CHAPTER 19

Co-Teaching with a Literacy Specialist

Jason was one of several students who began fourth grade labeled as “at-risk.” His co-teachers were determined to bring him to grade level in reading and writing by the end of the year. Mrs. Brody, the building’s literacy specialist, had witnessed good progress made last year by students in her co-taught classes. She knew that it would require lots of creative planning with the classroom teacher, and flexibility on both parts. They would need to find ways to maintain fidelity to the language arts program the district had adopted, while still differentiating to meet the needs of all students. She was ready for the challenge with a full bag of research-based strategies to share.

Mrs. Brody met with her co-teacher weekly for one planning period. Because they had a prescribed language arts program to follow, their discussions centered mostly on preteaching and reteaching strategies, ways to engage students more kinesthetically, and best grouping arrangements. At times they had to take a specific reading or writing skill and develop a scaffold of small steps for students like Jason. Each planning conversation was rich with ideas, although occasionally stymied by the real-life constraints of a scripted literacy program. But progress was evident, so the partners persevered.

Near the end of the school year, the teachers facilitated a learning unit on metaphorical language. Always one of Mrs. Brody’s favorites, she took the lead in developing some hands-on activities to emphasize how metaphors show creative connections. At the end of the metaphor unit Jason approached her with a scrap of paper in his hand. With a big grin on his face, he handed it to Mrs. Brody and said “I wrote this for you.” Mrs. Brody grinned big, too, as she read:

Mrs. B is a needle threading strategies through my educational jacket.

Guided reading, scripted teacher manuals, computer-based modules, whole language—literacy specialists may work with any number of approaches to literacy instruction. Each and every one of these approaches can effectively accommodate co-teaching if the co-teachers are flexible and creative. The International Reading Association (IRA) has adopted a policy statement which addresses the role of the literacy specialist in inclusive schools:

The range of student achievement found in classrooms, with the inclusion of children who have various physical, emotional, and educational needs, requires that we move to different educational models from those of the past. These new models present opportunities for teachers and reading specialists to work collaboratively to provide effective instruction for all students. … In order to promote congruency, collaboration, and communication between classroom teachers and reading specialists, the instruction provided by the reading specialist may take place in the classroom.

(IRA, 2000, 1)

Best Models

Which models work best for co-teaching with a literacy specialist? The answer to this question depends, in part, on the type of literacy program being deployed in the school. Programs that rely heavily on small-group instruction lend themselves well to the Skill Groups Model. In this case, the literacy specialist is most likely to take on the responsibility for planning and implementing instruction for the group of students who is struggling. However, many of the same instructional strategies that might be used with a small group can also be offered through a whole class Complementary Skills Model.

Table 19.1 shows the lesson plan developed by reading specialist Emily Kendig of Huber Heights City Schools in Huber Heights, Ohio. Kendig’s fourth grade co-teacher wanted her students to identify examples of cause and effect in text material. In the past, the teacher asked students to practice this skill through the completion of worksheets, but Kendig saw some opportunities for making the concept more accessible.

TABLE 19.1: Co-Taught Lesson with a Literacy Specialist—Elementary

Standard: Identify structural patterns found in informational text (e.g., compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequential or chronological order, proposition and support) to strengthen comprehension.
MISS K.—READING SPECIALIST	MS. M.—CLASSROOM TEACHER
Show PowerPoint overview of cause/effect Read aloud If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Explain the If/Then Matching Game—students will work in small groups, on the floor, matching if-then statements	Tie examples to prior knowledge Emphasize if-then statements Both teachers monitor students in their small groups Pull class back together and facilitate a reflection on what was learned about cause/effect

Kendig acknowledges that different teachers respond well to different models. In some classes she spends more time with the Speak and Add Model, jumping in to clarify or restate, but in other classes the teachers share the lead equally, bouncing back and forth depending on the needs of the students. The stronger the rapport she has built with a teacher, the easier it is to switch roles responsively.

In upper grades and secondary schools, students spend increasing amounts of time reading independently. Students may participate in sustained silent reading periods in class, as well as be assigned chapters of fiction or nonfiction texts to read for homework. Initially, co-teachers may not see these activities as ripe for literacy intervention. Here again, the Complementary Skills Model provides a structure for the specialist to utilize their expertise.

Mr. Langley, the literacy specialist, is part of two seventh-grade teams at his middle school. His role is to co-teach in English and social studies classes, looking for ways to strengthen reading skills for all students. One of the things he has noticed in his classes is that some students engage in silent reading with a laser-like focus, while others seem distracted. When he has individual conferences with students, some demonstrate strong recollection and comprehension, while others have great difficulty recalling any details. Mr. Langley shared his observations with his teammates at their weekly team meeting. Impassioned discussion ensued. His English colleagues did not want to do anything to disrupt the natural flow of independent reading. His social studies colleagues were concerned about adding too much reading instruction to their already full class periods. As a group, they developed an idea to model the metacognition that should take place during silent reading. They developed the following Complementary Skills Model lesson to be repeated in English and social studies classes.

TABLE 19.2: Co-Taught Lesson with a Literacy Specialist—Secondary

Objective: Use metacognition to strengthen comprehension and retention of informational text.
MR. LANGLEY—LITERACY SPECIALIST	CONTENT TEACHER
Arrange fishbowl activity—both teachers silent reading while students sit around them watching Begin “thinking aloud about thinking” Define metacognition Distribute and explain Brain Bookmarks Share in debrief	Write objective on board Take turns with Mr. Langley modeling “thinking aloud about thinking” Share connection between metacognition and previous instruction Direct students to read common passage with Brain Bookmarks—then debrief Assign students to use bookmarks for homework

See Appendix A

Challenges

Many schools address their literacy objectives by offering an array of programs and services. This can mean that the literacy specialist wears many different hats throughout the day including teacher, coach, consultant, co-teacher, assessor, curriculum specialist, and staff developer. For the lone literacy specialist in an average-size elementary school, this can feel overwhelming. As one specialist admitted, “It’s hard to keep my head straight some days. Where am I going? What am I doing?” The challenge that arises for administrators and literacy specialists is to set clear goals and then ensure that the day-to-day responsibilities match those goals, without spreading the resources so thin that nothing is accomplished.

One of the unique challenges faced by literacy specialists at the elementary level is that their co-teachers, elementary educators, have had quite a lot of training and experience teaching reading and writing. Some elementary educators may believe that they know enough about teaching literacy, but just need a second set of hands. Others may believe that the methods they have been using for twenty years are good enough, and don’t see a reason to change. A few may even voice their feelings as, “Who is this so-called specialist who is going to come into my room and show me how it’s done?” In these situations, the literacy specialist has to confidently yet carefully establish her credibility. If, instead, the specialist crumbles in the face of resistance, students will pay the price. Reading specialist Emily Kendig advises her colleagues who are new to co-teaching: “Don’t be afraid to be the specialist—you are an expert in reading! You have extra training and classes, and great ideas to bring to the table. My co-teachers have learned a lot of strategies from me, and in return I have learned a lot from them” (personal communication, 2010).

Essential for Success

Literacy specialists must be devoutly intentional in choosing strategies to incorporate into co-taught lessons. Achievement gains in reading and writing are most likely to occur when literacy specialists intentionally incorporate research-based practices (L’Allier, Elish-Piper, and Bean, 2010). Specialists cannot shy away from their expertise and knowledge; instead they must infuse it into the lessons at every opportunity. A visiting principal who observes a planning session or a lesson should be able to determine which teacher is the literacy specialist by virtue of the expertise she is contributing. It is important to remember that co-teaching is not about cloning—both teachers should not look exactly alike. Instead, co-teaching is about honoring the unique gifts that both teachers bring to their students.

“Literacy specialists must be devoutly intentional in choosing strategies to incorporate into co-taught lessons.”

“It is important to remember that co-teaching is not about cloning—both teachers should not look exactly alike.”

Partners must have time to collaboratively assess student progress in reading and writing. Detailed analysis to detect error patterns, gaps in understanding, and responses to intervention will be most effective when both teachers can share their insights. The specialist is likely to have a thorough understanding of standardized test scores, whereas the classroom teacher will have valuable information about how a student is performing in the small, informal literacy moments that occur throughout the day. The classroom teacher is also more likely to have information about a student’s home environment and the levels of literacy support that can be expected at home. By gathering as much information as possible, the co-teachers can utilize the data to design focused, individualized interventions. Time spent together in this endeavor will make a major impact on student outcomes.

TO SUM UP

• The co-teaching models used by a literacy specialist will depend, in part, on the school’s approach to literacy. If small-group instruction is common, the Skill Groups Model will work well. If whole-class instruction is the norm, then the specialist will be likely to use the Complementary and Speak and Add models.
• Literacy specialists bring specific expertise to the classroom. While classroom teachers have general knowledge and experience in this arena, it is still important for the literacy specialist to assert her ideas and strategies when planning for co-taught lessons.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• What unique challenges might a literacy specialist face when co-teaching?
• Which co-teaching model would you choose for a general education/literacy specialist partnership? Why?
• How might a literacy specialist’s expertise manifest itself in a co-taught language arts lesson? In a co-taught math, science, or history lesson?