Literacy Today September/October 2019

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ILA has long been committed to providing global

leadership in literacy. To that end, in 2018, a Board-

appointed task force developed Children’s Rights to

Read, a campaign to protect 10 fundamental rights

that ensure every child, everywhere has access to the

education, opportunities, and resources needed to

read. This month, the next phase launches: Children’s

Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction.

This new position statement—to be released on

Sept. 9 in honor of International Literacy Day—builds

upon the movement that Children’s Rights to Read

has inspired. It asserts that not only literacy but also

access to excellent and equitable literacy instruction

are basic human rights.

The statement outlines the following tenets

that guarantee and protect these rights:

Children have the right to knowledgeable and

qualified literacy educators.

Children have the right to integrated support systems.

Children have the right to supportive learning

environments and high-quality resources. 

Children have the right to policies that ensure

equitable literacy instruction.

In the coming months, four new research briefs

will be released that expand upon these tenets to

provide the evidence-based foundations for the rights

and to inspire action to ensure they are protected in

your classroom, district, and community.

Action. That is something the education world

needs desperately.

As a superintendent and also the vice president

of the ILA Board, I find myself digging deeper

to affect change in our world. As we continue

to discover multiple pathways for success, I am

encouraged by this movement and the world we as

an organization are inspiring.

We know that literacy is the umbrella that covers

all learning. All initiatives and daily practices must be

The Rights to Excellent

Literacy Instruction

ILA UPDATE

rooted in literacy. Too many of our children leave our

schools in the afternoon without experiencing what we

all know is possible through transformative, equitable

literacy education, but we are working to change that.

We recognize that nothing matters more to a

student’s academic achievement than the teacher,

but we also recognize that the teacher cannot—and

should not—do it alone. Teachers need the support

of other knowledgeable and highly qualified staff, and

their high-quality literacy instruction requires buy-in

from a multitude of stakeholders such as families and

caregivers, teachers, administrators, and policymakers.

Equality and equity are two different things. We

must be committed to addressing inequities that exist

in our schools. In fact, it is our responsibility to do so.

Children’s Rights to Excellent Literacy Instruction

is representative of ILA’s commitment. As the

principal authors Bernadette Dwyer, Diane Kern, and

Jennifer Williams write: “Excellent literacy instruction

builds a strong foundation for learning and, in turn,

equips children to develop their potential, growing

into adults who participate fully in their communities

and society, enjoying the fullness that continuous

learning brings to their lives.”

Be sure to download Children’s Rights to Excellent

Literacy Instruction and look for the accompanying

briefs in the coming months. We ask that you join

our efforts to protect these rights and ensure children

receive the high-quality, equitable literacy instruction that

they deserve.

Stephen G. Peters

Vice President of the Board

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literacyworldwide.org | September/October 2019 | LITERACY TODAY

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