Contextual Learning

The language of an academic discipline should be taught within the context of concept development for several reasons. Words are simply labels for concepts and implicit within each academic discipline or content field are labels that are necessary for communicating effectively within that field (Vacca & Vacca, 2005). Vacca and Vacca (2005) note that having students learn lists of words for their own sake is based on the ill-founded notion that the acquisition of vocabulary is separate from the development of ideas and concepts in a content area. What is necessary to make labels meaningful is the exploration of word meanings and relationships that contribute to students' conceptual awareness and understanding of a subject.

Meaningful learning is achieved with content area reading in part because such reading provides an opportunity for students to acquire the language that is needed for an understanding of the content area. Rather than having students memorize vocabulary words and their definitions as a stand-alone learning activity, teachers who are familiar with content area reading strategies provide students with the texts needed to encounter these words or labels in actual use (Vacca & Vacca, 2005).

Creating occasions for students to read in order to write and to write to read is an integral part of content learning. As Vacca and Vacca (2005) have pointed out, students who are provided with texts in a particular discipline can be asked to write journal

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g/thinking process with the whole class. Finally, the teacher will ask open-ended questions that encourage generalization and application relevant to students' predictions of the conclusions drawn by Apple (2004) in his analysis of who is likely to win in the Iowa political election. This moves the discussion from pre-reading and vocabulary mastery through to an engagement with the text and the various concepts that are presented in the text by Apple (2004). These concepts include party politics, electoral votes and their meaning, the role played by absentee ballots, and predictions regarding the possible outcome of the 2004 presidential election. References Apple, R.W. (2004). Kerry pins hope in Iowa on big vote from absentees. The New York Times, September 28. Available at www.nytimes.com. Vacca, R.T. & Vacca, J.L. (2005). Content Area Reading. Boston: Pearson. September 28, 2004 SWING STATE Kerry Pins Hopes in Iowa on Big Vote From Absentees By R. W. APPLE Jr. ES MOINES, Sept. 26 - They're off and voting in Iowa, even before all the corn has been harvested. In the state's 20 most populous counties, which account for about 60 percent of the vote, more than 140,345 absentee ball

Category: Psychology - C