Vision/Philosophy Statement

Matthew Gold

Department of Education & Counseling, Longwood University

READ 650 Evaluation of Literacy Research

Dr. Angelica D. Blanchette

January, 2023
 Vision/Philosophy Statement

Early in my teaching career, another teacher (later administrator) said passingly that as

reading goes, so goes the rest of education. This impressed on me the importance of a focus on

reading and literacy in general, as the overall importance to both school and life bears a heavy

weight. Literacy incorporates not just reading, but all communication, which is paramount in

living in a modern society. Students will be more likely to succeed in growing their literacy when

they are exposed to learning opportunities and are motivated to learn. Not all students enter the

school system at the same level, with the same exposure to print and literacy, or with the desire

and motivation to learn. In addition to exposing students to differentiated instruction based upon

their own level of reading and exposure, a classroom environment that encourages students of

every level to grow is critical (Malloy et al., 2018, p 3-4).

Early focus for students should be grounded in research-based instruction. Students

should be exposed to the idea of letter-sound correspondence all the way through phonics

instruction. Decoding is a primary way for students to show progress in reading, and gives

students a chance when encountering vocabulary that is unfamiliar to them. Though flawed,

phonics instruction currently shows the greatest results of reading instruction (Kilpatrick, 2015,

p. 41). Using this is a backbone for reading growth in students provides them with a tool that

they can continue to use in their educational development.

Growth mindset, self-efficacy, and overall positive feelings towards reading are of high

importance in a dynamic space such as a classroom, with all of the students from various cultural

backgrounds and home lives. While all students will enter into an educational environment with
different backgrounds, a positive outlook and mindset can be created within the classroom to

enable all children to learn. “The way in which teachers interact with students affects what they

will learn” (Morrow et al., 2018, p. 79). Working within the context of providing differentiated

instruction that is phonics based, encouraging a love of reading, and providing a generally

uplifting environment will provide students with a foundation to help them in all of their

educational endeavors.
 References

Kilpatrick, David A.(2015). Essentials of assessing, preventing, and overcoming reading

difficulties. John Wiley & Sons.

Malloy, J., Marinak, B., Gambrell, L. (2018). Evidence-based practices for developing literate

communities (L.M. Morrow, Ed., L.B. Gambrell, Ed.). The Guilford Press.

Morrow, L., Dougherty, S., Tracey, D. (2018). Best practices in early literacy: Preschool,

kindergarten, and first grade (L.M. Morrow, Ed., L.B. Gambrell, Ed.). The Guilford

Press.