March+5+Inservice

=High School vs. College Reading = =Preparing ELLs to be College-level Readers =

This work was done by Dr. Shawna Shapiro PH. D. Middlebury College
= = = = =High School=


 * Teachers have training in pedagogy--- often including literacy
 * Mix fiction and non-fiction
 * Larger quanity of fiction
 * Non-fiction usually texbooks, newspaper articles, and other informational texts
 * Most texts written for a student audience, or general public
 * Most texts used in class somehow (discussion, writing assignments, etc.)
 * Some explicit instruction in reading strategies (but perhaps not enough)

College-level Reading

 * Many professors have little or no training in pedagogy, including literacy. Expert blind spots
 * Largely non-fiction
 * Non-fiction usually scolarly articles, essays, primary sources
 * Many texts written for an expert audience ( above students heads)
 * Texts not always used in class. (Wider variety of purposes for reading assignments)
 * Little or no explicit instruction in reading strategies

=Skills often assumed of first-year college students:=

A. Awareness of genre, disciplinarity, etc. B. Ability to process (skim) large quantities of material and get the "gist," as well as implications C. Self-monitoring techniques D. Use of readings in writing (i.e. texual borrowing)
 * What are the features of texbooks, journal articles, theoretical books, charts/graphs, etc.?
 * How do readers approach these texts differently?
 * What are the most important terms, concepts, and ideas in this text?
 * "So what"?
 * Am I really comprehending what I'm reading? If not, why not?
 * What do I do if I'm struggling with this reading
 * When should I look up a word/concept that I don't know?
 * Which sorts of texts are "credible" for different purposes?
 * When and how do I need to cite other authors?
 * How do I quote/paraphrase/summarize within the context of my own writing?
 * How can I find credible sources for my paper?

What can we do in the high schools?

 * 1) Expose students to a variety of texts, both fiction and non-fiction
 * 2) Talk explicitly about texts: genre, purpose, strategy, ect.
 * 3) Teach the "reading process"
 * 4) Help students evaluate what they don't know or understand, and decide what to do in response
 * 5) Help correct myths like: Look up every word you don't know, highlight everything that's important in the text, don't skip anything.