Chapter 2: Creating a Comprehensive Structure for Learning

Comprehensive secondary literacy builds on a CAI foundation. It focuses on aligning literacy and content learning. I love the phrase in the book that says "Content area reading is no longer regarded by most experts as a matter of reading information from a single textbook. Instead students must seek, evaluate, and comprehend information from a variety of print and technology sources." I have seen this shift in reading, and I believe it is for the better. When I started my teaching career a short 5 years ago, the district I was in was just starting to get out of the basel textbooks and had a curriculum that allowed students to seek, evaluate, and comprehend information from a variety of sources. I loved it! Teachers were able to be creative. I know so many teachers that are attached to their basil textbooks. Teachers need to step away from teaching textbooks and worry more about how we are teaching are students to read. This is a lifelong skill! Every subject requires reading and content teachers should use reading techniques that will help their area of instruction. Literacy builds on a CAI foundation. C means curriculum. Educators use a standards-based curriculum as a guide to know what they want their students to know and be able to do. A good curriculum allows students to embrace the text and bring meaning to what they are reading. A means Assessment. "Reading assessment must have the primary consequence of helping students continue their development as readers." There should be a variety of assessments appropriate to their learning environments. Assessments need to determine students' knowledge base to inform instruction and to motivate and engage students. Assessment provides students with feedback. Students can learn how to make themselves better. I believe it is important for teachers to use a variety of assessments. Students do not all learn the same way; therefore, we need to use different types of assessments for the different types of learners. The last letter is I for instruction. Effective instruction is about "how" and "what." "How" to ensure that a wide mental grasp of the "what" (curriculum) is occurring with the learner. This can be done with meaningful teachings and use of different reading techniques. Also, it is essential to differentiate for all learners. I believe that effective instruction is not just teaching the content. It is responsible for the learners' needs. Being in an elementary setting, I have students with all kinds of needs. It is my job to address them to help my students grow! This requires me to use different techniques to ensure that I am reaching all my students. It is our job to support students to become responsible and strategic readers, critical thinkers, and effective communicators. We are not just teaching out of a textbook and hoping it reaches all students. We need to teach each individual students' needs! We want lifelong learners and readers!