What Is It?

Different disciplines require students to encounter different types of texts. Purposeful "decoding" of discipline-specific text structures (e.g., screenplays, scientific journal abstracts, marketing plans) and text features (e.g., bold or italicized print, graphics, indices, chapter headings, glossaries, hyperlinks, graphic organizers, chapter summaries, changes in point of view, bibliographies) make it possible for students to learn more from texts.

Suggested Strategies and Resources

Before you can implement this Key Component, your stakeholders will need to consider some or all of these questions. The questions could be used in group discussions, needs sensing activities, and informal small-group conversations.

• How do teachers currently support understanding of text structures as part of content area instruction?

• How would planning and teaching change if the strategies described were common practice? How would they remain the same?

• What are the existing barriers to incorporating more of a literacy-focused approach to content area teaching and learning?

• What needs to happen to address these barriers?