What Is Disciplinary Literacy?

“Without specialized literacies, students may be relegated to the position of reading and writing about what others are doing rather than participating in the activities of creation, inquiry, expression, and problem-solving” (Draper et. al., 2010).

The case for disciplinary literacy is compelling:

• The texts unique to a given field of study or employment contain specialized vocabulary, conventions, text structures, pragmatics, and text features that require support and instruction from an expert in that field (Spratley, 2009)
• Active participation in a field of study or employment requires proficiency in the specialized literacies of that field (Draper et. al., 2010)
• An estimated 67% of jobs in the United States required post-secondary education in 2021; by 2031 that number is projected to rise to 71% (Georgetown University, 2023). Post- secondary success requires proficiency in comprehending and producing text within specific disciplines
• The ability to comprehend and critically analyze what we read and hear, across disciplines, is integral to successful and productive citizenship (DPI, 2020)

But what, actually, do we mean by “disciplinary literacy"? What does it mean to be proficient in disciplinary literacy? And most importantly, how do we develop this all-important proficiency in our students?

What is Disciplinary Literacy?

Disciplinary literacy refers to the unique skills, tools, and ways of thinking necessary to read, write, and communicate within a field of study.

Disciplinary literacy has two parts:

• Knowledge related to a discipline or knowledge community

• Symbolic/Linguistic Processes of a discipline (reading, writing, and talking)

In simpler words, disciplinary literacy is about using knowledge to do things.  This is why disciplinary literacy is so crucial– without direct application of this knowledge, students can remain on the sidelines in the disciplinary field.  

Without disciplinary literacy, students cannot 

• independently access additional content knowledge
• integrate and synthesize information in a way that supports long-term retention of content knowledge
• apply and transfer knowledge and skills to new situations
• communicate effectively with other practitioners in the discipline

What Does Proficiency in Disciplinary Literacy Look Like?

The “ladder of skills and dispositions” that lead to proficiency in disciplinary literacy has been or will be defined in every Wisconsin content-specific standards document moving forward (DPI, 2020).

Proficiency in disciplinary literacy is proficiency in

• the eight Science and Engineering Practices (Wisconsin Standards for Science)
• the five Social Studies Inquiry Practices and Processes (Wisconsin Social Studies Standards)
• the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice (Wisconsin Standards for Mathematics)
• the eleven Wisconsin Common Career Technical Standards (Wisconsin Standards for Career and Technical Education)
• the five Communication and Cultural and Global Competence Standards (Wisconsin Standards for World Languages)
• the Disciplinary Literacy/Overarching Statements (Wisconsin Standards for English Language Arts)
  
  

So How Do We “Teach” Disciplinary Literacy?

Purposefully and intentionally building students’ proficiency in disciplinary literacy requires whole-staff understanding and buy-in, as well as careful strategic planning. 

Mandating the use of “one-size-fits-all” articles, rubrics, paragraph frames, or strategies does not respect the differences each discipline brings to its texts and communication practices.  Flexibly navigating differences in how language is used and how ideas are communicated is key to being literate across disciplines, so any attempt to build this proficiency in students must educate and empower teachers to develop text sets, writing supports, and strategies that support the specialized literacies of their discipline.

There are some common action steps leaders can take to support this work in all disciplines, though.

1. Develop all teachers’ understanding of the science behind how students learn to comprehend and communicate, including how the brain learns new vocabulary, why reading and writing are so much harder than listening and speaking, and how to manage cognitive load when introducing new content and skills. This will help teachers understand why specialized literacy instruction is important and empower them to understand their role as a disciplinary expert in this process.
2. Support teachers in “unpacking” their content-specific “practice standards”-- the “ladder of skills and dispositions” that lead students to becoming practitioners of the discipline (DPI, 2020).  Make practice standards as important as content standards in your development of unit plans and assessment tools/proficiency scales.
3. Expand teachers’ repertoire of discourse strategies and protocols to support authentic talk in all classrooms. This includes resources and strategies to elevate the quality of student discourse as well as support in designing lessons that incorporate more opportunities for student talk.
4. Ensure teachers have access to the resources they need to develop knowledge-building text sets to support their instruction.  This will require considerable professional development, as text sets should encompass a variety of knowledge-building and authentic texts that are used in different instructional contexts and for different purposes across the course of a unit.
   
   
5. Support teachers in developing authentic literacy tasks that replicate or reflect the reading, writing, and communication activities that occur in the “real world.” This means that students are writing and speaking for a variety or purposes, in a variety of genres and formats that actually exist outside of the classroom. Authentic literacy tasks have been shown to improve student engagement and increase growth in comprehension and writing (Duke et. al., 2006).
   
   

Disciplinary Literacy Is Not “Another Initiative”!

Although disciplinary literacy requires system-wide commitment, it does not have to come at the expense of other district or building goals.  Since true disciplinary literacy practices are grounded in the standards and supported by brain-friendly instructional routines and practices, disciplinary literacy isn’t “another initiative”-- it is a way to succeed at your current initiatives. 

By developing the skills students need to be true practitioners of our school’s disciplines, we develop the skills students need for future academic and career success. The role of leadership in this process is critical– in helping staff understand the “why” and the “how;” in developing systems that support the collaboration required to design instruction that supports disciplinary literacy; in equipping teachers with the tools, routines, and resources they need to bring authentic literacy to their students; and in monitoring progress and helping students and teachers see the growth they have attained.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do this work alone– the CESA 6 Literacy Center has solutions to support you!  The Disciplinary Literacy Academy 6-12, hosted at two locations for your convenience– New Berlin and Oshkosh– provides a two-year opportunity for your leadership and teachers to deepen your understanding of disciplinary literacy and to gain the routines and tools you need to strategically scale your learning across your system. 

Disciplinary Literacy Academy includes a combination of full-day team learning sessions, half-day strategic leadership sessions, and customized in-district coaching. The two-year format is designed to help you sustainably scale your learning, over time, for maximum impact.

Here's What Some Participants Have Shared About Their Experience with Disciplinary Literacy Academy:

“The strategies provided are incredibly useful, specific and easy-to-implement the next day in class. I like that the program started with the science behind how the brain works as students acquire and use language. The explanations and presentations of all of the strategies and ideas were clear, helpful and well-paced.”

“I appreciate the model of going to sessions in Oshkosh and then getting coaching in my school environment. The strategies presented at the sessions have been good to think about and then begin to use in the classroom. The feedback from my literacy coach, Elizabeth Minte, has been very insightful and helpful. This is a solid program for professional development.”

“Having Elizabeth in the classroom as I tried a few techniques was helpful. Though these things were modeled at the conferences, they were more challenging when I tried implementing them with my own material. It was nice to have immediate feedback.”

Free Download

Begin to infuse disciplinary literacy in your current practices by planning to support comprehension across a knowledge-building text set. Use this planning sheet to consider both the types of texts you will integrate into a current unit and the support students will need to comprehend each text.  Download the free tool Disciplinary Literacy Comprehension Planner below. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Disciplinary Literacy Academy 6-12 at our Oshkosh or New Berlin sites, click here. For further guidance and leadership in literacy, consider the CESA 6 Literacy Solution Guide for 2024-2025.