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Northern Illinois University

P20

P-20 Task Force Goal 1: Increase Student Achievement

Integrating Content Area Instruction and Literacy

NIU Colleges: College of Education, Department of Literacy Education, Department of Kinesiology /Physical Education
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of English, Department of History
College of Health and Human Services, Department of Public Health and Health Education
Location:  NIU
Level: Higher Education

Northern Illinois University stands at the cusp of new developments in content specific literacy instruction with the understanding that different disciplines have specific ways of learning and performing, and unique and diverse ways of reading and analyzing texts, as well as approaching critical problems. Understanding skills needed in each discipline requires ongoing dialogue and collaboration between secondary literacy educators and content specialists. This project begins to develop the collaborations necessary between literacy education and other content areas, such as kinesiology and English to create disciplinary-specific literacy courses. The purpose is to assist secondary education majors in developing literacy strategies that are focused on their areas of specialization.

Milestones

Collaboration with Kinesiology/
Health Education

Fall 2009

  • Literacy faculty will work with kinesiology faculty to integrate physical education and literacy at initial levels.
  • Literacy faculty will discuss with health educators how content literacy instruction can help develop “health literacy” in secondary students, as promoted in the 21st Century Skills Framework.

Spring 2010

  • More concerted integration of P.E. and literacy.
  • Begin collecting data about physical education students’ perceptions of the integration of P.E. and literacy.

 

Collaboration with English/
History

Fall 2009

  • Adapt Content Area Literacy Instruction (LTRE 311) course for English/Social Studies students.

Spring 2010

  • Implement course changes in LTRE 311.
  • Evaluate course changes.

Contact Information

Corrine Wickens
cwickens@niu.edu or (815)753-8485