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James yells out, during our conference, “I hate reading!”
Children who are confronted with frustration because they can’t read quit trying to read. If they are met with JOY, they keep reading. The most important vehicle for academics is reading. The more children read, the better reader they become. Mr. Eric calls this the “Success Circle:
• Children read successfully!
• They love reading!
• Children read more!
• Their reading skills Improve!
To find out more about Eric and his wonderful books, songs and videos visit his website:
https://www.ericlitwin.com/copy-of-books
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The Success Circle
Invaluable Invitation
Copyrighted by Eric Litwin
Used with permission
Conclusion
In this article, we share just some of the many ways that content area teachers can impact literacy learning and students’ literacy development in K-12 settings. The ingredients of intention, joy, and a strong commitment for social justice/equity can create conditions where all learners are valued, engaged, motivated, and provided with comprehensive instruction and time to practice literacy skills and strategies introduced in traditional English Language Arts programs. We know that students need extensive opportunities to become proficient as readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and viewers. 21st century learning means that we must ensure that these focus areas are interdisciplinary, embedded in the school culture, and a cornerstone of the “why” behind this important work that we all do.
References
Beers, K. & Probst, R.E. (2017) Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Berkowitz, R., Moore, H., Astor, RA., & Benbenishty, R. (2017). A research synthesis of the associations between socioeconomic background, inequality, school climate, and academic achievement. Review of Educational Research, 87(2), 425-469.
Daniels, H. & Steineke, N. (2011) Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
International Literacy Association Creates Child's Rights To Read. Retrieved April 27, 2019, from https://www.slj.com/detailStory=international-literacy-association-creates-childs-rights-to-read
International Literacy Association. (2018). What’s hot in literacy report. Newark, DE.
Lane, B. (2016). After The End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Morrow, L.M., Kunz, K., & Hall, M. (2018). Breaking Through the Language Arts Block:
Organizing and Managing the Exemplary Literacy Day. New York, NY: Guilford.
Young People Empowered to Change the World. (2019, April 28). Retrieved from http://yparhub.berkeley.edu/
Dr. Kenneth Kunz is currently a K-12 Supervisor of Curriculum & Instruction in Middlesex, NJ, and will be joining the faculty in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Monmouth University as an Assistant Professor of Literacy. Ken is President
of the New Jersey Literacy Association (NJLA) and a Board Member of the International Literacy Association (ILA). He is co-author of Breaking through the Language Arts Block: Organizing and Managing the Exemplary Literacy Day (2018) and is currently writing two books centered on literacy best practices. In addition to preparing future teachers, Ken has experience as a classroom teacher, school and district administrator, and literacy coach. He is active on Twitter @DrKennethKunz and recently started a website and blog at www.fortheloveofliteracy.net.
Brian Benavides is a Bilingual Language Arts Teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, NJ. Brian is currently completing his Supervisor Certification at William Paterson University and will be beginning his second Masters in Educational Leadership. This past year, Brian completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Israel. The objective of the scholarship
was to evaluate bilingual programs currently being offered throughout the Israeli education system. His involvement in current projects include the implementation of a Comprehensive Literacy Approach in Spanish at Hunterdon Central Regional High School and an inquiry-based curriculum known as Youth Participatory Action Research.
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