ABSTRACT
Content area literacy refers to the use of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing as tools for integrating and learning subject matter. Students are often expected to learn subject matter through reading, taking notes and outlining, listening to their teachers lecture, reading and understanding charts or graphs, or viewing a documentary. Content literacy and disciplinary literacy are related, but disciplinary literacy goes beyond content literacy. Content area reading focuses on teaching the reading and study skills that will help students better understand and remember the material in their content area classes. All teachers play a role in enhancing students’ literacy. In all content areas, teachers should prepare students to read increasingly complex and sophisticated materials as required by the Common Core State Standards. Since each discipline has its own text types or genres, which increase in complexity as grade levels increase, students should engage with the texts and learn to navigate them for comprehension.
