Every child deserves to grow up literate in our schools.
As professional literacy teachers, we take our responsibility seriously. As partners with families, we need to assure each child experiences the joy of literacy and achieves a high level of competency as a reader, writer and language user. Without competency, there is no joy. When a child is not successful in school, it is traumatic for the child, the family and the educators.
We are responsible for assuring every child’s success – that means providing literacy instruction that is informed by current evidence in all domains of academic and applied research that includes the foundational and fundamentals of reading and writing instruction –phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, language development, knowledge building, engagement and motivation, neuroscience, and inclusive, responsive classroom practices. It means addressing the conditions of teaching and learning that contribute to successful instruction or diminish it. It also means taking the responsibility for advocating for the many systemic issues that are obstacles for the child’s learning.
Teachers Make the Difference
Our collective professional expertise must include the voices of teachers who are in the best position to make moment by moment decisions that are informed by each child in front of them. As a literacy teacher, you know well the child’s unique identities, strengths and needs. Your precise observations of the child, along with the foundation of a high-quality literacy curriculum and engaging, culturally relevant and sustaining books are the foundation for your systematic explicit instruction that is aligned with the expanding base of knowledge we gain from our work with each child. You are the most important factor in improving the educational outcomes of our children.
What Every Teacher Needs to Know: A Professional Course of Study in Phonics
A foundational expectation for every literacy teacher is a strong understanding of the content of the alphabetic system. In the English language there are 26 letters that represent 44 phonemes. The relationships are sometimes simple and can also be very complex. An understanding of the concepts, the terminology, the logic and the essential principles of the linguistic system form a critical body of knowledge for every literacy teacher.
When you have mastered the content of the alphabetic system in English, you have taken the most important step in assuring you have the foundation for providing strong phonics instruction. And strong phonics instruction is an essential component of your professional expertise in literacy teaching. Invest in your literary expertise, whether it means a quick refresher or adding a new credential to your professional experience.
The Just in Time Opportunity: Act Now!
To expand and confirm your expertise, engage in an exciting new self-paced professional course of study: What Every Teacher Needs to Know About the Alphabetic System. At your convenience, any day, any time, at an affordable cost and also get one graduate credit on your resume for your effort!
Register before July 1 to save over $50!
