Generating, weaving and curating: disciplinary processes for reading literary text

Purpose The purposes of this study is to expand on previous work in English language arts (ELA) disciplinary literacy and to unpack literary text reading processes across three different participant groups. Design/methodology/approach The authors recruited literary scholars and first-year college students to read literary texts aloud and voice their thoughts. Transcripts were collaboratively coded and analyzed using a priori and emergent coding. Findings This study presents the findings in two ways. First, this study grouped the codes into four categories, namely, background knowledge, comprehension, disciplinary knowledge and building an interpretation. This described the differences in frequencies among the participants’ strategy use. Next, to more fully describe how participants read literary texts, this study presents the data using three processes, namely, generating, weaving and curating. These findings indicate a continuum of strategies and processes used by participants. Practical implications The study suggests using the ELA heuristic for instruction, which includes moving students beyond generating and weaving by asking them to do their own interpretive work of curation. This potential roadmap for instruction avoids a deficit mindset for students by recommending low-stakes opportunities that meet students where they are as they build their capacity for interpretive moves. Originality/value The findings help the field to gain an understanding of what novices and experts do when they read literary text, including both strategies and processes. This study also provide an ELA heuristic that has instructional implications. This study adds to the body of knowledge for disciplinary literacy in ELA in both theoretical and practical ways.

Word Sorts to Encourage Mathematics Discussions

Disciplinary literacy involves reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking in the context of specific disciplines. Word sorts are a way for students to acquire and examine vital features of mathematics vocabulary as they process and organize new content-specific ideas.

A Framework for Discussion in a Post-COVID World

This chapter addresses how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teaching and practice for secondary educators. The authors consider how content area secondary educators, in light of the pandemic, can support adolescent students' understanding of discipline specific concepts through discussion in virtual spaces. Discussion is integral to literacy learning in the disciplines because it provides students with the tools they need to be successful learners and active participants in their learning. The authors use critical literacy, TPACK, and SAMR to provide educators with a framework to evaluate and interrogate disciplinary literacy teaching methods. The chapter provides educators with tools for secondary educators to engage in the thoughtful reconstruction of the learning experiences they design for students.