Exploring Disciplinary Literacy

Rooted in Social Justice: Part III By Dr. Rosalyn Shahid, Wayne RESA, and Melissa Brooks-Yip, Washtenaw ISD The final post in a series telling the history, purpose, and direction of the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6-12 . Future Impact of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials Melissa: How would you say the Essentials are influencing our state?  Dr. Stockdill: The Essentials became a core document to inform new policy documents. More people within Michigan Department of Education are engaged with the Essentials. We have great MDE partners who are making this work more visible.  Melissa: Can you talk a bit about how the Essentials are impacting policy?   Dr. Stockdill:  A new set of teacher education standards are being developed, and The Essentials was one of the core documents referenced in designing those standards. I’m hopeful that going forward the Essentials will continue to be lifted.  Rosalyn: What would you consider next steps for the work?

Rooted in Social Justice: Part II By Dr. Rosalyn Shahid, Wayne RESA, and Melissa Brooks-Yip, Washtenaw ISD The second in a series telling the history, purpose, and direction of the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6-12 . Purpose and Process of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials Melissa:   What was the first idea of the Essentials and the philosophy behind them? We’re hoping to share the context and history of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials with educators. Dr. Moje : We are looking at reading beyond 3rd grade (with the disciplinary literacy essentials).  Nobody thinks you need to do anything with reading beyond third grade!  Why third grade?  We are (with the disciplinary literacy essentials) looking at teaching the necessary dimensions of literacy and expanding beyond K-3 and 4-5. And we want to expand this in every subject, not just ELA as everyone expects. (For more on extending reading instruction beyond 3rd grade, see " Extended--an