Running head: LITERACY IN LITERATURE 1

Importance of Adolescent Literacy

Tasmia Alam

Arizona State University

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Abstract

This paper will discuss the importance of adolescent literacy as well as disciplinary literacy A

further explanation regarding the distinction between disciplinary literacy and content literacy

will also be discussed. A deeper focus will be given on the literacy that occurs within the English

discipline, followed by strategies and ideas that further support this discipline.
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Importance of Adolescent Literacy

As technology advancements transform the world socially, culturally, and

environmentally, the definition of literacy especially within the classroom fluctuates alongside it.

Literacy in the 21st century goes beyond the ability to learning how to read and write; it has

branched out to multitudinous genres and topics ranging from foundational (i.e the basic form of

literacy) to health and financial literacy. Due to its vastness, there is ambiguity in defining

literacy in the 21st century. However, similar trends can be identified in each category of literacy,

which allows to curate a general definition. In its basic form, literacy today can be defined as the

ability to use reading and writing to “acquire knowledge, solve problems, and make decisions in

academic, personal, and professional arenas” (Goldman, 2012, p. 90). In summation, it is the

ability to apply the knowledge interpreted from the curriculum to real-world situations both in

and outside of the classroom.

As an educator, there is an obligation to understand the changing definition of literacy as

major technological/cultural developments continue to occur each year. As the year progresses,

adolescents’ ability to develop these literacy skills fall short for numerous reasons such as simply

teaching the content at curriculum/content area. This causes a disconnect between the text and

students’ understanding of the material. This gap causes adolescents to continuously struggle not

just academically but professionally and personally as well. Likewise, it is fundamentally crucial

to teach literacy skills at its most current definition. Providing literacy instruction that assists

students for not only higher education but also for their future careers and their adult life, further

allows them to be prepared for their futures. Education expert Dr. Beerer further supports the

importance of adolescent literacy by explaining that “when students are asked to think, read,
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write, speak, and listen like an expert in the field, they develop the insider knowledge needed to

succeed with intellectually challenging tasks” (Beerer, 2017)The thinking and reasoning skills

that adolescents need in order to be successful both personally and professionally in the 21st

century begin with educators curating two types of literacy content: content area literacy and

discipline literacy. Both literacies are crucial to be taught in schools for adolescents to be able to

navigate and understand their generation.

Content Area Literacy

Content Area Literacy (CAL) is an approach in which “students learn reading and

writing processes that are common across disciplines” (International Literacy Association, 2017).

It is providing curriculum and assignments based on the assumption that students have prior

knowledge of the subject that is being taught at hand. The focus of teaching is the content itself,

and the remaining is depended on the assumption of the students’ ability to interpret the text

given as well as composing and revising the texts at hand. CAL focuses on literacy in the

intermediate level. Although several studies conducted prove that this pedagogy is useful, some

studies also indicated that simply focusing on the common literacy strategies specific to the

content and not the discipline (which is defined as a higher level of study) itself, may potentially

hinder students’ success within their generation (“Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy”,

2017)

Disciplinary Literacy

When applying the disciplinary literacy approach, “students use literacy to engage in

goals and practices that are unique to each academic discipline” (“Content Area and

Disciplinary Literacy”, 2017). It is a step further from the content area literacy approach as it

encourages students to fully delve into a deeper understanding of the study itself by using real
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world applications. For teachers, this approach can be defined as a reinforcement of a new era of

teaching as it invites the use of multimodal resources in order to assist students with their basic

understanding of the discipline (Beerer, 2017). Under this approach, instruction is very student

centered. Students learn how to maximize and interpret texts in order to fit goals that are created

within the discipline. This approach is very student driven; educators provide the resources and

skills needed to achieve the goals and the students take these multimodal resources and apply

them to their disciplinary goals. As a result, combining both CAL and disciplinary literacy

practices allow students to both understand the text as well as apply a deeper and diverse

comprehension of the text and its complexities.

Challenges of Adolescent Literacy

The importance of adolescent literacy stems from its challenges. Although challenges

vary due to the different discipline literacies, a list of foundational challenges exist in every

discipline. To begin with, each student in the classroom may have a different level of reading

proficiency. Statistics pulled from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

show that a majority of student simply reach the basic level of reading levels (Lee & Spratley,

2010, p.2). This can causes students to struggle with the text due to lack of vocabulary

knowledge, “general knowledge of topics and texts structures”, knowledge of how to break down

comprehension of texts, and to maintain proficiency while reading at the level in which they can

understand in (Lee & Spratley, 2010, p.2).

From these foundational challenges, more discipline focused challenges emerge, as

different subjects have distinct concepts that cause issue with students. In this paper, the

challenges of English Language Arts (ELA) literacy will be discussed more in depth.
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Explanation of ELA Literacy

Prior to discussing the obstacles within achieving ELA literacy, a description of what

ELA literacy looks like in a classroom setting may be beneficial. To be literate in ELA, students

must be (similar to other disciplines) access prior knowledge such as understanding text

structures that are beyond the assigned school curriculum, understand the relationship between

human interactions and their internal states (why characters behave the way in which they do

both externally and internally), identifying rhetorical tools to interpret problems created by

authors in text, and create an interconnected link between texts that draw upon the reader’s

overall knowledge of the text they are reviewing (Lee & Spratley, 2010, pp. 9-12). Despite

debates regarding the importance of literature in the classroom, the significance of teaching

literature through the disciplinary literacy approach is profound.

A 1998 study conducted by Peskin further supports this notion. Peskin asked one group

of participants who obtained a doctorate degree in English literature and one group of

undergraduates who had taken one entry level poetry course. When given two unfamiliar poems

to discuss about, the doctoral students conducted their discussion based on their own literary

knowledge in order to make meaning with the text as well as explore the many complexities and

aspects of the poem whereas the undergraduate students did not reach that deeper level of

understanding (Rainey, 2016). Moreover, authors Lee and Spratley claimed that “reading deeply

complex literary texts offers unique opportunities for students to wrestle with some of the core

ethical dilemmas” (2010, p.11). Having this level of literacy allows students to think critically

about the world around them and help navigate through everyday tribulations.
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Like all disciplines, there are challenges within literacy itself. For instance, a range in

scores of students’ reading proficiency levels can cause limitations in both comprehending the

text as well as discussing critically. This poses the dilemma of assisting students who are low in

proficiency to understand and enjoy the curriculum assigned to them. Additionally, a majority of

classic literature are not written in contemporary English as well as their social settings may not

be accurately perceived by students due to their own limitations of experience and language

familiarity. There is also a lack of direction in literature classrooms. As literature is often open-

ended, teachers generally do not teach students on how to analyze and interpret literary texts but

rather taught the concepts of literary tools. (Lee & Spratley, 2010, p.10). This can potentially

cause a disconnect between the author’s intentions and students’ interpretations.

Supporting Students in ELA

In order to address these challenges, teachers must connect both content literacy and

disciplinary literacy for students to get the most educational and literacy skills as possible.

Likewise, this depends on discipline as well, however, authors McConachie and Petrosky have

curated five disciplinary literacy design principles that are foundational across all disciplines.

These include “knowledge and thinking must go hand in hand,” “learning is apprenticeship,”

“teachers must serve as mentors in the apprenticeship,” “classroom culture socializes

intelligence,” and “instruction and assessment drive each other” (McConachie & Petrosky 2010,

pp. 210-14). Under these principles, McConachie and Petrosky further explain how teachers can

support students in disciplinary literacy, particularly in ELA.

In the first principle, the relationship between knowledge and thinking is addressed. They

are strongly connected and dependent upon one another. In order to foster this relationship,

teachers must develop and use themes as well as apply them to projects and overarching
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questions, use different arcs to help guide students from reading comprehension to critical

thinking by asking multiple questions to engage their understandings throughout the unit.

The second principle, apprenticeship is encouraged by coaching and guiding students

through multitudinous teaching strategies to help encourage them to solve problems

collaboratively, engage in meaningful discussions, as well as read and write based on their

comprehension of complex texts.

The third principle emphasizes the role teachers have as mentors within that

apprenticeship. Educators must model reading and writing that is expected, assist in students’

awareness of their limitations, and use a variety of multimodal materials and resources to further

aid students’ independent learning.

The fourth principle emphasizes on creating an engaging classroom culture that promotes

intelligence through socializing. This means that educators should construct a community that

allows students to engage and be productive when hosting discussions. McConachie and

Petrosky also recommend that teachers group students with different literacy/reading

proficiencies in order to help students grow and gain skills at a faster pace (2010, p. 210-14).

The last principle discusses the importance of instruction and assessment. In ELA,

students often are assigned writing and reading assignments. In order to fully track students’

literacy progress, assignments should be constructed with thought provoking questions, frequent

conferences be hosted to document students’ progress, and assess feedback. Throughout the

school year, educators should also host informal and formal assessments in order to help gain

feedback and adjust curriculum pace if needed to ensure students gain the skills that are needed.
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Conclusion

Disciplinary literacy is a vital part of today’s curriculum, especially in the secondary

education classroom. Students now need a variety of literacy skills that will not simply help them

in further academic pursuits, but in their lives as well. As educators, the job to address and

acknowledge the challenges and limitations the content area that is taught as well as promote

ways to help students think deeper and comprehend texts in a meaningful way is important for

their literacy. Through the development of ELA literacy skills, students will be able to branch

these skills and apply them to other literacy skills of their interest. Understanding the importance

and embracing the disciplinary literacy approach will help shape a better future for their

generation.
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References

Appendix A: Disciplinary Literacy Design Principles by Core Academic Area. (2012). In

Content Matters (pp. 197–214). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118269466.app1

Disciplinary Literacy: Helping Students Develop Insider Knowledge. (2017, March 27).

Discovery Education. https://www.discoveryeducation.com/details/disciplinary-literacy-helping-

students-develop-insider-knowledge/

Goldman, S. R. (2012). Adolescent Literacy: Learning and Understanding Content. The

Future of Children, 22(2), 89–116. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2012.0011

Literacy Leadership Brief: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy: Strategies and

Frameworks. (n.d.). 9.

Rainey, E. C. (2017). Disciplinary Literacy in English Language Arts: Exploring the

Social and Problem-Based Nature of Literary Reading and Reasoning. Reading Research

Quarterly, 52(1), 53–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.154

Snow, C. (n.d.). Council on Advancing Adolescent Literacy (CAAL). 34.

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