Reading? In a Social Studies Class? A Science Class? A Math Class? Of course!
As Common Core Standards have come to the forefront in many trainings in schools across the country, teachers have been told they must reinforce reading skills in their content classes. ALL content classes! What? Are they crazy? But, I teach Social Studies!
Come on people… we read everything. We read math equations. We read primary sources. We read lab reports. And most importantly, we read menus and ads and just everything! Reading is an everyday thing for all of us. It cannot be avoided, and it shouldn’t. Reading is also fun! It allows us the opportunity to travel the world, solve mysteries, or just escape from our mundane lives. Why can’t we/shouldn’t we teach that lesson to our students?
So, how do I, as a Social Studies teacher (or Science or Math or…) teach reading skills? Simple. Teach your content! Teach your skills. And expect students to read all along the way. More importantly, do not spoon feed them facts, but allow them the chance to explore, experience, and engage in those facts through reading.
Finally, practice basic reading skills in everything you do. Require comprehension. Require analysis. And require the love of reading!
Here are a few ideas to help you utilize reading skills in your classroom:
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| Character/Significant Person Analysis |
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| Poems for ANY Class |
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| Social Media Templates |
Michele