Note: Disciplinary Literacy is also referred to as “comprehensive literacy” or “embedded literacy.” The terms are essentially interchangeable.
When I was a kid in elementary school, the phrase disciplinary literacy conjured up images of writing “I will not talk in class” one hundred times on the chalkboard.
This phrase actually means something completely different, of course. “In order to be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society, students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume and extensive range of print and non-print texts in media forms old and new.” (ADE DL Science document, 2016).
This means that ALL core content teachers in 6th through 12th grade – ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies – need to apply specific sections of the state’s ELA standards to their lessons.
However, finding the relevant sections of the state ELA Standards can be somewhat daunting, especially for those from other content areas. To make that process simpler, I’ve compiled detailed summaries of the relevant sections by grade level:
Teachers should review the appropriate summaries at least once each quarter to verify that these essential literacy skills and concepts are being regularly addressed in their classrooms.
Scientific Literary
In February of 2017, the ADE released a focused version of Disciplinary Literacy for Science instruction. While similar to the above, this document focuses specifically on applying the process to Science courses:
6-12 Disciplinary Literacy – Science
Fine Arts Literary
The ADE also has a focused version of Disciplinary Literacy that applies the process to Music, Art, and Theatre: