Reading and literacy are complex. Educators know the best practices are effective practices. Take a look at an educator-developed set of recommendations for supporting reading and literacy.
In Summer 2023, a working group of Massachusetts Teachers Association members collaborated to identify policy and practice recommendations for schools at all levels to support student’s literacy
With growing public discussion of “the science of reading,” a group of MTA members identified what what educators need to implement effective and evidence-based practices that include, but not limited to, phonemic awareness, phonic, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, handwriting, and composition. Local school districts need the flexibility to identify the reading and literacy curriculum, instructional models and interventions that meet the needs of their students.
Supports shouldn’t end at grade three. Staffing and resources for literacy instruction and interventions need to be included for all grade levels. Students need well-funded libraries that offer print and digital reading materials in English and their primary language to foster a love of reading for pleasure but also to expand their learning across all content areas.
Take a look at our full document below! And let us know in the comments if there are other resources available educators and families to learn more about supporting literacy and language development.
ACTION ALERT
Urge the Education Committee to Listen to Public School Educators on Literacy
Reading and literacy are essential to student success. Public school educators, who are experts in their profession and best understand the unique needs of their students, need to have resources and flexibility to implement proactive and holistic strategies that address complex gaps in reading, language and literacy skills. However, legislation (H.579/S.263) before the Joint Committee on Education would authorize a state mandate on literacy instruction and curriculum in Massachusetts public schools that would limit educators’ ability to implement strategies that respond to students’ unique needs.
A working group of MTA members have collaborated to identify literacy policy and practice recommendations that would best support students. Educators need more time, funding and flexibility to analyze student needs and respond appropriately – not more top-down curriculum mandates or testing requirements.
Please email the Joint Committee on Education and urge it to listen to public school educators. Please also consider sharing the MTA literacy policy and practice recommendations with your senator and representative. Contact information can be found by clicking here.
There’s No “Science of Reading” Without School Libraries and Librarians, A Predictor of Student Success
MARCH 1, 2020 BY NANCY BAILEY
https://nancyebailey.com/2020/03/01/theres-no-science-of-reading-without-school-libraries-and-librarians-a-predictor-of-student-success/
Including English Learners with Disabilities in Assessments
Liu, Kristin K.; Thurlow, Martha L.; Peterson, Darrell H.
Journal of Special Education Leadership, v35 n2 p99-111 Sep 2022
This article addresses the inclusion of English learners with disabilities, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, in state and district assessments. The authors provide background information on who these students are and the relationship between academic English language development, content learning, and assessment. The article highlights the importance of having good assessment data on English learners with disabilities and how to collect these data, as well as the role of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team in assessment decisions for English learners with disabilities. The authors conclude by discussing how administrators can support the appropriate inclusion of English learners with disabilities in assessments and the interpretation of their results.
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1370362