Building Content Literacy
Strategies for the Adolescent Learner
- Roberta L. Sejnost - Loyola University Chicago, USA
- Sharon M. Thiese - Geneva High School, Geneva, IL
Building Content Literacy: Strategies for the Adolescent Learner begins with a discussion of the challenges of teaching adolescents and follows with:
- Strategies to foster acquisition of specialized and technical content vocabulary
- Specific processes and skills students may use to comprehend narrative and expository texts
- A variety of writing-to-learn strategies
Speaking-to-learn strategies.
Finally, the authors consider the challenges that face students in the age of technology and address the new literacies that can be utilized to engage students and increase learning.
"Secondary teachers will find this book a superb resource to inform the teaching and learning of their students, as it includes many research-based strategies to enhance reading comprehension and written language in every area."
"Sejnost and Thiese address the national literacy crisis by providing a practical guidebook that meets the needs of adolescent learners by focusing on the literacy skills needed for the 21st century. They provide educators with a book that engages the learner and creates independence in content area reading."
"Sejnost and Thiese have read the minds of teachers everywhere and have provided exactly the right book. This resource offers engaging, focused lessons that will meet the needs of a variety of students. The recommended strategies are supported by research and explained clearly, making this book informative and easy to use."
"Very useful and practical for those enrolled in teaching methods courses for secondary English and practitioners interested the latest research on reading, literacy, and writing in the content areas, as well as practical applications and model lessons. It emphasizes how adolescent learners have special needs, whether they are gifted students taking accelerated courses or those with limited skills coming from disadvantaged schools with few resources. By offering examples using multiple modalities for instruction, the book is a very welcome resource, one which I wish I had had years ago as a new high school teacher. It encourages teachers to employ collaborative learning, problem-based learning and other strategies and provides them with many templates."
"This clear and concise text does an excellent job in preparing preservice and practicing teachers to use content area strategies to teach literacy in the disciplines. The chapter on real-world literacy is especially timely and useful. We definitely plan on using this valuable resource to help us better prepare the teachers of tomorrow."
"Sejnost and Thiese provide strategies to help all adolescent students in all content areas be more successful. Based on the authors' extensive expeience and research, readers are shown the importance of developmentally appropriate learning, methods and strategies that are challenging and engaging for adolescent learners, and the motivational value that comes from data-driven feedback."
A good overview text for use in an undergraduate introductory literacy course for pre-service content area teachers.
