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Running head: VISION STATEMENT

Vision Statement

Alison Roberts

Longwood University
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VISION STATEMENT

Vision Statement

Literacy is reading, writing, orthography, oral language, and vocabulary all intertwined

together to create meaning (Bear, Invernezzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2016). To create literate

students, educators need to be aware of all the different components of literacy and how they

intertwine. Creating a balanced literacy approach is essential in making sure students are

prepared to be literate member of society. As students progress through the different stages of

literacy, instructional focus will change to from phonological awareness to fluency to

comprehension. However, no matter what stage students are in, there needs to be a balance of

different literacy components so students become fully literate. Instruction needs to be explicit

and data-driven to help all students make progress (Bear et al., 2016).

Building a solid foundation of literacy is essential to enabling students to be successful,

literate members of society. Students need to be taught to be prepared for new literacies that are

emerging and will emerge long after they have left our class. Students need to be taught twenty-

first century skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation, that will be

transferable to whatever mode of literacy is needed in their lives (Gunning, 2016).

Being motivated to read and learn is a critical factor in student success. Teachers need to

build a curriculum that has an appropriate level of challenge and has real-world applications

(Gunning, 2016). When students are working towards a meaningful goal that has an authentic

audience, learning transforms from a requirement to an experience students will remember and

value. Students also need to feel like they are supported and respected. Teacher buy in and belief

in every student is integral to creating a community where students want to learn and are willing

to take risks.
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VISION STATEMENT

The role of a teacher is to work to make sure every student is receiving the support and

instruction they need to succeed. While the different theories and programs to teach literacy and

varied and countless, one thing stands out: literacy instruction needs to be responsive to student

needs. Some students will have learning disabilities. Others will come was unstable home

environments or will be working to learn English. In every class, students will have different

backgrounds that teachers need to take into account when planning for instruction. When

considering the end goal, teachers need to take into account what modifications and supports

need to be put into place to ensure every student is successful (Tomlinson, 1999). These supports

include using different class configurations, collecting data and analyzing it, progress

monitoring, and scaffolding. Throughout the learning process, teachers need to constantly be

asking themselves if students are making the needed gain and, if not, what can be modified to

help students reach the goal.

Literacy instruction is multifaceted and will look different in every class depending on

the students. The important things for teachers to remember are that students need differentiated

learning, assignments need to be engaging and applicable to their lives, and literacy instruction

needs to be balanced and intertwined. And, most of all, teachers need to believe that every

students can and will succeed when they are given the correct support and instruction.
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VISION STATEMENT

References

Bear, D. R., Invernezzi, M, Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2016). Words their way (6th ed.).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Gunning, T. G. (2016). Creating literacy instruction for all students (9th ed.). Boston, MA:

Pearson.

Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners.

Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.