Literacy Strategies in the Peer-Enabled Restructured Math and Science Classroom: Supporting All Students' Content Literacy Development

• In Event: 26.077 - Teens Teaching and Leading: The Peer-Enabled Restructured Classroom in Urban STEM

Abstract

This presentation will discuss the addition of literacy strategies to the PERC summer school professional development (PD) for classroom teachers and TAS. Successful results from a one year pilot program using literacy strategies to support content area learning (Author 1 & Author 2, 2011) supported the goal of systemizing the implementation of literacy strategies in PERC classrooms. The purpose was to provide 3 teachers (2 LE, 1 Math) and 20 TAS (14 LE, 6 Math) with literacy strategies to help all students (n=60) including English Language Learners (ELLs) and Former English Language Learners (F-ELLs) (n=19), and students who spoke a language other than English at home (n= 32), successfully complete the summer course and pass the New York State Regents exam.

The literacy component of the summer professional development program was designed to improve all PERC students’ content area literacy skills (Antonacci & O’Callaghan, 2011), and for ELLs and F-ELLs, Cognitive Academic Literacy Proficiency (CALP) (Cummins, 1981, 1994). Competence in literacy and CALP is essential for success in secondary science and mathematics, and is dependent upon strategic incorporation of specific strategies (Herrell & Jordan, 2012; Echevarría, Vogt, & Short, 2010, 2008; Chamot, 2009; Curtain, 2009; Vogt & Echevarría, 2008).

Twelve literacy strategies (word maps, concept definition maps, GIST, word splash, mystery word, ‘Who Am I’, among others), were presented, demonstrated and modeled for teachers and TAS in weekly hour-long sessions over 4 weeks. Participants practiced and applied the strategies, and brainstormed ways to incorporate them in upcoming lessons.

Classrooms were visited to observe implementation of the literacy strategies, which were used in small group instructional settings, and in rotational sequences. Field notes and a checklist of implemented strategies identified strategies being used, or that had previously been used, based on posted charts, graphic organizers, and student-displayed work.

Surveys and focus group interviews were implemented at the end of the program. Teachers, TAS, and PERC responses were consistently positive and all reported that the literacy strategies helped in several ways to: break down difficult material into manageable parts; make associations; organize thoughts; summarize; and, associate new content information with previous learning. Participants stated that literacy strategies were very helpful for ELLs and F-ELLs, and considered active and engaging strategies the most effective. TAS reported they would use the strategies in their own future learning. Teachers, TAS, and PERC students responded that they believed that literacy strategies were useful tools, and that implementing literacy strategies helped the PERC students to access the curriculum and be more successful on the Regent’s exams.

Of the 60 PERC students who received instruction using literacy strategies, 90% of the Living Environment and 100% of the Math students passed the Regents exams. Of these students, 53% (32/60) spoke a language other than English at home, and 32% (19/60) were either current or former ELLs. These results, while not causal, were most encouraging. As a result, literacy strategies are continuing to be developed in the PERC program, to support all students, and especially linguistically and culturally diverse students.

Author

• Linda Gerena, York College - CUNY