SIWI Gets to the Core! Reading and Writing in the Content Areas (2014)

This professional development (PD) program supported teachers and administrators of the deaf and hard of hearing (d/hh) from the state of Tennessee with 30 hours of PD. The PD focused on developing teacher knowledge in the Grade 6-12 Common Core State Standards in Reading (CCSS-Reading): Literature and Informational Text. Implementation of the CCSS-Reading by teachers of the d/hh, specifically teachers in the content areas, was enacted using Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) pedagogical approaches. During the PD program, teachers were introduced to a model of SIWI in which they could integrate the CCSS-Reading along with content area standards to accomplish language, literacy and content area objectives. The program included a spring online discussion, a one-week summer workshop, and a fall classroom observation and reflection.