Reading instruction at the secondary level, justified or unjustified? : real strategies for content area reading instruction with applications for social studies

Reading research conclusively asserts that reading is developmental in nature and requires explicit instruction beyond the elementary years. However, secondary education is dominated by content area curricula, leaving little instructional time for literacy. Standardized assessments reveal that middle and high school students\u27 reading comprehension scores remain stagnant, yet society\u27s literacy demands have increased. In order for students to become independent learners and productive citizens, reading comprehension strategies need to be embedded in existing classroom practices. Research-based practices for comprehension that can be used before, during and after reading are presented. A professional development session, covering two years, is included that challenges in-service teachers in the field of social studies to examine eleven reading comprehension skills supported by Iowa\u27s Department of Education, using the Explicit Direct Instruction Model