The Learning Coach - Strategic Learning and Training Skills
CONTENT ENHANCEMENT ROUTINES™
 

What is a "Content Enhancement Routine"? This type of routine is a teacher's approach to a teaching task. It is used interactively by the teacher with students to promote learning of targeted critical content based on a learning device that helps diverse students compensate for their lack of independent learning strategies, or literacy skills.

On average, ALL STUDENTS in diverse classes gain 10-15 percentage points on tests of content information covered in instructional units using these Routines.

Significant growth is also observed across various Routines in the following:

  • Quality and quantity of class notes
  • Quality of essay questions
  • Number of key concepts correctly identified and analyzed
  • Quality of writing performance (ideation, mechanics, fluency, total number of words)
  • Identification and organization of main ideas/details
  • Teacher integration of instructional practices related to responding to diversity
  • Teacher planning, presenting, and evaluating procedures related to student assignments
  • Teacher modeling of tools for remembering key information
  • Teacher and student satisfaction ratings for usage of Routines

Content Enhancement Routines
Click on link below for descriptions

The Smarter Planning Routine
Lesson Organizer Routine
Concept Mastery Routine
Framing Routine
Quality Assignment Routine

Course Organizer Routine
Survey Routine
Concept Comparison Routine
Vocabulary LINCing Routine
Question Exploration Routine

Unit Organizer Routine
Concept Anchoring Routine
Clarifying Routine
Recall Enhancement Routine

Where can Content Enhancement Teaching Routines and Learning Strategies be taught?
Instruction can be accomplished in several settings and directed by various personnel. However, the most powerful approach is to utilize the "Content Literacy Continiuum" as a framework for analyzing student achievement data, identifying where evidenced - based interventions are missing, then prioritizing which Content Enhancement Routines and Learning Strategies need to be added. The Content Literacy Continiuum (CLC) describes 5 levels of literacy support that should be in place in every secondary school. It emphasizes the connections amoung the literacy processes of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and presenting. CLC is a cutting edge way for secondary schools to begin framing literacy interventions in their buildings in a comprehensive manner rather than hit or miss. The levels are:

  • Level 1: Ensuring mastery of critical content in all subject area classes. Teachers use Content Enhancement Routines to promote understanding/mastery of content for all students.

  • Level 2: Weaving learning strategies within rigorous general education classes. Teachers incorporate selected learning strategies into their content-based instruction.

  • Level 3: Supporting mastery of learning strategies for targeted students. Students with literacy problems receive specialized, intensive instruction from someone other than the subject-matter teacher.

  • Level 4: Developing intensive instructional options for students who lack foundational skills. Students learn content literacy skills through specialized, direct, and intensive instruction from reading specialists and special education teachers.

  • Level 5: Developing intensive clinical options for language interventions. Students with underlying language disorders receive individual or small-group language therapy from speech pathologists in collaboration with other support personnel teaching literacy skills.

We are pleased to offer several articles to further explain and illustrate possible applications of Content Enhancement Teaching Routines and Learning Strategies. Click text links below to view.

"Adolescent Literacy: Ensuring that No Child is Left Behind," Principle Leadership, 11/03

"Strategic Content Literacy Initiative Focusing on Reading in Secondary Schools",
9/99, vol. 8, issue 1

"SMARTER Planning: Considering Curriculum in Light of Standards-based Reform",
March, 2001, vol. 9, issue 6

"Content LIteracy Continuum"
Summary | Learning Strategies | Content Enhancement Routines
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The Learning Coach®, Inc. - Golden, Colorado · Phone: 303/215-1400