A Handbook of Content Literacy Strategies: 75 Practical Reading and Writing Ideas.

Designed to help teachers develop instructional practices that enable students to become more active learners of content, this handbook provides elementary, middle school, and secondary teachers with strategies for integrating reading and writing as tools for learning in the content areas. The handbook describes literacy strategies that have the power to make standards come alive for students and includes procedures, classroom variations, and examples for each strategy. A special feature of the handbook is the incorporation of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, to help students connect, explore, and expand their understanding of content knowledge. The handbook is divided into the following six chapters: (1) Content Literacy: Identifying the Issues; (2) A Framework for Content Literacy Instruction; (3) Strategies for Initiating; (4) Strategies for Constructing; (5) Strategies for Utilizing; and (6) Literature in All Classrooms. The first chapter establishes the need for and purpose of content literacy; while the second chapter provides a theoretical framework for content literacy instruction. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 operationalize each component of the instructional framework. Chapter 6 provides teachers with information about appropriate literature for various content areas, how to locate it, and strategies for involving students with it. Appendix A lists professional organizations and journals; appendix B cites award-winning children's books; and appendix C gives listserv and World Wide Web site information. (NKA)