PREPARING NOVICE HISTORY TEACHERS TO MEET STUDENTS' LITERACY NEEDS

In spite of calls for increased literacy instruction in secondary content classes, there appears to be little change in practice. One reason for this may be that content area literacy courses inadequately prepared teachers to teach literacy skills specific to their content area. This article describes a program that embeds content area literacy instruction in a methods course taken by preservice history teachers. In this course, teaching candidates explore issues of literacy specific to history classrooms. Candidates' written reflections, examination responses, and course evaluations reveal the development of knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to include literacy instruction in history classes.