College & Workforce Readiness

A New Take on College-Level Reading

By Anthony Rebora — May 19, 2011 1 min read
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They say that authentic literacy assignments can help prepare students for college. But Tobie Lynn Trachina, a 4th grade English-language learners teacher in suburban New Orleans, is taking the concept to a new level by having her students actually read and analyze college and university informational materials. As part of the project, the students have to write an essay comparing various aspects of three different schools and then, by means of a graphic organizer, choose which one they would attend.

Trachina told the The Times Picayune that the project has helped the students better understand what colleges and universities have to offer and how higher education might apply to them. “They saw that there are a lot of careers that they can actually attain,” she said. “If they can start thinking like this now, at 10 years old, and have a positive mentality towards college, then it becomes a lot easier for them to reach their goals.”

(HT: ASCD SmartBrief)

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Teaching Now blog.