Case: Learning to Be Literate: Navigating the Tensions of Literacy In, About, and for Science

Abstract

Sweeping reforms in education over the past decade have created tensions for elementary classroom teachers. An emphasis has been placed on integrating literacy and science, but a roadmap for how to do this work raises questions about what counts as literacy in, about, and for science. This case highlights the tensions teachers face with navigating how to capitalize on science instruction to teach discipline specific literacy. In the case below, a post-observation discussion unfolds between an elementary teacher and her administrator. Their discussion highlights the negotiation of meaning between the two as they define literacy for science and what counts as literacy for science.