Reading & Writing in Content Areas
I'm not an English teacher! Why do I have to do this?
Correct. You teach Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Art or Music. Should you have to worry about reading or writing?
You should. Literacy is not just a class. Literacy is combining knowledge, experiences and skills with the ability to read, write, speak, listen and think about a concept. This happens in all subject areas, including yours.
But I don't have any training in teaching this!
Again, you are correct. You are not being asked to teach students to read or write. Instead, you are teaching students to read and write in your content area. You are the expert in that.
Chances are, you are already doing this. Do your students read primary or secondary sources? Do they read journals? Do they read additional (not just the textbook) informative pieces? Do you have students examine writing for bias? When students write, are they expected to support their answers with examples from the text?
The change is standards is about making these steps more deliberate. It is making a point of ensuring this happens with regularity in each classroom.