Integrating Literacy Skills Across the Curriculum

“Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship.” - Kofi Annan

Literacy skills impact every aspect of an individual's life. With the unprecedented access to information available online, it’s essential to equip young people with the skills they need to effectively evaluate, interpret, and discuss the content they encounter. To modernize education, many schools and districts are prioritizing the teaching of literacy skills across all content areas, not just Language Arts. While some educators may feel this is already happening (e.g., reading word problems in math, writing research papers in social studies), truly embracing a shift toward integrating literacy across the curriculum requires educators to do more than simply provide opportunities for practice.

The key mental shift required of educators involves moving from asking students to practice literacy skills to explicitly teaching those skills in different content areas. This approach not only accelerates growth in reading and writing but also boosts students' confidence and competence in each subject. For instance, if a student is given a report to write in science class without instruction on how to write one, they may conclude that science itself is difficult. However, by providing writing support, they might discover a deep interest in the subject. 

I have personally witnessed too many teachers, especially those new to the profession, assume that students will already know how to do some of these tasks and just need a general outline. In reality, educators must explicitly teach students how to construct sentences, compose essays, or complete other assignments in order to develop their literacy skills effectively. The ideas suggested here will only support literacy if skills are taught.

Math

Incorporating literacy into math instruction can seem challenging, as it may feel like reading is being "shoehorned" into lessons. However, math supports literacy by teaching critical thinking, reading for detail, and technical writing. Word problems and scenarios provide a great opportunity to practice these skills. When students read a word problem, they must determine which details are relevant for solving it and then critically plan a solution. Even younger children or those who struggle with reading can benefit from listening to spoken scenarios, developing these literacy skills in a different format. Word problems also help students practice sentence structure, citation, and nonfiction writing.

Try:

• Teaching students how to dissect word problems by identifying key words and relevant details.

• Encouraging students to answer word problems in complete sentences and providing examples.

• Having students write out the steps they used to solve a problem, so that others could follow the same process.

Science

Scientific literacy is its own unique subset of literacy. Interpreting graphs, diagrams, or data sets is a valuable skill that many people struggle with. Additionally, scientific texts often require a specific vocabulary and the ability to visualize information. This content area offers opportunities for students to practice visualization, create and read diagrams, and write nonfiction. For younger learners, describing a frog in detail as a class can teach visualization and technical writing. Older students might practice predicting experimental outcomes by imagining the steps involved. Summarizing scientific texts or writing argumentative essays about scientific topics also helps to strengthen writing skills.

Try:

• Engaging in whole-class visualizations of descriptions before showing videos or pictures.

• Creating diagrams that relate to the current topic of study.

• Having students write out the steps taken during experiments.

• Summarizing texts read in class.

• Researching topics and writing essays or reports.

Social Studies

Social studies is rich with opportunities for reading, writing, and critical thinking. Beyond textbooks and news articles, primary sources such as letters and journal entries can deepen students' understanding of historical contexts. Fictional works from different time periods can also be used to explore traditional literacy skills like analyzing figurative language or plot structure while examining how an author’s experiences and culture influence the writing.

Try:

• Reading and analyzing works of fiction from the period being studied.

• Mimicking first-person accounts or other primary sources.

• Creating maps related to the historical area of study, and mapping out areas from reading books.

• Writing essays or reports on historical topics.

The Role of Discussion and Collaboration

Across all subjects, promoting a culture of discussion and collaboration is crucial for students to practice critical thinking and argumentative skills. While teaching concepts and assigning written work is essential, creating a classroom environment where students can engage in meaningful discussions is equally important. Without opportunities for dialogue, students may lack a nuanced understanding of the material and struggle to apply skills in other contexts. Building and maintaining this culture can be challenging, but the foundation involves assessing where students are and providing targeted practice, gradually building their abilities. Over time, they should be able to disagree politely, cite sources to support their opinions, assist peers, and present ideas confidently to small groups.

Teaching literacy skills across all content areas is a step in the right direction. The key is for educators to focus on teaching these skills directly, rather than merely providing practice opportunities. By integrating literacy instruction into subjects beyond Language Arts, educators can foster a deeper understanding and lifelong learning skills in students.