.
Liang, K. (2024). Good son. Sundress Publications.
Paris, D., & Alim, H. S. (2017). Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing world. Teachers College Press.
Phelps, D. (2023). Embracing every hue: Using our narratives to cultivate healing. Language Arts, 102(3), 199–204. https://doi.org/10.58680/la202332602
Phelps, D. (2024, December). Exploring identity through poetic inquiry. NCTE Blog. https://ncte.org/blog/2024/12/exploring-identity-through-poetic-inquiry/
Sealey-Ruiz, Y. (2022). An archaeology of self for our times: Another talk to teachers. English Journal, 111(5), 21–26. https://doi.org/10.58680/ej202231819
Summerhill, D. B. (2020). Mausoleum of flowers. CavanKerry Press. https://www.cavankerrypress.org/product/mausoleum-of-flowers/

About the Author

Darius Phelps (he/him) is a poet, writer, and scholar whose work centers the liberatory possibilities of poetic inquiry, culturally responsive pedagogy, and critical literacy. A former elementary school teacher and now professor, he mentors pre-service educators in reimagining classrooms as spaces of resistance, restoration, and radical love. His scholarship amplifies the voices of historically marginalized students, exploring how poetry can serve as both pedagogy and prophecy. Drawing inspiration from Black literary traditions, personal narrative, and student testimony, Darius uses his own poetry to foster healing, identity reclamation, and joy in the margins. His work has been featured by NCTE, School Library Journal, and many others where he continues to advocate for education that honors everybody, every story, and every voice.

Materials Matter: Leveraging Quality NGSS Curricula to Enact Disciplinary Literacy

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One goal of school science learning is to apprentice students into the discipline. As teachers, we engage students in the multiple ways they can leverage the discourses of science so they can understand the ways science explanations can be structured and communicated to others. The Framework for K12 Science Education also suggests that students need to be aware that they are thinking scientifically.

All of this means that we need to provide learning opportunities that bring the literacies of science into the classroom in ways that help make this apprenticeship accessible to all students. It also means that we have to be clear with students when they are using these different literacies. One example of literacy in science is the development and use of models to represent, explore, and explain phenomena. Models are more than just drawings handed in at the end of a lesson for a grade. Modeling supports student learning by uncovering areas that need more clarity, encouraging question-asking, and motivating investigation. Modeling as a sharing practice also allows all students to see assorted, unique, and sometimes powerful representations of the same phenomenon. This sharing of initial and then developing models gives all students access to different ways of thinking.

One example of an initial model related to a high school unit is included in Figure 1. The model documents multiple relationships and uses many representations including drawings, arrows, various scales, and even a drawn set of thermometers. In this model some relationships that would help to fully answer the question “Why are the sea levels rising?” are not included. This is an initial model and it helps students to see what they don’t yet know and imagine the investigations they would create that would provide evidence for adding those ideas. While creating this model in a group, students shared their ideas in writing and orally, grappling with what they had previously learned to explain their initial ideas. Literacy around modeling is also developed as groups of students identify the critical relationships and representations to be used collectively within the models.

Following the development of small group models, teachers are encouraged to create a class consensus model. By negotiating meaning, through whole group scientist talks, of various representations to show relationships (such as various arrows or lines, words, and system components), students engage in the powerful talk of scientists. Sometimes, students are provided lists of words or components to include in their models. However, this teacher-guided practice steals students’ opportunity for science literacy development. Rather, if we are guided by the idea that we want to position students as apprentices to the work of science, then we need to engage them in (scaffolded) opportunities to flex their developing understanding of the literacies of the field.

Modeling is a disciplinary literacy that needs to be supported in the classroom and should grow over time. The progressions of learning suggested in the Framework clearly indicate that modeling doesn’t wait until high school. Kindergartners can model pushes and pulls and over time these models become more sophisticated until physics students include vector diagrams and equations as part of their modeling to explain. The phenomenon might not even change – perhaps physics students are still modeling pushes and pulls, but the level of sophistication of students’ mental models and drawn models will grow.

As a literacy, modeling needs to be about representations of relationships. Students’ models are not static but made dynamic by showing others how they see the relationships in the world and then capturing those relationships visually. In any unit of study and with any phenomenon, initial models are likely to lack some of these powerful relationships. This inability to model how the world works highlights potential student questions and investigations to be conducted. Knowledge developed through the investigations is then used to update and perhaps defend the next iteration of the model. The model in Figure 1 will change as students learn more, add more relationships, and increase their mechanistic understanding of why sea levels are rising. Because this is high school, students will also answer the question at different scales, using their developing understanding of changes at the molecular level.

Modeling is only one of eight Science and Engineering Practices identified in the Framework for K12 Science Education and used in the NGSS. It has become a beneficial part of science learning and science disciplinary literacy. In addition to seven additional Practices, the Crosscutting Concepts offer a lens into disciplinary literacy in science. We should continue to investigate how these literacies of science can support students as they grow in their ability and interest to explain the world like scientists.

Reference

National Research Council. 2012. A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13165.

About the Author

Mary is the Executive Director of the Michigan Math and Science Leadership Network and a leader of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials initiative in Michigan. She has authored textbooks, provides NGSS professional learning and leadership support across Michigan and the US. Currently, Mary is a co-PI on an NSF grant called Learning in Places. When she’s not organizing, writing or providing learning opportunities she can be found working elbow to elbow with science teachers in the classrooms.

Reconnecting to the Disciplines of Disciplinary Literacy

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Disciplinary Literacy (DL) is an orientation to the work of teaching that (re)claims a focus on action: knowing how to do, to use, to apply, to act, to verb. This requires an instructional focus on process and application over receiving and demonstrating knowledge. It is therefore a form of resistance to the version of schooling that is ruled by accountability metrics – where tests, credits, and other metrics have become a school’s reason for being rather than tools to measure and improve it. In this way, it is radical: it affects the fundamental nature of what teachers imagine can and should happen in class with students. And, its absence is a signal of the slow creep of oppressive policies that can become naturalized as how we ‘do school’ in the US.

In too many middle and high school classrooms, content knowledge has been divorced from the communities that produce, apply, and critique it outside of classroom settings. In that divorce, we have lost the connection to the purpose that motivates and the audience that gives meaning to the structure of the text and task (See Figure 1).

Figure 1. An expanded purpose-audience-format triangle

A DL orientation is essentially a suit for custody – for deeper connection – to each of these. Otherwise, it requires educators to work against the grain of typical curricula and related tasks (e.g. testing and test preparation, data collection, and classroom sorting). We have to pause business as usual to do a standalone project that brings authentic context into focus. We have to look up from representations of knowledge and re-present or re-frame them in ways that allude to their purpose in the world.

In my experience, instruction that is oriented towards application and use exists as the exception rather than the rule in core academic classes. However, it is more likely to be found in the courses that do not count for graduation or in the enrichment opportunities that are reserved for those who do well: a choir that performs, an auto shop that repairs, a science elective that grows or conserves, or a language class that visits another culture. I suspect that this is because these areas are the least tested and the most likely to have educators or curricula directly connected to the doing: playing music for performance rather than for a quiz on what it includes; fixing a car to make it run again, rather than for a matching test on the names of engine parts. The more academic and abstract knowledge is, the less likely it is to stay connected to use. These tenuous marriages of knowing and doing exist on the margins of academic experiences as reminders that specialized literacies are not necessarily harder than general literacy.

Texts reflect the particularities of their purposes, processes, and the conditions in which they were produced. For example, jazz musicians are likely to play off of a lead sheet rather than a full score showing every detail of every instrument’s parts. They need a text that shares a basic structure across collaborators so that they can improvise within it. Conductors need a detailed account of every part so that they can understand how all parts contribute to the whole and understand everything that might be happening simultaneously. The texts match the tasks. Though a conductor’s score might seem infinitely more challenging than a single part or a simplified lead sheet, their use of it may actually be quite simple. Unlike a lead sheet where each symbol contains a lot of information that might be highly consequential, conductors are really only following patterns across pages and parts – not reading every symbol of every line.

This is similar to the way that an actor might do a close reading of a single part of a single scene with lots of repetition of their own lines but would never try to read 30 pages of a play that way for homework. A director might likewise review a scene to visualize blocking. This process may not prepare them to do the kind of activity that might be found in an English classroom divorced from the text’s uses (e.g. a quiz question on a vocabulary word found on one of the pages they skimmed), but it will prepare them for the work they are doing with the text. Their purpose for reading influences their process for reading, and the amount or type of text with which they engage. The way we orient ourselves to the task of reading a text assigned for English class sets and limits students’ access to the context, meaning, and motivation. The literate process (e.g. reading for blocking, close reading, skimming for patterns, extrapolating from summary) may actually be a simpler cognitive task if it is specified instead of general. And, specialized tasks are more likely to resonate with a set of purposes and meaningful contexts. When texts are connected to a discipline – communities that produce, critique, and interpret them – students have the benefit of the sense of purpose and meaning to support their motivation and guide their inferences.

Disciplinary connection is not a feature of the text itself, but of the framing or relationship between the text and what students are doing with it: is their activity connected to a purpose and process that align with the particularities of some use? Or are they reading a text for a generic reason that is divorced from any specific purpose and process? This divorce makes the reading inherently harder because we use the larger context to predict and confirm meaning, and the larger purpose to ignite and sustain motivation.

About the Author

Dr. Gabriel is Professor of Literacy Education at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She is author of more than fifty refereed articles, and author or editor of seven books for literacy teachers, leaders, and education researchers. Rachael currently teaches courses for educators and doctoral students pursuing specialization in literacy, and is Editor in Chief of The Reading Teacher. A former teacher and reading specialist, Rachael’s research is focused on: literacy instruction, leadership, and intervention, as well as policies related to teacher development and evaluation. Her current projects investigate how educators and school leaders build collective capacity, state literacy policies, and discipline-specific literacy instruction.

Bringing Data to Life: Using Disciplinary Literacy Skills to Teach Data Interpretation in Agriculture

Blog, Student Contribution, Teaching

Inspiration: Why Data Interpretation and Analysis?

When I was first introduced to the concept of disciplinary literacy last semester, I found myself reflecting on my own educational experiences. I’ve always felt like I processed information differently from my peers. I often struggled to understand certain concepts and found myself repeatedly reteaching to myself what I had learned. Over time, I realized I had never fully understood my learning style and how it affected my academic success. This realization made me think about my future students. I never wanted them to feel the same way I did—to feel like they weren’t “smart enough” because they couldn’t identify their learning style. I wanted to create a classroom environment where all students could thrive, no matter how they learned.

For my final project in Multiple Literacies in Secondary Education, I was tasked with exploring a literacy skill focusing on its application in a specific discipline. As part of the assignment, I had to design a project where I took on the role of an agriculture teacher, teaching other agriculture educators about a literacy strategy they could use in their classrooms. After much thought, I chose visual comprehension as my literacy skill as I’m a visual learner myself. However, as I dug deeper into the research, I found a significant gap in resources related to agricultural literacy. There was very little research connecting disciplinary literacy with agriculture. Recognizing how vital data in agriculture is—especially in areas like plant and soil sciences—I decided to take a STEM-based approach and adapt the research to fit the agricultural context. Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) often relies on data analysis, which pulls together basic concepts from chemistry and biology. Without it, we can’t make informed decisions in farming, sustainability, or food production. So, I decided to explore this gap and make it the focus of my project.

Lesson Development: Structuring the Nearpod Lesson

When I first started developing my Nearpod lesson, I felt overwhelmed. The task seemed daunting, and I wasn’t sure where to begin. But then I shifted my perspective. I realized that one of my strengths is lesson planning—I love it! So, I approached the project like I would any other lesson: what’s the main topic (importance of agricultural literacy and visual comprehension in AFNR), and how can I teach it effectively? I structured the lesson to guide educators through understanding the connection between literacy and data interpretation in agriculture. I wanted to make sure that teachers could not only grasp the concept but also apply it to their own classrooms.

I began by explaining what visual comprehension is—the ability to understand, interpret, and extract meaning from visual representations of information. This includes images, diagrams, symbols, charts, graphs, maps, and other visual aids. Visual comprehension is a critical skill in education, as it helps students process complex data, recognize relationships between elements, and draw meaningful conclusions without relying solely on text. In agriculture, this skill is especially important for interpreting data related to crop production, soil quality, livestock growth, and environmental factors. For example, students might analyze weather maps to predict climate patterns, study livestock growth charts to assess health trends, or interpret soil composition diagrams to determine nutrient levels. By strengthening students’ visual comprehension skills, educators can help them navigate and analyze agricultural data more effectively, improving their overall agricultural literacy.

After establishing the importance of visual comprehension, I introduced how data in agriculture—whether it’s about crop yields, soil quality, or livestock growth—can be interpreted through visual means, such as graphs, charts, and diagrams. From there, I incorporated faded scaffolding, a strategy where teachers provide support initially and gradually reduce it as students become more independent. I chose Nearpod because it allows for real-time interaction. The platform provided an opportunity for educators to engage with the content at their own pace, ask questions, and even participate in a matching game to reinforce the concepts.

Disciplinary Literacy Connection: Why Does This Matter in Agriculture?

Disciplinary literacy in agriculture is crucial. It’s not just about reading and writing—it’s about thinking critically and analyzing data, skills that are essential in any agricultural or STEM-related field. This lesson connects literacy skills with real-world applications in agriculture, helping students develop problem-solving abilities vital for solving pressing issues in the agricultural industry. As global populations rise and the demand for food increases, the agricultural sector faces more complex challenges. One of the most pressing issues is climate change, which directly impacts food production through rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes.

These changes threaten crop yields, disrupt planting and harvesting cycles, and contribute to soil degradation, making it harder to sustain food production. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions driven by data analysis and critical thinking. We need thinkers and problem-solvers who can interpret data to make informed decisions—whether it’s optimizing crop production, implementing sustainable farming practices, or assessing environmental impacts. By integrating faded scaffolding, we help students build their independence so they can think critically about agricultural issues, analyze data, and develop solutions. This method prepares them for real-world problem-solving in agriculture and beyond, equipping them to tackle climate-related agricultural challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Impact: Why is This Lesson Important?

This lesson is important because data interpretation is at the core of solving many challenges in agriculture specifically and science generally. The ability to analyze trends, patterns, and data points is not just a useful skill—it’s essential for the sustainability of food production systems around the world. For agriculture students, especially those entering the workforce, the ability to interpret agricultural data is a key competency. This lesson empowers them to see the bigger picture, connecting literacy to real-world agriculture.

Beyond the classroom, these skills prepare students for a wide range of careers in the agricultural and STEM fields. Agronomists, for example, study soil and crop health, using data to determine the best ways to grow the food we eat every day. Precision agriculture specialists use technology like drones and GPS mapping to help farmers apply fertilizers and water more efficiently, which helps keep grocery store prices stable and reduces environmental impact. Agricultural engineers design better irrigation systems and farm machinery to improve food production, ensuring that fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains make it to consumers’ tables. Even beyond the farm, these skills impact daily life. Food scientists analyze production data to ensure that the milk, meat, and packaged foods in stores meet safety and quality standards. Agricultural economists study supply chains and pricing trends to help farmers and businesses keep food affordable. Environmental consultants work to balance agricultural production with sustainability, ensuring that future generations can continue to rely on farming for food, fuel, and fiber.

By helping students develop these critical thinking and analytical skills, we are not only preparing them for careers in agriculture but also ensuring that consumers continue to have access to safe, affordable, and sustainably produced food.

Final Thoughts: What Did I Learn from This Experience?

Throughout this project, I discovered a noticeable lack of research on disciplinary literacy in agriculture, particularly in relation to data interpretation. I believe this gap exists because agriculture education is often region-specific, with AFNR (Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources) classes only offered in certain districts and locations. However, as the global population continues to grow, the importance of agriculture—both as a science and as a vital industry—has never been greater. Agriculture is deeply rooted in scientific principles, from soil chemistry to genetics and environmental sustainability, making literacy strategies like faded scaffolding and data analysis essential for student success.

These strategies will help prepare future agricultural professionals to interpret complex information, solve real-world problems, and address the challenges facing the industry. Looking ahead, I am excited to apply and test these methods in my methods block, helping students develop the critical thinking skills necessary for success in agricultural science.

About the Presenter

Alicia Machuca is a senior dual majoring in Interdisciplinary Agriculture and Education at Sam Houston State University. Passionate about teaching, she is dedicated to creating an accessible and meaningful learning experience for her future students. Alicia’s goal is to represent and uplift students who share similar backgrounds and experiences, ensuring that every child feels valued and empowered in the classroom. She hopes to inspire a love for agriculture in her students, just as it has inspired her.