Reading and Language

In our program, exploring issues of equity is of the utmost importance. This means taking an honest look at how racial and ethnic groups are positioned by day-to-day educational practices. It also means an up-close examination of assessment practices that position white, “standard” English-speaking students as the norm, thereby making all other racioethnic and linguistic groups inferior. Traditional barriers to attainment, such as language, socioeconomics, culture, race, and disability, are all ways of “othering” students, which results in the perpetuation of inequity. 

We are committed to making our classes brave spaces to explore and examine issues of diversity,  equity, and inclusion in our lives and in our schools. Our goal is to examine fairness and justice in literacy education by continuously evaluating our own practices. Using an equity/antiracism lens, we strive to better serve our candidates by examining ways to eliminate barriers and evaluate interpersonal engagement so that we are better equipped to help them serve their own students. 

Pedagogical practices are of utmost importance to equitable literacy instruction. Mindset is key. Without an antiracist mindset, educators have the ability to do damage to students’ identity and impact their self-worth, whether intentional or not. Educators’ silence in the face of systemic injustice indicates compliance or agreement; ignoring, disregarding, or overlooking issues of inequity, bias, and racism protects and enables continued injustice and oppression. Therefore, careful, critical, and ongoing examination of pedagogical practices and dispositions is essential. 

Due to the increased attention on the Science of Reading (SoR), the reading program faculty feels it is important to share our stance on this topic. We are grateful to our colleagues in cognitive psychology, who have provided us with a straightforward look at what students need to learn to read. From researchers such as Adams (1990) and Rayner et al. (2001), we know that learning to read English involves explicit and systematic phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, as well as fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing instruction. Our program provides in-depth, intentional instruction in each of these areas. We constantly read and discuss literacy scholarship and revise our classes based on compelling, substantive research findings. 

We must clarify that while we know from SoR research what children need to learn to read, the research does not specify which method best supports this learning. The research often cited by SoR proponents does not suggest that one method is better than another, nor is there compelling, peer-reviewed research that suggests that one curriculum is better than others. The research on reading instruction does show us that teachers’ ability to differentiate their instruction for the specific children in their class is crucial (e.g., Santamaria, 2009; Wharton-McDonald et al., 1998; Wilcox et al., 2015). This is true for students with reading difficulties as well, including dyslexia (Coyne, 2013; Schlesinger & Gray, 2017). Different school districts have different programs, and it is vital for our reading teacher/specialist candidates to understand how to utilize their district curriculum while also being able to assess individual students to determine strengths and needs and design instruction accordingly. Some students will struggle with decoding and may need to participate in individualized or small-group instruction in synthetic phonics. Other students may enter kindergarten already able to segment and blend phonemes but may need vocabulary support. Indeed, the National Reading Panel made clear in its 2000 report that phonemic awareness instruction is most effective when taught in small groups in order to differentiate for students’ specific needs (see page 2-22). We, therefore, advocate for literacy curricula and instructional practices that allow for differentiation–including small-group instruction–across the elements of literacy learning and across grade levels.

The Illinois State Board of Education has developed the Illinois Comprehensive Literacy Plan, and we were involved in that process through focus groups and attendance at ISBE’s listening meetings. We are impressed with the care and attention that have gone into writing the document. Like us, the authors of the Literacy Plan see literacy as a multi-faceted process that requires foundational skills and a focus on oral language, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing. In addition, it attends to the specific needs of multilingual learners and understands the importance of culturally relevant instruction. Candidates in our program will learn about the Illinois Literacy Plan, and we will ensure that our Reading Specialist and Reading Teacher programs capably prepare our candidates to enact the plan, regardless of their grade level focus. 

REFERENCES

Adams, M. (1990).  Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.     

Coyne, M. D., Simmons, D. C., Hagan-Burke, S., Simmons, L. E., Kwok, O.-M., Kim, M., Rawlinson, D. M. (2013). Adjusting Beginning Reading Intervention Based on Student Performance: An Experimental Evaluation. Exceptional Children, 80(1), 25–44.

National Reading Panel (U.S.) & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.). (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction.

Rayner, K., Foorman, B., Perfetti, C., Pesetsky, D., & Seidenberg, M. (2001).  How psychological science informs the teaching of reading.  Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2, 31-74.                                                                                                        

Santamaria, L. (2009). Culturally responsive differentiated instruction: Narrowing gaps between best pedagogical practices benefiting all learners. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 214–247.

Schlesinger, N., & Gray, S. (2017). The impact of multisensory instruction on learning letter names and sounds, word reading, and spelling. Ann. of Dyslexia, 67, 219-258.

Wharton-McDonald, R., Pressley, M., & Hampston, J. M. (1998). Literacy instruction in nine first-grade classrooms: Teacher characteristics and student achievement. The Elementary School Journal, 99(2), 101–128.

Wilcox, K. C., Lawson, H. A., & Angelis, J. (2015). Classroom, School, and District Impacts on Diverse Student Literacy Achievement. Teachers College Record, 117(9), 1-38.

Candidates in the Reading and Language Program at National Louis University will engage in a comprehensive approach to literacy education.  We emphasize the importance of viewing literacy as a multifaceted process requiring diverse perspectives and instructional methods. We advocate for inclusive literacy instruction that considers the needs of all students in various contexts and languages, aiming to empower learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds across grade levels. Candidates in the program are taught to critically evaluate and utilize research findings to inform policy, curriculum, and teaching methods.  Candidates learn to evaluate various instructional programs critically, rather than endorsing any specific one, and to assess students holistically, using multiple diagnostic tools to inform instructional decisions. Ultimately, they are prepared to advocate for research-based literacy practices to improve educational outcomes for students in various settings. Graduates of our programs will be equipped with the skills to promote literacy development for all learners, including culturally and linguistically diverse students, through collaboration and leadership in various educational settings.

 In the introductory courses, you will:

• Build a knowledge base in literacy teaching, learning, and assessment practices, and learn the inquiry and reflection tools to continue updating your knowledge and practice.
• Begin to develop dispositions of reflective practice, ethical and professional behavior, the ability to use self-reflection and peer feedback for learning, and appreciation for diversity, advocacy, and collegiality.
• Use writing, technology, and digital resources appropriate to your roles and to enhance literacy assessment, instruction, and environment.
• Design, implement, and coach for equitable assessment and instructional practices for culturally, linguistically, and socio-economically diverse learners.
• Create literate environments for all students that take into consideration physical, social, emotional, cultural, linguistic, and intellectual factors.

 In the clinical courses, you will:

• Administer, score, analyze, and interpret a broad range of holistic literacy assessments for all students, including those from racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds and students with learning differences.
• Plan, design, and implement individualized literacy interventions for students experiencing difficulties in various areas of literacy.

In the leadership courses, you will:

• Demonstrate a solid knowledge base in literacy research, teaching, learning, and assessment practices, and build your inquiry tools to continue updating that knowledge and your practice.
• Hone dispositions of reflective practice, ethical and professional behavior, ability to use self-reflection and feedback for learning, and appreciation for diversity, advocacy, and collegiality.
• Support teachers and paraprofessionals in such a way that this support positively affects student learning.