Exploring Disciplinary Literacy

By Laura Gabrion, Wayne RESA Literacy Consultant and Disciplinary Literacy Task Force Member At the 67th Annual Michigan Reading Association Conference in March, three MAISA GELN 6-12 Disciplinary Literacy Task Force members came together to discuss School-wide Essential Practice #8 and Instructional Essential Practice #9 . These practices can be found in our Essential School-Wide Practices in Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6 to 12 and our Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy in the Secondary Classroom documents, respectively.  While the conference theme amplified the importance of developing and sustaining communities within our various educational spaces, each conference presentation defined community in its own unique way. Since our focus as members of the Disciplinary Literacy Task Force was to explore ways to connect students to disciplinary communities within and beyond the classroom, we urged participants to consider how classroom activities, such as pr