Sara Peters

Vision Statement:
Literacy is a complex task. It is the act of reading, writing, listening, and speaking
in order to communicate information (Bear 1). It is essential to communicating with
others in order to share ideas with peers. It is the way we process information and then
interact with others. The way we handle literacy can be direct result of our home culture
and the environment in which we were raised. The way we show those experiences can
also be evident of cultural differences (Heath 49). Literacy is a cultural experience and
the way we learn and present information can reflect those experiences.
Literacy is an experience. It is a reflection of how we interact with others and the
way that we interpret that information is equally important to our use of it. Therefore, the
way that literacy is taught is vital to clear understanding of its functions and importance.
Literacy skills should be taught in a social setting where students can interact with peers
to arrive at conclusions (Alexander 46). This makes learning a group experience, where
everyone benefits from group discussion, whether whole group, or small groups. It
should be taught on a differentiated basis in which all students are taught on their
instructional levels (Bear 8). This allows everyone to reach their full potential by learning
at a level that is appropriate for them. Literacy instruction should reflect a variety of
genres in order to expose students to a wide variety of experiences. When it comes to
comprehending those experiences, it is important to teach comprehension strategies in
combination with one another, opposed to isolation (Duke 254-5). By teaching students
to use comprehension strategies in combination with one another, it helps them start to
see the big picture of how all of their literacy skills fit together to create Good Readers.
References
Alexander P. A., Fox, E. (2004). A Hisotrical Perspective on Reading Research and
Practice. Theoretical Methods and Processes of Reading, 5th Edition, 45-50.
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2012). Words
Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling
Instruction. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Heath, S. B. (1982). What No Bedtime Story Means: Narrative Skills at
Home and School. Language in Society, (1). 49.
Duke, N. K. (2011). Best Practices in Literacy Instrucion. Morrow, L. M. & Gambrell, L.
B. (Eds.) New York, NY: Guildford Press