Chapter one of Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World explores the history of literacy instruction over four crucial time periods: before the Industrial Revolution, the first half of the 20th century, the second half of the 20th century, and the 21st century. Literacy instruction in each era is highly intertwined with its social and historical context, meaning literacy is impacted by its time period. This is especially evident when looking at the materials and books used to teach reading and writing. For instance, children learned to read using books about religion, morality, and patriotism. These are all themes that were aligned with the era's intentions for literacy. Furthermore, literacy has been only accessible to those who were deemed worthy at that given time. Though the United States has made progress in making education accessible, there is still work to do. I look forward to continuing to learn about culturally-responsive teaching in the 21st century.

As we attempt to understand the history of literacy, we should consider its most successful instructional literacy methods. It is imperative that the instructional methods used in the classroom are evidenced based. Teachers must have the appropriate pedagogical knowledge as they design their literacy lessons to meet the diverse needs of their students. Selecting strategies rooted in research can help students achieve greater success in the classroom. This graphic organizer illustrates the top five elements of an effective literacy curriculum.


References

Shearer, B. A., Carr, D. A., & Vogt M. (2019). Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World. Waveland Press, Inc.