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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 30, 2006 South Medford science teacher Steve Jensen listens to a lecturer during a training to improve student textbook comprehension and note-taking. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Teaching the teachers By Paris Achen Mail Tribune Each year, teacher Mike Vediner seeks to teach South Medford High School students the basics of science such as photosynthesis and the periodic table of elements. But sometimes the stumbling block for learning those principles is something that seemingly has nothing to do with science: English vocabulary, Vediner said. Words such as "fluctuate" or "acknowledge" can interrupt a student's comprehension of the material in a textbook, Vediner said. In an attempt to bridge the gap, the high school has launched a two-year training program for all of its core subject teachers to learn strategies to teach students how to read core subject textbooks, take effective notes and comprehend the material. The effort follows a national trend of infusing reading instruction into subjects from math to social studies and shifting from fiction to nonfiction reading materials. "The attitude has always been reading is the reading teacher's job," Vediner said. "The realization is that reading is so fundamental that it's everybody's job to teach it. I can't just be a science teacher. I have to be a reading teacher." Teachers in the program attend a four-day workshop and receive subsequent coaching each month from Julie Adams, a reading consultant from Redding. The kickoff workshop, called Literacy Boot Camp, ended Thursday. About 30 teachers in math, science, English and social studies received the training at a total cost of about $4,000. High school students are generally at grade level in narrative reading but two to three years behind grade level in expository reading, or nonfiction, said Adams, who also teaches at Simpson University and University Preparatory School, both in Redding. About 90 percent of reading in postsecondary school is expository, compared to only 40 percent in grades K-12, a disparity South High is trying to close, she said. "If the goal is to prepare students for post-high school, teachers should focus on how to read expository text and take notes," she said. Techniques for improving students' comprehension of expository texts involve prereading headings, defining vocabulary and previewing charts and graphics before diving into the text . Another strategy is to stop midway in a text and have a student assess what he has learned. Using techniques he learned in the workshop, Vediner created a post-reading activity that calls on pupils to write a sort of newspaper article on what they've read answering the classic questions of who, what, where and why. Such activities allow students to synthesize information and retain it, Vediner said. Advanced students often learn such techniques anecdotally. "By trial and error some students learn the skills to comprehend the material, but with this systematic approach, it'll affect the whole population" of students, said Greg Jost, advanced placement coordinator at South High. Science teacher Geni Hilton said she plans to spend part of the first three weeks of her classes next fall teaching students how to read a science textbook, find their way around in it and take notes from it. "I think the kids are going to hate it and love it because it's going to be time-intensive, laborious and they are teenagers, but I think once they realize it's helping them master the information, they'll love it," Hilton said. California has been one of the leaders in the shift toward expository texts and reading instruction across curricula. California included high school expository reading instruction across content areas in its guidelines for training student teachers in 2003. In Oregon, some high schools, such as South High, have adopted the strategy in hopes of boosting student learning and performance on state assessments. The workshop will eventually be required for all South High faculty. "We have a school-wide goal to increase literacy across the board," said Hal Jones, assistant principal. "Under the No Child Left Behind Act, there is a real emphasis on reading and math. It has really compelled all school systems to refocus their resources to help students meet state benchmarks for content areas." Teachers earn 28 hours through the training toward their state professional development requirement. Reach reporter Paris Achen by calling 541-776-4459 or [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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