The Case for Acquired Phonics
Researchers in second language acquisition have hypothesized that there are two very different ways of gaining knowledge of language: acquisition and learning. Learning results in conscious knowledge of rules and is the result of...
Telling Our Own Tales
“When we use story to help students tell their own narratives, literacy roadblocks and anxieties dissolve for even the most hesitant of learners and teachers are able to cultivate world-changing writers.”
“Even the most proficient...
2030 NAEP Writing Assessment Recommendations
To support multilingual learners of English (MLEs), The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), TESOL International Association, and WIDA have made the following recommendations for and comments on the 2030 National Assessment of Education Progress...
A Revised Composing Process
Remember during a test when you were staring at the ceiling in elementary school, and the teacher asked you if the answer was on the ceiling? Maybe it was.
Here is a suggestion I hope...
Taking a Stand!
In 1974 the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision stated: “There is no equality of treatment merely by providing students with the same facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum… for students who do not understand...
Fostering Language and Literacy Development
Literacy is essential for success in school and in life beyond school. The ability to read and write well provides individuals with untold opportunities as they move through school, pursue advanced education and careers,...
Literacy Education in 2023
If you were tasked to pick one word to guide your work as a literacy changemaker in the new year, what would it be? As the new year is upon us, and the magnitude...
Centering on the Story: Putting Students First
As an educator and advocate, I’m continuously looking and listening for opportunities to welcome new voices and experiences as part of what I refer to as edu-storytelling. With so much of our time and...
Declaring Literacy as a Fundamental and Global Civil Right
For decades, educators and parents have been fighting illiteracy. Research indicates that 95% of children can learn how to read with evidence-based instruction. However, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), only...
Young Readers Struggle in Different Ways
Many children struggle to learn to read, and studies have shown that students from a lower socioeconomic status (SES) background are more likely to have difficulty than those from a higher SES background.MIT neuroscientists...