Adolescent Literacy, Field Tested —
Abstract of

Chapter 3
Reading Comprehension Across the Disciplines: Commonalities and Content Challenges

Donna Ogle

An example from an eighth-grade classroom shows how an excellent teacher deepens students' understanding of Indian values and culture so they can understand and appreciate the novel Homeless Bird. Using several short articles, the teacher models and develops students' strategic reading and metacognitive control using a KWL framework with INSERT notes and small-group discussion. The chapter explores some basic issues for content teachers: selecting texts that are appropriate to students' levels of knowledge, teaching students to navigate different types of texts, helping them make their thinking visible, and presenting multiple perspectives on the same topic. It also addresses some challenges teachers face in reaching today's teens. These include stimulating interests, creating a team approach, and involving students in regular reading. Teachers can develop more engagement and deeper thinking by using the Internet, teaching visual literacy skills, and engaging students in debate and argument .

Ogle, D. (2009). Reading Comprehension Across the Disciplines: Commonalities and Content Challenges. In S.R. Parris, D. Fisher, & K. Headley (Eds.), Adolescent Literacy, Field Tested (pp. 34-46). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.