Two Solution Tree Books Win Teachers’ Choice Awards for Professional Development

Bloomington, Ind. (October 10, 2019)—In Reading and Writing Strategies for the Secondary Science Classroom in a PLC—published by Solution Tree—authors Daniel M. Argentar, Katherine Gillies, Maureen M. Rubenstein and Brian Wise provide practical literacy-based strategies for science teachers of grades 6–12.

“There are many reasons why science teachers in grades 6–12 need to be literacy teachers,” explain the authors in the book’s introduction. “Reading about science, writing about science, and thinking like a scientist requires a mindset that focuses on elements of reading and writing that are fundamentally different from reading fiction or history or the news.”

Part of the Every Teacher Is a Literacy Teacher series, edited by Mark Onuscheck and Jeanne Spiller, this resource describes and details how science teachers and literacy experts—such as English teachers, reading teachers and reading specialists—can work collaboratively to integrate literacy and content-area instruction, as well as address the four critical questions of a professional learning community (PLC):

1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know when they have learned it?
3. What do we do if they haven’t learned it yet?
4. How do we extend learning for those who are already proficient?

Thinking Breaks appear throughout the text to encourage educators to reflect on current practices, challenges and opportunities for growth. In addition, Collaborative Team Considerations appear at the end of each chapter to guide collaborative team discussions on disciplinary literacy ideas.

“When students struggle with understanding text, they will find their science classes to be incredibly challenging,” explained Cathy Bockenstedt, an eighth-grade science teacher at Central Middle School in Minnesota. “With this book’s many science-specific examples, organized into different reading and writing categories, it achieves its goal of providing strategies to help students learn to think like scientists. Through it, science teachers can navigate new understandings about science-based literacy instruction to improve both our own practices and student understanding.”

Reading and Writing Strategies for the Secondary Science Classroom in a PLC is available to order at SolutionTree.com

About the Authors

Daniel M. Argentar is a literacy coach and communication arts teacher at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He works with instructors from all divisions to increase disciplinary literacy for students.

Katherine Gillies is the lead architect of school- and districtwide literacy improvement at Niles North High School in Illinois. Her 14 years in education have also included roles as an English teacher and literacy coach.

Maureen M. Rubenstein is a literacy coach and special education instructor at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. As a teacher, she works with students on individualized education plans who have diagnosed reading, writing and emotional disabilities.

Brian Wise is a literacy coach and English teacher at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. He specializes in building teacher capacity for embedding literacy skills into classroom instruction and assessment.

Learn more about Solution Tree.