Reading strategies are alternative ways of presenting content that enhances learning. This definition has implications that will encourage content teachers to see that reading is indeed part of their curriculum. Content literacy is not the same as content knowledge. Content iteracy includes the skills necessary to acquire the knowledge of content. Teaching content automatically makes students more content literate.
Teachers enhance the ability of their students to read simply by teaching content.
Content literacy is content specific. Prior knowledge of specific topics is vital. In content literacy, reading and writing are complementary tasks. Students are constructing an internal representation of the content they encounter through such processes as synthesis, evaluation, and summarization. Content literacy is germaine to all subject areas, not just those relying heavily on printed materials.