Learning Objectives: 

Participants will be able to: 

• Understand and explain elements of the Simple View of Reading and how it can support literacy in career-technical education classrooms 
• Implement classroom tools and strategies to improve students’ literacy 
• Utilize literacy tools and strategies to improve instruction in career-technical education classrooms 

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Consider This Scenario

Mr. Tyler has taught in the automotive programs section of the Jackson County Career Technology Center for 25 years. Over his career, he has noticed that many automotive systems have become computerized, and the level of complexity involved in fixing even basic problems has increased. As part of their work to become successful mechanics, Mr. Tyler's students must read through technical manuals that are often very complex and contain advanced vocabulary. Mr. Tyler wants to find a way to support his students' reading comprehension so they will be prepared to enter the workforce. However, he is not sure where to begin and what resources he can use to help his students.    

Connection Point

In your Course Companion Document, consider these questions:  

• Can you relate to the above scenario? In what ways are your challenges in literacy instruction similar or different? 

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How can literacy support learning in career technical education?

Literacy is key to students’ understanding of the complex texts they will encounter in career technical education. Reading, writing, and speaking are all necessary for career tech students to be successful and to keep up with innovative practices and new technology in their field. Students need to be prepared to:  

• read about complex systems and technical processes associated with their field 
• synthesize and analyze complex texts to successfully fulfill aspects of their role  
• understand unfamiliar vocabulary and use word parts – prefixes, suffixes, and roots – to establish the meaning of a word 
• create a graphic organizer to take notes and plan aspects of their job 
• use grammatically and logically correct sentences and paragraphs to convey meaning to colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders 
• employ notes, tables, and graphics to convey their ideas in a presentation alongside written text

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Supporting Career Technical Education Literacy (Part 1) - Dr. Joshua Lawrence

In Part One of the video presentation, Dr. Lawrence describes the Simple View of Reading and its application for supporting career tech students.  

Reflection Question on Video One: Consider some components of the Simple View of Reading identified by Dr. Lawrence that impact reading in career-technical education (background, reasoning, academic language & vocab, searching & sources, literacy knowledge, perspective taking). Which of these elements of effective reading do you commonly draw on in your classroom? What elements might you begin to employ to more effectively teach your students? 

Supporting Career Technical Education Literacy (Part 2) - Dr. Joshua Lawrence

In part two of the video presentation, Dr. Lawrence describes different tools and strategies that career tech teachers can employ to support student literacy in their classroom. 

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Knowledge Check

Take the brief quiz below to test your knowledge. Click the square button to expand the quiz. ​

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Resources

Disciplinary Literacy in Career Technical Education: This document from Dr. Joshua Lawrence provides an overview of content from this course in addition to several tools that can be used in career-technical education classrooms to support students’ literacy.  

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Course Reflection

Answer the following question in your Course Companion:
Which of the tools and/or strategies identified by Dr. Lawrence could you incorporate into your current instruction? What steps do you need to take?

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To Learn More

Literacy Skills in Career and Technical Education Classes by Patricia Hilliard of Edutopia offers some strategies for supporting students’ reading in CTE  

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Last Modified: 2/19/2025 10:11:13 AM

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