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