Teaching to Think & Read Like a Historian

Abstract

This study explores how a disciplinary literacy framework could impact adolescent comprehension in the content area of social studies. I collected qualitative data by recording interviews with five high school social studies teachers, while also analyzing the school’s curriculum and its integration of literacy. Several findings were acquired from the research: 1) a need to return to the basics of reading and writing; 2) break down the sources for student comprehension of complex texts used in social studies classes; 3) students’ struggle with historical writing; and 4) comprehension literacy strategies used in social studies classrooms. Conclusions from this study are 1) the need of building the fundamental reading and writing skills in secondary instruction; 2) the need to develop students’ writing skills to be successful composing historical essays.