7. Literacy instruction should be a priority
It is imperative that our students have adequate literacy skills to be successful in life after high school. When thinking about literacy goals in the middle and high schools, Torgesen, Houston, and Rissman (2007) share that schools should strive to achieve the following three goals:
To work toward meeting these goals effectively, schools should consider establishing a school literacy leadership team, providing enough staff to meet the literacy needs of all students, and scheduling to meet the needs of all students. Funding, lack of resources, and time restraints can prove to be obstacles in achieving these ideas, but every effort must be made to ensure students are receiving the appropriate literacy instruction in order to best prepare them for their futures.
Through working with other teachers and administrators within my school, we have seen some major positive changes in the way that our Exceptional Children students receive literacy instruction. Additional staff and a different approach to scheduling was approved and has allowed us to better meet the needs of our students. Once various staff members sat down to examine the specific needs of our students, ideas were brainstormed and better solutions were reached. Our system is not perfect by any means, but we have worked together to see some necessary changes occur.
Torgesen, J. , Houston, D., Rissman, L. (2007). Improving literacy instruction in middle and high schools: A guide for principals. Retrieved from: http://www.fcrr.org/Interventions/pdf/Principals %20Guide-Secondary.pdf
- Improve overall levels of reading proficiency
- Ensure that all students make at least expected yearly growth in reading ability each year
- Accelerate struggling readers' development
To work toward meeting these goals effectively, schools should consider establishing a school literacy leadership team, providing enough staff to meet the literacy needs of all students, and scheduling to meet the needs of all students. Funding, lack of resources, and time restraints can prove to be obstacles in achieving these ideas, but every effort must be made to ensure students are receiving the appropriate literacy instruction in order to best prepare them for their futures.
Through working with other teachers and administrators within my school, we have seen some major positive changes in the way that our Exceptional Children students receive literacy instruction. Additional staff and a different approach to scheduling was approved and has allowed us to better meet the needs of our students. Once various staff members sat down to examine the specific needs of our students, ideas were brainstormed and better solutions were reached. Our system is not perfect by any means, but we have worked together to see some necessary changes occur.
Torgesen, J. , Houston, D., Rissman, L. (2007). Improving literacy instruction in middle and high schools: A guide for principals. Retrieved from: http://www.fcrr.org/Interventions/pdf/Principals %20Guide-Secondary.pdf
Additional resources on improving literacy instruction in schools:
- Article by Joseph Torgesen: Catch them Before They Fall
- Article by Elizabeth G. Sturtevant: The Literacy Coach: A Key to Improving Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools