How do you support K-12 literacy development?

1 Assess your students' literacy skills

Before you can plan and implement literacy instruction, you need to know your students' strengths and needs as literacy learners. You can use a variety of formal and informal assessments to measure your students' reading comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, phonics, writing, and oral language skills. These assessments can help you identify your students' literacy goals, monitor their progress, and differentiate your instruction according to their diverse needs and abilities.

2 Provide explicit and systematic instruction

Literacy skills are not acquired naturally or automatically. They require explicit and systematic instruction that follows a clear sequence and provides ample practice and feedback. You can use evidence-based practices and frameworks, such as the gradual release of responsibility model, to teach your students how to apply literacy strategies before, during, and after reading and writing. You can also use scaffolding techniques, such as modeling, questioning, prompting, and guiding, to support your students as they move from teacher-led to independent learning.

3 Create a literacy-rich environment

The physical and social environment of your classroom can have a significant impact on your students' literacy development. You can create a literacy-rich environment by providing a variety of texts and materials that are relevant, engaging, and accessible for your students. You can also organize your classroom space to facilitate literacy activities, such as reading corners, writing centers, word walls, and bulletin boards. Moreover, you can foster a positive literacy culture by promoting reading and writing for authentic purposes, celebrating your students' achievements, and encouraging collaboration and discussion among your students.

4 Integrate literacy across the curriculum

Literacy is not only a skill, but also a tool for learning and thinking in any discipline. You can integrate literacy across the curriculum by connecting your literacy instruction to your content-area goals and standards. You can also help your students develop the specific literacy skills and strategies that are required for different genres, texts, and tasks in various subjects. For example, you can teach your students how to analyze historical documents, write scientific reports, or present mathematical arguments using appropriate language and conventions.

5 Engage your students' families and communities

Your students' literacy development does not happen in isolation. It is influenced by their families and communities, who can provide valuable support and resources for their literacy learning. You can engage your students' families and communities by communicating regularly and respectfully with them about your students' literacy progress and needs. You can also invite them to participate in your literacy instruction and activities, such as reading nights, book clubs, or literacy projects. Additionally, you can leverage the cultural and linguistic assets of your students' families and communities to enrich your literacy curriculum and instruction.

6 Foster your students' motivation and agency

Your students' literacy development depends not only on their skills, but also on their motivation and agency. Motivation refers to your students' interest, engagement, and persistence in literacy tasks. Agency refers to your students' sense of control, choice, and responsibility for their literacy learning. You can foster your students' motivation and agency by providing them with meaningful and challenging literacy opportunities that match their interests, goals, and needs. You can also give them voice and choice in their literacy learning, such as selecting texts, topics, or formats. Furthermore, you can help them set and monitor their own literacy goals, reflect on their learning processes, and celebrate their growth and achievements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?