Integrating Reading Strategies in All Content Areas

Integrating Reading Strategies in all Content Areas

Reading and Math are pushed so hard through the No Child Left Behind that so many content area subjects are being left out of our child's instructional day. The focus for these two subjects is to have high test scores throughout the country. In today's society, teachers are stressed to teach all subject areas to their students, but because of the protected math and reading times this is hard for our teachers to do without cutting into that protected block of time. Teachers must be creative and incorporate the other content areas within the math and reading curriculum. As teachers, we assume we are to teach only our subject area unless we are self-contained and that is not true anymore. Self-contained or not, teachers are responsible to make sure that their students have all the opportunities to succeed in and outside of the classroom setting. There are many skills and concepts that can be adapted so that they fit into reading or math. I will discuss many different ways to teach reading and math through other content areas. As Bradecamp stated, "There are not only effective and ineffective ways to teach, but the effectiveness of any method will likely depend on the content being taught and the learners to whom it is being taught".

Integrating Reading Strategies in all Content Areas

There are two types of reading, reading to learn and learning to read. When students are learning to read they are learning new vocabulary and learning new words which are reinforced on a daily basis. Reading to learn is more specific in vocabulary and is written in the expository format which is harder for the students to read and understand. Teachers and parents must remember that the textbooks their children are reading are way above their independent reading level and this makes it hard for the students to comprehend what they are reading. Teachers must use several strategies to teach expository text to the students. Baer states that, "Changes in teaching behaviors and accommodations of materials must be made to assure that all children have a legitimate opportunity to succeed in learning the content".

Teaching reading within a certain content area can be done, although, the teacher must plan and design the lesson in a manner to maximize students' use of thinking tactics and focus on the subject being taught. When teaching from other textbooks, teachers need to give the students cues on how and when to link prior knowledge and teach them to create analogies in order to become familiar with a certain topic. If a teacher is teaching insects to the students and the class is discussing the ladybugs and spiders you could bring in the reading skill compare and contrasting. This is also a wonderful time to introduce graphic