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Madison Clark
Roni Adams
ED 463A Final Philosophy
6 December 2014
Literacy is one of the most important things a child can learn. Reading and writing are
important tools that open the door to new experiences and opportunities. Research on the
benefits of literacy shows that ones mastery of literacy is tied to success in all other academic
areas. For example, children who read well in the early grades are far more successful in later
school years. Young, proficient readers will grab hold of the opportunities provided in a literacyinfused classroom and develop confidence in their own abilities, which leads to success in other
subjects such as social studies, math, and science (The Fundamental Importance of Literacy,
2011).
I believe in an education that is student centered and promotes exploration, discovery,
hands on experiences, and trusting and safe relationships, while incorporating literacy among
every subject area. I believe that children learn best through direct experiences and they are
constantly building on their existing knowledge. Literacy is needed both to build upon existing
background knowledge, and to build new knowledge about the world. Children are born
naturally curious and should be given the opportunities and tools necessary to explore their ideas
and interests through hands on and student centered activities. Children need to be provided with
a plethora of different books including different genres and reading levels so every childs
interests and reading levels can be met. I have already started to collect books for my personal
classroom library and will continue to search for books at places such as garage sales and used
books stores.

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An ideal curriculum would be solely based on students own interests and aspirations,
although some sort of structure would be provided. Depending on which school I will be
teaching at some day, I may already have a predetermined curriculum. In this case, I will take the
curriculum and make it my own. I will use the tools I have learned to make the curriculum
exciting and engaging for my students. I will also incorporate literacy into each academic area of
the curriculum and will adopt a 50/50 approach where students read half academic and half
recreational texts. Differentiating instruction is extremely important in order to meet the needs of
every learner. I will try my best to accommodate to every students needs by varying the
arrangement of instruction, choosing instructional materials at every students reading level, and
modifying assignments.
Although I do not believe in standardized testing as an appropriate assessment for
students, I do believe assessment is necessary and an important aspect of teaching. Assessment is
important for several reasons. On the topic of literacy, assessment is important so teachers can
determine the reading level of students in order plan appropriate instruction, monitor students to
ensure theyre making expected progress in reading and writing, and identify students strengths
and weaknesses (Tompkins, 2014). In my classroom, I will use both formal and informal
assessments to observe the progress of my students. I will use such informal assessments as
running records of students oral reading, examinations of students work, conferences with
students to talk about their reading and writing, and simple observations and notes on each
students participation and performance.
Depending on which type of school I work at in the future, I would hope to implement a
reading program like The Daily 5. I like how students work independently toward personalized
goals, while the teacher meets individual needs through whole-group and small-group

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instruction, as well as one-on-one conferring. If I am in a school with an existing reading
program such as a Basal Reading Program, I will do my best to incorporate the different
components of a balanced approach, including literature focus units, literature circles, and
reading and writing workshops.
Growing up, I never really enjoyed reading or writing and I rarely did either for fun. This
is why I want to teach literacy in a way that gets kids excited about reading and writing and helps
them to develop a true love for literacy. I want children to have a different literacy experience
than me. Not one that pushes them to dread reading and writing, but one that leaves them
wanting more.
To promote literacy development in students both in schools and at home, I will send out
general and personal newsletters and emails, hold conferences with families and their children,
and send students home with resources for them and their families. It is important to look at
children and their families as if they do not have any resources for books themselves and to
provide them with books to read with their children. I dont want students to not develop a love
for reading solely because they did not have the resources. If I know a student has a specific
interest in a certain topic, I will do all I can to send them home with books that relate to that
topic.
After this course ends, I will continue to educate myself about literacy instruction through
a couple different ways. First, I want to read the five other books my peers read throughout the
course including Reading Magic, Adventures in Graphica, The Daily 5, The Book Whisperer, and
Boy Writers. Each group did a great job of summarizing the main points of each book, but I still
want to read them myself because they all seemed like they would be very beneficial. Lastly, I
want to observe different reading programs that different schools offer. I have heard of a

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classroom in Ashland that uses the Daily 5 and I am very interested in seeing how exactly it
works and how the students seem to like it. I would like to observe several different programs to
get a feel for the type of program I would like to implement when I become a teacher.
Reading is the fundamental skill in which every academic subject area is dependent upon.
Any child who does not learn to read early and well will not easily master other skills and
knowledge, and is unlikely to ever flourish in school or in life (The Fundamental Importance of
Literacy, 2011). This is why it is so important for students to learn literacy and come to love and
enjoy it. I hope to one-day make an impact on my students that will lead them to love literacy
and become life long readers and writers.

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Works Cited
"The Fundamental Importance of Literacy." Teaching As Leadership. Teach For America, 2011.
Web. 7 Dec. 2014.
Tompkins, Gail E. Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach. 6th ed. Upper Saddle
River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2014. Print.

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