Developing Content Area Literacy: 40 Strategies for Middle and Secondary Classrooms

Forty evidenced-based strategies for integrating literacy instruction into the content areas

Providing unique content on assessment, differentiated instruction, technology, and reflective practice, Developing Content Area Literacy is designed to help busy middle school and secondary teachers meet the challenge of addressing the literacy learning needs of all students. Each of the 40 evidence-based strategies is organized around 8 essential areas of literacy instruction: academic vocabulary, reading fluency, narrative text, informational text, media and digital literacies, informational writing, critical thinking, and independent learning.

Key Features

• Specific approaches to differentiating instruction for striving or struggling readers and writers as well as English language learners are included.[b1]
• Easy-to-follow, step-by-step procedures for each strategy are organized around “before,” “during,” and “after” reading and writing instruction.
• New and innovative ways to implement technology in the classroom are included along with coverage of media and digital literacies.

Patricia Antonacci is a Professor Emeritus of Education at Iona College. Antonacci entered the teaching profession as a classroom teacher for the middle and elementary grades and continued as a literacy specialist. Her long career in public schools brought her a range of experiences as a teacher at all grade levels including a number of years working in diverse classroom settings. As a reading specialist for K through 12, she assisted teachers in integrating literacy instruction in content areas. Working in a large urban district afforded her rich experiences teaching striving readers and English language learners. Antonacci has taught courses at Fordham University and Iona College including the following: reading in the content areas for middle and secondary grades, foundations of literacy, literacy across the curriculum, action research, as well as mentoring doctoral students in conducting research in literacy education. She has published numerous articles and books including (as coauthors) Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Portraits of Literacy Development: Instruction and Assessment in a Well-Balanced Literacy Program, K-3 (2004); Antonacci & O’Callaghan, A Handbook for Literacy Instruction & Assessment Strategies K-8 (2006), Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Using Children’s Literature Across the Curriculum: A Handbook of Instructional Strategies K-8 (2010), Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Promoting Literacy Development K-8 (2012).

Catherine O’Callaghan is a professor of Education and Chair of the Education Department at Western Connecticut State University. She entered the teaching profession as a classroom teacher and continued her career as a literacy specialist with teaching experiences that span across the grades. Teaching in New York City within diverse settings afforded her a wide range of teaching experiences. Her doctoral degree from Fordham University in Language and Literacy initiated her research interests in new literacies, critical literacies, teacher education, and intervention plans for helping striving readers and writers. O’Callaghan began working with preservice and inservice teachers at St. Joseph’s College in the Child Study Department and as an adjunct at Fordham University.  She also taught in the literacy specialist program at Iona College for twelve years before moving on to Western Connecticut State University. She has published numerous articles and books including (as coauthors) Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Portraits of Literacy Development: Instruction and Assessment in a Well-Balanced Literacy Program, K-3 (2004); Antonacci & O’Callaghan, A Handbook for Literacy Instruction & Assessment Strategies K-8 (2006), Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Using Children’s Literature Across the Curriculum: A Handbook of Instructional Strategies K-8 (2010), Antonacci & O’Callaghan, Promoting Literacy Development K-8 (2012).