Literacy, Critical Reading & the Curriculum

MEG GORZYCKI, ED.D.

Why Does Literacy Matter?Language is foundational for learning as words are proxies for mental images, abstract ideas, feelings, and the transmission of knowledge

Dahaene, S. (2009). Reading and the brain. New York, Viking Press.

Learning to read in pre-school and habitually improving one’s literacy skills in grade school gives individuals an advantage throughout formal education

Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (2001). Emergent literacy: Development from pre-readers to readers. Handbook of early literacy r research, 1, 11-29.

About 85% of all learning in post-secondary education involves reading and in many courses the textbook is a major source of information.

Nist, S.T. & Simpson, M. L. (2000). College studying. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.) Handbook of reading research (Vol. III). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

What is Literacy?

Ability to read and writehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literacy

Literacy concerns verbal reasoning and the ability to read criticallyBurton, N. W., Welsh, C., Kostin, I., & Van Essen. (2009). Toward a definition of verbal reasoning in higher education. Educational Testing Services. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507807.pdf.

Ability to understand complex syntax, phonology, semantics, and grammarGraff, H. J. (1982). The legacies of literacy. Journal of Communication, 32(1), 12-26

A means of achieving goals, develop knowledge and fully participate in community lifeRichmond, M., Robinson, C., & Sachs-Israel, M (2008). The global literacy challenge: A profile of youth and adult literacy at the midpoint of the United nations Literacy Decade, 2003-2013. Paris: United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

What is Literacy?*

Below Basic• Unable to locate

information embedded in simple text

• Had difficulty following instructions

Basic• Able to read short

prose and see main ideas;

• Reads and understands simple directions

IntermediateReads dense text; summarizes ideas;

makes simple inferences; sees cause-

effect; recognizes author’s purpose and implications of work

Proficient• Synthesizes

information; analyzes text; links context to content

• Detect structure in text; sees impact on what is communicated

* The Assessment of Adult Literacy identifies four levels of literacy as noted in Baer, J. D. et. al. (2003). The literacy of America’s college students. Washington, D. C.: American Institutes for Research.

What is Literacy?BASIC LITERACY PROFICIENT LITERACY

What is Critical Reading? A form of verbal reasoning in which the reader activity constructs meaning from text

Burton, N. W., Welsh, C., Kostin, I., & Van Essen. (2009). Toward a definition of verbal reasoning in higher education. Educational Testing Services. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED507807.pdf.

The conscious engagement of cognitive tasks, (such as thinking about the validity of assertions or making inferences), aimed to improve the reader’s understanding of text

Chapman, A. (Ed.) (1993). Making sense: Teaching critical reading across the curriculum. New York: College Board.

What is Critical Reading?

We do far more than decode syntax and words when we read…

Braxton Hill taken by Angie Hill. http://boogersonthewall.com/2012/07/26/reading-babies-update/

No, that is actually not historically accurate…

This is like that picture I

saw in the museum.

…I miss my cat too! Stay

focused..I wonder he meant…That adjective was a

harsh descriptor!

If the neurological footprint recapitulates

in both the hypothalamus and the temporal lobe, then..

What is Critical Reading? Some Cognitive Tasks Associated with Critical Reading1. Identify the implications of assertions

2. Compare new and old information

3. Think about the meaning of statements

4. Assess the strength of evidence for claims

5. Assess the accuracy and validity of information

6. Consider the potential biases of the author

7. Make note of words I do not know

8. Decide which information is cardinal and which is peripheral

What is Critical Reading? Some Metacognitive Tasks Associated with Critical Reading1. Monitor our own understanding

2. Direct our attention

3. Monitor our own emotional reactions

4. Cross examine our own biases

5. Test our own understanding of what we read

6. Think about what might improve our own thinking about the text

Students’ Critical Reading Needs

MIDDLE 50% OF SAT VERBAL SCORES FOR STUDENTS AT HIGHLY SELECTIVE UNIVERSITIES

MIDDLE 50% OF SAT SCORES FOR STUDENTS AT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITIES

Yale = 700-800

Stanford= 660-760

Carlton= 660-760

MIT= 650-760

UCLA= 560-680

Cal Poly SLO= 540-630

San Francisco= 440-560

San Jose= 440-540

Sacramento= 410-530

Bakersfield= 390-500

SAT scores 2011: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/a/more-top-college-sat-scores.htm

Students’ Critical Reading NeedsREADING LEVELS OF ADULTS AND STUDENTS IN 2 AND 4-YEAR COLLEGES (BAER, ET. AL. 2003)

Students’ Critical Reading Needs

The professor tells us everything we need to pass the test, so I don’t

need to read!

I have to work, so I’ll call Jane to find out what was in the book

I’m not majoring in this subject, so why read?

So the difference between Herbert Feis’ and William Appleman’s approach to the Cold War… An in-class reading exercise

might improve students’ reading skills by having them

compare and contrast sources, perspectives, and

evidence…Oops!

Improving Critical Reading

Basic

Proficient

As a novice, I need to improve my metacognition and rehearse my

critical reading skills

As a master, I need to structure opportunities for you to do that and

provide expert feedback on your progress

Improving Critical Reading SkillsWHAT INSTRUCTORS CAN DO

Take students’ literacy needs seriously

Treat critical reading as course content

Integrate critical reading exercises into assignments

Offer abundant formative assessments of reading exercises

Explicitly guide students in their understanding of the cognitive skills associated with reading proficiency

Explicitly guide students in their use of metacognition while they read

incorporate reading exercises into summative assessments and exams

Improving Critical Reading SkillsWHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Take your reading needs seriously

Monitor your understanding by stating main ideas in your own words

Look up words you do not know

Re-read things to discover details or perspectives you might have previously missed

Think about what you read, the implications, veracity, and significance of assertions

Develop an appreciation for scholarly articulation

Increase your awareness of the consequences of a limited capacity to express complex ideas