In order to be successful in content area classes such as social studies, science, and mathematics, students must be able to read a variety of informational texts and produce written documents. This workshop will give teachers the tools they need to integrate literacy strategies into content learning to help raise student achievement. Participants will use the Literacy Matters web site as an anchor throughout this workshop for exploring instructional strategies. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to locate web-based tools, strategies, and lessons that foster literacy skills in all content areas. They will also have developed a preliminary lesson plan incorporating these tools and strategies.

In this workshop, participants will examine best practices for direct vocabulary instruction in order to build the breadth and depth of students? vocabulary for both comprehension and written expression in grades three through five. Participants will learn the importance of creating a word-conscious learning environment that encourages motivation and interest in learning new words. Participants will learn how to model and encourage independent word-learning strategies that students can apply while engaging in wide and varied reading. They will also explore the value of instructing students to infer the meaning of words from context and word parts. For their final project, participants will incorporate components of a balanced vocabulary program by designing a vocabulary lesson based on a classroom text?either fiction or non-fiction.

When teachers integrate adolescent literature into the curriculum, students are given an opportunity to learn about themselves and the world during a critical time in their development. Recent research on reading development suggests a growing number of evidence-based practices that can help students with the complex process of reading to make meaning. In this workshop, participants will learn how to select literature for students of varied needs and how to improve students? reading comprehension through questioning techniques. They will also explore a wide range of literature response strategies and techniques for assessment. As a final product, participants will create a classroom lesson based on the strategies learned in this workshop.