Recently on the LLCN brief podcast, Mark Raffler and Sarah Shoemaker chatted with Jenelle Williams, Literacy Consultant, Oakland Schools ISD, and Dr. Darin Stockdill, University of Michigan, about the Essential Literacy Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Grades 6-12. Mark and Darin discussed the differences between the terms “Disciplinary Literacy” and “Content Literacy.” A topic you may have read about in a past post by Jenelle Williams.

Darin and Jenelle also shared important starting points when first familiarizing yourself with the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials. Here is a rundown of how to get started. Listen to the full podcast for much more in-depth coverage on this topic. And don’t miss our first Twitter Chat on September 29 at 8 p.m. #LLCNbrief

Understand the Why

The purpose of this set of Essential Instructional Practices for grades 6 through 12 is to improve Michigan students’ academic literacies and content learning at the secondary level. Dr. Darin Stockdill highly encourages everyone to read the purpose statement and understand that this document is really about teacher learning. The document is a resources for planning and implementing teacher professional learning opportunities that promote research supported teaching practices. When the essentials are embedded in teaching practices, teachers will find that they can teach content and engage students in deeper learning.

“At the core of this work is this idea that all students deserve access to the language and tools of those communities so that they can, not only, be more informed as citizens, but also have the chance to see themselves as potentially being a part of those disciplines as they move through education…Our role at the secondary level is so essential in building that access, that access to power.” Jenelle Williams, Oakland Schools.

Create a System of Support

The essentials are not a two hour afterschool PD. Teachers will need time, opportunities to collaborate, opportunities for reflection, and differentiated professional learning to implement these practices. Educators will need a sustained focus to do this deep work. Teachers will need curricular resources that are high-quality that can support them in making moves toward implementation.

This is important for schools and districts that are looking to have disciplinary literacy be apart of their overall conversation about continuous improvement. It is important for administration to review the school wide essentials document. This document allows leaders to reflect on the current state of their system, and perhaps put some new pieces in place to support teachers as they take on disciplinary literacy. The processes leaders use to enact the Essential Practices will lead to continuous improvement that supports disciplinary literacy.

Recognize Where You Are

Honor and validate the work you are currently doing! Read through the essentials and recognize what you are already doing. Take note of what is brand new. What might you add?

Dr. Darin Stockhill shares an example in the podcast of a teacher that has been engaging students with a wide range of text and representations in their classroom library. Students are using the library to consult multiple sources in a lesson. This lines up with practice two: diverse texts and abundant reading opportunities in the school. But maybe that teacher hasn’t framed a solid problem or maybe they haven’t done explicit instruction in a disciplinary reading practice. So this teacher could start small and build off of practice two by adding a problem frame or some explicit instruction in reading strategies. Overtime this will build their instructional toolbox.

Start Small

Start with a particular area of growth that makes sense. You do not need to tackle everything at once. The essential practices are not linear, but Dr. Darin Stockdill suggests that you really take some time exploring essential practice one first. This first practice, problem-based instruction, sets the stage for the rest of the practices.

Once you know what the practices are and which ones you are already implementing, it is time to start adding some of the new practices into your teaching. Start small. Build your instructional tool box to get yourself inline with these instructional practices.

Try and Try Again

Deep meaningful change takes time. Each school and district may take a different pathway. Build off existing initiatives. Try implementing. Don’t expect to get it right on the first try. Every child is different, and every classroom will have different needs. Try something then go back to your colleagues and discuss what did and didn’t work. Then modify and try again.

Jenelle Williams suggests to “spend some time thinking about our underlying beliefs about what students can accomplish because often if we haven’t taken time to unpack that then we start to approach this work as using strategies…this goes well beyond strategies toward real deep meaningful change and high-quality instruction.”

Learn more about Disciplinary Literacy

Listen to the podcast to learn more. Join the twitter chat on September 29th at 8 p.m.!

You can also read more about disciplinary literacy in these past blog posts:

“Science in Your Morning Breakfast” written by Wendi Vogel, Science Consultant for Kent ISD

“Mathematical Literacy? Disciplinary Literacy? We Need and Want Both.” written by Kathy Berry, Monroe County ISD; Cherron Ramsey, Wayne RESA; Marcus Deja, Kent ISD; Brad Thornburg, Gratiot-Isabella RESD; and Karen Reister, Traverse Bay Area ISD

“Disciplinary Literacy: Honoring Unique Ways of Thinking in Each Content-Area” written by Jenelle Williams, Secondary Literacy Consultant at Oakland Schools