RUNNING HEAD: THE POWER OF LITERACY; A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

The Power of Literacy; A Philosophy Statement

Hope Shields

Longwood University
RUNNING HEAD: THE POWER OF LITERACY; A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

Speaking from experience, literacy is a very powerful asset. Imagine the notion that a

single academic area can change the course of someone’s life in terms of a record of

generational poverty and low socioeconomic status. I stand in favor of this notion in that I have

been a product of it. I was the first in my family to graduate college, a story not unlike many

others’ stories, but I believe everyone with a story like mine has one common factor, and that is

a strong literacy foundation. Mine, along with others’ experiences, speak to the importance of

effective literacy instruction. What we know now is that effective literacy instruction includes

evidence-based interventions for when students struggle (California Department of Education,

2021) as well as a strong emphasis on supporting student motivation and developmental needs

(Adolescent Literacy Guide, 2016). These combined elements can lead to a student's dedication

to reading which is the highest form of intrinsic motivation. These are three main factors that

embolden student success in literacy.

Effective literacy instruction should incorporate, at minimum, these three components. If

these components are paired with analyzing learners as individuals (Alexander & Murphy, 1999)

then teachers are better able to utilize their own strengths in their craft and make teaching

decisions that will optimally benefit the learners in their classroom. Let’s look at the pieces of

this literacy puzzle individually so we can better see how they work together in favor of the

teacher, student, and the literacy learning experience as a whole. When teachers analyze

learners as individuals, it paves the way to build significant student-teacher relationships. When

students feel recognized as individuals and supported in autonomy in each developmental area;

physical, cognitive, emotional, and social (Adolescent Literacy Guide, 2016) then they are more

likely to become intrinsically motivated literacy learners (Morrow & Gambrel, 2018).

Furthermore, when students become intrinsically motivated to read, then they acquire the
RUNNING HEAD: THE POWER OF LITERACY; A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

dedication that it takes to read outside of their own interests and reach the peak of opportunities

to expand and acquire new knowledge (Morrow & Gambrel, 2018). It is our job as educators to

help all students reach this level of literacy motivation so that everyone has an equal opportunity

to experience the success in literacy and knowledge seeking that I, and so many others, have

been able to utilize to change the course of our lives.

Reading and literacy has the power to allot everyone the skills to overcome any and all

other academic struggles. When a student struggles academically in math, they can use their

knowledge base in literacy to think critically. When a student feels overwhelmed with science or

social studies content they can pull from their literacy foundation to help them push through and

comprehend difficult subject-matter. Literacy is the foundation for all other content-areas. When

a teacher prioritizes building student relationships, utilizes strategies that build motivation and

dedication to read, and uses evidence-based intervention strategies when necessary all

students have the potential to have a strong literacy foundation that will be useful in all

academic areas and could possibly...one day... change the course of their lives.
RUNNING HEAD: THE POWER OF LITERACY; A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

References

Adolescent Literacy Learning. (2015). Adolescent Literacy Guide A Professional

Learning Resource for Literacy Grades 7-12 [Review of Adolescent

Literacy Guide A Professional Learning Resource for Literacy Grades

7-12].

http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/Vision/Adoles

centLiteracyGuide_Interactive.pdf

Evidence-Based Interventions Under the ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act (CA

Dept of Education). (2022). Www.cde.ca.gov.

https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/es/evidence.asp

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RUNNING HEAD: THE POWER OF LITERACY; A PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT

References

Adolescent Literacy Guide. Edugains.ca. (2016).

https://www.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy/ALG/docs/Adolescent%20Development.pdf.

California Department of Education. (2021, January 4). Evidence Based Interventions Under the

ESSA. California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/es/evidence.asp

(Morrow & Gambrel, 2018. Best Practices in Motivating Students to Read. The Guilford Press