Trending
Each year, International Literacy Day reminds us of something that can easily be taken for granted: the ability to read, write and communicate has the power to change a life. Established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Literacy Day, celebrated on Sept. 8, recognizes literacy as a fundamental human right and an essential part of building stronger communities. This year marks the 60th anniversary of International Literacy Day, with the theme, "Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity."
As we celebrate literacy, I find myself reflecting on my own role in this work. As a professor of Teacher Education at West Liberty University, with a focus on reading instruction and literacy development, I have the privilege--and responsibility--of preparing future teachers who will help children become readers, writers, thinkers and communicators.
Literacy is about far more than learning to read and write. Literacy encompasses reading, writing, listening and speaking. It creates opportunities for education, employment, independence and lifelong learning. It allows people to make informed decisions, participate in their communities, tell their stories and better understand the stories of others.
Building literacy for all requires knowledge, powerful partnerships and collaborative conversations. Each of us has a part to play. My part begins in the college classroom.
In my READ courses at West Liberty University, future teachers are immersed in the scientific evidence that informs effective reading instruction and literacy development. But understanding how reading develops is only the beginning of the literacy journey. For information to become meaningful professional knowledge, future teachers need opportunities to put what they are learning into practice. That means moving beyond textbooks, lectures and assignments to work with students and engage in authentic literacy experiences. It also means discovering an important lesson: Teaching a child to read and write requires more than knowing how literacy develops. It requires knowing the child behind work.
If we believe literacy is a human right and an essential part of creating stronger communities, then literacy instruction cannot exist within the walls of our classrooms alone. We need community connections. Sometimes, that connection begins with two simple words:
Dear Student . . .
Through a partnership with a local elementary school, West Liberty University preservice teachers exchange handwritten letters with fifth-grade students as part of "From the Campus to the Community: A Pen Pal Partnership." Throughout the semester, letters travel back and forth between the elementary school and our university classroom. The fifth graders write about their interests, experiences and ideas. My students read their letters, respond and begin learning about their pen pals--not simply as students completing an assignment, but as individuals with stories worth hearing. Something important happens along the way. They build authentic relationships through literacy. Reading has a purpose because someone has something to say. Writing has a purpose because someone is waiting to read it. A letter becomes more than an assignment; it becomes a conversation. At the end of each semester, the experience culminates with a face-to-face meeting. After weeks of getting to know one another through words on a page, the pen pals finally meet the person behind the letters. That moment always stays with me because it demonstrates something simple yet powerful: Words create connections. Literacy builds relationships.
As we recognize International Literacy Day and the call for "literacy for people, the planet and prosperity," we must continue preparing teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective reading and writing instruction. Children deserve teachers who understand how literacy develops and know how to respond when students struggle.
But literacy also gives us something profoundly human: a way to connect. When children see themselves as readers, writers and communicators whose ideas are worth sharing, literacy becomes more than something they practice during a designated part of the school day. It becomes a way to participate in their communities and in the world. Building literacy for all is an enormous challenge, and no single teacher, school, university or organization can accomplish it alone.
It takes knowledgeable educators, engaged families, strong schools, community partnerships and a shared commitment to ensure that every child has opportunities to read, write, learn and be heard. Sometimes that work begins with knowledge. Sometimes it begins with collaboration and community. And sometimes, it begins with a blank piece of paper and two simple words: Dear Student . . .
Dr. Angela Curfman is Professor of Education in the College of Education and Human Performance at West Liberty University, West Liberty, West Virginia.