Teaching Reading in Other Classes

All of us are pursuing a career that involves reading instruction since it comes with the territory of teaching English. We assume it is a staple in the curriculum, much like math and history.  Students even have designated “
Reading” portions of standardized tests.  With all of this in mind, I was completely stunned to read the article “Questions greet new reading proposal” from the Argus Leader On-line newspaper. 

 

A
Sioux Falls middle school has decided to make all classes longer, get rid of the reading program:

 

“The change means middle schools will convert in 2008 to a schedule that drops reading as a stand-alone course but combines it with language arts and also spreads it to science, math and social studies.”

 

The thought is to reinvigorate a strategy that pushes literacy skills into every corner of school curriculum.  Proponents believe this would “saturate” the curriculum with literacy and comprehension and the students will stop perceiving reading as just something that occurs at a specified time. This move would now make all teachers in charge of reading and writing.

 

The new schedule would allow 55 minutes instead of 40 for the core subjects, the school day would remain the same length, and there would be no change in mentoring and electives.  

Obviously the teachers are extremely divided on this issue.  Some believe direct reading instruction is still an essential part of the day and trying to teach enjoyment of literature in science and math would take away from those subjects.  Others believe would revolutionize the reading programs, since direct reading instruction that was “not all that productive.”  One woman believes students may be better able to learn grammar if it was not taught in isolation, but as something everyday and everywhere. 

Besides having to learn how to teach reading in different disciplines, teachers are reacting to having more time and thinking about how to fill that time. To address this, the school district is having workshops and training sessions. However, teachers are already recognizing literary or communicative aspects in their classrooms.  

Easter was impressed that one sixth-grader, Ty Barringer, knew 5.92 percent is the tax rate in Sioux Falls, and that Laura Stevens-Chopin knew that Minnesota does not tax food or clothing. 

“That’s where learning takes place – discuss, think, justify, explain,” Darryl Walker, the school’s assistant principal, observed from the hallway. 

 

This will cause all subjects to revaluate what questions they ask and the answers they require.  The biggest challenge is going to be how to handle it, but once that is accomplished, Easter believes, “In the math curriculum, it’ll be wonderful.”Read full article