Is Every Teacher a Teacher of Literacy??

[Angelina Polius]

Let us now examine our role as teachers of literacy. We have had some rich discussion so far regarding our role as content area literacy teachers.

Do you think that every teacher, irrespective of what subject he/she teaches, has a critical role to play in helping students read, understand and respond effectively to content area texts?

Tell us what you think. Remember to keep your comments brief and try not to include all your ideas in one single post. You can always come back to the board to read and comment on the posts of others as well as to add new ideas.

[phia]

I strongly believe that it is important for teachers to help students read , understand and respond effectively to content area text because without them they will not be able to achieve academic success . There will not be much productivity with students who can't read, therefore it is important for teachers to foster students literacy skills in every subject are. When individuals learn how to read , understand and respond then they become independent learns and life long learner. They should focus on helping individuals become better learn and not tossing them on a side and labeling them. It will only make the situation worse. The student will think that she is inferior and the teacher will only see her as that.

[phia]

I strongly believe that it is important for teachers to help students read , understand and respond effectively to content area text because without them they will not be able to achieve academic success . There will not be much productivity with students who can't read, therefore it is important for teachers to foster students literacy skills in every subject are. When individuals learn how to read , understand and respond then they become independent learns and life long learner. They should focus on helping individuals become better learn and not tossing them on a side and labeling them. It will only make the situation worse. The student will think that she is inferior and the teacher will only see her as that.

[millie]

Definately, from what i have read, i can safely say that every teacher is a teacher of literacy. But this is not practice. Sad to say that many of us teachers hold the view that only language Arts teachers are the ones resopnsible for instruction in literacy. All subject areas have its own vocabulary and all students engage in all of the language Arts in every subject. Therefore all teachers need to take the time to instruct their students in the content areas. If all teachers took the time to teach content area literacy, then our students would be equipt with the tools and strategies necessary to help them become lifelong learners.

[blanch]

I agree with Millie's point. So often, teachers including myself place a great amount of emphasis on teaching the content and fail to help their students develop literacy skills. We tend to believe that this is the responsibility of the Language Arts teachers. When i think of it, what sense does it make for teachers to waste valuable instructional time teaching content, when the students are unable to write sentences or comprehend what they are reading?

[tasha]

I would like to agree with Jeanne....I used to think that my job was only to teach the students content and I also held the notion that the primary school teachers were responsible for ensuring that students are able to read and write. At the commencement of this course I realized that every teacher is indeed (or should be) a teacher of literacy because students should be able to read and interpret/ interact with the content of a subject area in order to fully comprehend that content.

[Angelina Polius]

Very good ideas all of you. These ideas are quite thoughtful and reflective. Blanch asked a question that i think is so true - what point does it make for teachers to teach content when students cannot even write sentences or comprehend what they are reading? This is the misconception that many teachers have formed and hence this course seeks to help you realize that your role as content area literacy teachers is critical in helping students become independent, strategic and lifelong learners.

Is there anyone else in here? We are awaiting your comments.

[bien]

i think that every teacher is a teacher of literacy because we all need some basic literacy skills in order to successfully and effectively learn any subject, or concept.in fact literacy skills are not only for school, they prepare us for life. as a result of this, i think that every teacher is a teacher of literacy, adn should think of themselves as teachers of literacy, and not blame language teachers, or primary school teachers when some of their students do not have adequate literacy skills. teachers should find a way to incorporate the teaching of literacy skills into their curriculum because if we try to teach the students a concepts and they do not have the basic literacy skills, they will becom frustrated and eventually drop out of school, n we all know what this leads to. as difficult or impossible as thiss my seem, we really have 2 find a way to incorporate the teaching of literacy skills into our various syllabusses. so, even though i may have strayed from the topic-am not sure-lol, i seriously believe that every teacher is a teacher of literacy.

[joejoe]

in relation to BLANCH...very good point
how are the students supposed to learn the content of a specific subject like Science for example ....when we the teachers use the most reliable sources, which are their textbooks, other print related to the topic...so we have to always remember that throughout all our subject areas we have to bring in the aspect of literacy......and a little goes a long way.......
for instance the simple idea of re-reading can help a child struggling with literacy.

[sara]

Some very good and strong points have been placed foward by my fellow memebers. I believe that all teachers whether mathematics or science or business are all teachers of literacy. Don't the teachers and students converse with the english language? Don't the students learn the terminologies and vocabularies associated with the content area? Recently, what I have found some teachers doing as will as examination bodies, have placed in the marking schemes of exams marks for grammar and mechanics. Therefor, the child is focused to used the approapriate grammar. I have heard students speaking and I ask myself whether these children are being taught english. For too long we teacher see language/literacy as something that should be isolated from the other content areas and this is not the case.

[jean]

I must say I agree with the points that were made, especially with Blanch because no matter how much we, as teachers, talk in the classroom and teach the content of the different subject areas, if the students do not have the literacy skills needed to interact effectivey with text, then it will all be in vain.

All teachers, therefore, should be teachers of literacy and not believe it is the job of the primary school teachers or language arts teachers to teach literacy skills to the students. If this is done, the students will benefit immensely from it because these skills are gained not just for school but for life. And we need to keep that in mind.

[macj]

Well my view would be, although the teachers may bring across a message, if it is not accepted and understood by the students, down to the "jargon, terminology or vocabulary", then the teacher is not a teacher of literacy as yet. Especially if the students are not equipped with the necessary skills to use the content to further construct new knowledge independently.

[indi]

According to what my colleagues said about the structure of the text books for the various subject areas. I must reiterate the fact that it is important for each teacher to be trained to take the integrated approach to teaching despite the subject area. All avenues that are available to assist students with developing their reading and writing skills must be explored so that a foundation may be established for students to become independant learners and critical thinkers.

[cyan]

Very good point blanch. It is quite senseless to teach students content and they cannot practice the language arts.

From my interactions with Moss (2005), every teacher is a teacher of literacy.

However, since most teachers are caught up in the fallacy that their job is to teach 'content' and it is the language arts teachers' job to teach literacy, teachers then do not focus on the needs and interests of their students.

I believe that teachers should be reminded that we are teaching students to be 'life long learners' and 'independent learners' and not just teaching them to pass an exam.

[mand]

I believe that literacy is very important because it is integral to the effective learning of the students in all curriculum areas and across all areas of learning. It is essential for the learning of students throughout their lives and for them to actively take part in work, in their families and their lives as a citizen. No child should be left behind or forgotten in any content area, so therefore every teacher has a responsibility to be a teacher of literacy by developing strategies to help students become better readers and understand what they read.