Content area literacy is important to start implementing at an early age.

As the children grow they are being assessed on new topics and presented with new information that if they weren't exposed to or strategies to understand they would struggle to reach their full potential. We need to begin early exposing them to informational texts and strategies to think through them and build on their prior knowledge. Literacy instruction can be implemented in all content areas and should be in order to create connections and further comprehension. Moss, B. (2005). Making a case and a place for effective content area literacy instruction in the elementary grades. Reading Teacher, 59(1), 46-55. This article brings to light strategies to implement writing in both science and social studies. Encompassing writing into other content areas allows students to grasp concepts that would otherwise seem difficult to understand here they are able to write down what they understand and creates concrete connections to what is being learned. When students are able to write they are able to take control of their learning and communicate what they have learned in an effective, defined manner. This article provides a variety of examples for how these strategies can help students become more successful in rather difficult areas of study. Knipper, K.J. & Duggan, T.J. (2006). Writing to learn across the curriculum: Tools for comprehension in content area classes. The Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470. Much like the other articles this one here spoke of the importance of implementing writing across the curriculum because it makes rather difficult concepts appear concrete to the students. Not only that but they are able to express what they have learned and as teachers we can assess this worm in order to see what worked and what didn't. Adding writing to the different content areas also makes the students more comfortable with the writing process and different types of writing, helping them become successful across the board and allowing them to reach their full potential. Johnson, J., Holocombe, M., Simms, G., & Wilson, D. (1993). Writing to learn in a content area. The Clearing House, 66(3), 155-158. This article talks about the importance of learning outside the classroom as well as in. Creating content area word walls to put in the hallways allows for full time exposure to a wide array of vocabulary that may be utilized in their writing across the curriculum. With making this vocabulary as part of their everyday lives their use of vocabulary should increase their skills across the curriculum. Not only will the word walls help but by making them interactive it will further instill their comprehension. Yates, P. H., Cuthrell, K., & Rose, M. (2011). Out of the Room and into the Hall: Making Content Word Walls Work. Clearing House, 84(1), 31-36. doi:10.1080.00098655.2010.496810 The strategies are utilizing writing to learn across the curriculum in all content areas. It provides a variety of examples for effective note taking and vocabulary instruction. As students' vocabulary increases you see them using their new words in their writing to more engage their audience. Not only are these skills brought to life, but also shows the impact of KWL charts and

graphic organizers in the learning and writing process are presented as well as strategies to implement these into your classroom. "The link between strategic teaching and student learning is the keystone of our professional development plan." Pg 72 "Teachers use writing to learn strategies at the beginning, middle, and end of class to help students inquire, clarify, or reflect on the content." Pg 73 Fischer , D. (2002). Seven literacy strategies that work . Reading and writing in the content areas, 60(3), 70-73. McPherson, K. (2007). fostering content area literacy. Teacher Librarian, 35(1), 65-68. This was a great article that provided many insights into writing, strategies, the process, and the different reasons to write. Encompassing all these ideas in one text really reinforced the importance of teaching effective writing across the curriculum. Students not only to be able to write for an assessment but integrating multi-genre projects allows students more creativity and freedom. It could spark a real interest in writing that could be used across the curriculum. It also shows ways to teach students to get writing and implementing the process. "We are writing to find out what's inside our heads, to dump ideas down on a page so we can play with them, move them around make connections, and figure put what's important. In other words we are thinking." Pg 21 "The best way to get students to use this informal writing is to pair with some pair sharing." Pg 32 LastDaniels, H., Zemelman, S., & Steineke, N. Content-area writing. Retrieved from http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00972/chapter2.pdf This book provides key strategies to implement in your classroom to get your students writing in all content areas. It has ideas on how to create effective writing assignments including some do's and do not's. Not only does it have strategies to teach but it goes through parts of the writing process and how to support your students' work as they become comfortable writing in all of the content areas. I really enjoyed the examples, samples, and various ideas that could really be transported into the classroom. "How does the assignment relate to what comes before and after it in the course." Pg 20 "Ask your students questions to help the evaluate and analyze the different materials they have gathered in light of their purpose and main ideas." Burke, J. (2009). Content area writing. New york, NY: Scholastic. This book embraces the use of technology in the classroom to transform the students' ideas about writing and education in general. Getting students excited about school is a key factor in the amount of work they are willing to put in as well as what they grasp and will carry with them. It provides many examples that could easily be implemented in the classroom. Many teachers are hesitant to use technology but it's a learning process for all and students are typically willing to help where they can.

"Adolescents have strong needs to see themselves reflected in the media that they consume and seek lyrical, print, and electronic texts that they can relate to as they are developing their own identities." Pg 69 "Reading and writing on social networking sites give adolescents new purposes for and practicing writing." Pg 26 Guzzetti, B., Elliott, K., & Welsch, D. (2010). Diy media in the classroom, new literacies across content areas. New York, NY: Teachers College press.