Introductory psychology students need supports to read and think in a discipline-specific way when learning psychology theories. We tested the effectiveness of using a task-model steps chart to help students understand, evaluate, and use theories presented in their introductory psychology textbook and lecture videos. We randomly assigned 52…

This article reports on recent research which found that academic communication skills are a problem for a surprisingly large proportion of English-speaking Australian students. Despite the widely-held recognition of the importance of academic literacy instruction in Australian higher education, literacy skills have previously been largely…

With a focus on content-area reading, this study aimed to (a) understand the sources and prevalence of concurrent and specific difficulties in word-level skills, vocabulary, and knowledge among adolescent struggling readers (ASRs) and (b) explore the relations among reading skills, profiles, and reading comprehension. A dual-measure screening…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to explain key aspects of teaching and learning relevant to sustaining literacy development beyond the early years of schooling, including effective teaching of more complex texts. The paper takes as its point of departure Touchstone 9 of the Foundation Touchstones promoted by the Foundation of Learning and…

This study focuses on teaching Engineering students reading skills in the English classroom. The methodology comprised conducting surveys--with the aid of three questionnaires--to gather the views of Engineering students, English faculty, and Engineering faculty on how reading skills could be taught and learned effectively. In addition, the…

School pedagogies that expand opportunities for learners to build and use knowledge for meaningful purposes are resources for hope. Internationally, standards-based reforms in science education position schooling as a context for building and using disciplinary knowledge to explain phenomena and solve problems. There is also growing research…

Integrating content-area and literacy instruction in primary-grade classrooms creates authentic and engaging opportunities for students to build background knowledge and literacy skills. Furthermore, when students engage in meaningful dialogue about content-area topics they can discuss complex ideas and use content-specific vocabulary. These…

Research indicates that dialogic teaching promotes students content understanding, learning engagement, and democratic participation in classroom discussion. However, dialogic teaching is often misconstrued as a challenge for multilingual learners because there is a tendency to view them as lacking English language proficiency for sustained…

Access to core subject-area curriculum for students from immigrant backgrounds who are learning the dominant language of instruction has long been a barrier to equitable education around the world, especially in secondary schools. This article explores the promise of Complex Instruction (CI) to address barriers to access for such multilingual…

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of the Promoting Adolescent Comprehension Through Text (PACT) intervention, a social studies content knowledge and reading comprehension set of practices implemented with social studies classes including students with disabilities. Social studies general education teachers were provided with professional…