Equitable Literacy Instruction in BPS
BPS has launched A District Instructional Focus on Equitable Literacy Instruction. The BPS vision for equitable literacy instruction is grounded in current research on effective instructional practices for students that have traditionally been marginalized; students of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.
What is Equitable Literacy Instruction in BPS?
A commitment to enacting research-based literacy/bi-literacy practices that provide all students, especially those who have been historically underserved, to fully realize their brilliance and become readers and creators of powerful text.
How is Equitable Literacy Instruction different from what we have done before?
Five Research-Based Practices
Intentional Knowledge & Language Activation Across Disciplines
Curriculum and instruction should activate and expand students’ knowledge and language in all content areas. Content-focused instruction allows students to deepen and develop knowledge and language that supports comprehension. This is especially important for multilingual learners.
Daily Work with Enabling Text
“An enabling text is one that moves beyond a sole cognitive focus—such as skill and strategy development—to include an academic, cultural, emotional, and social focus that moves students closer to examining issues they find relevant to their lives.” (Tatum) Dr. Alfred Tatum’s research suggests the powerful impact enabling texts can have on the development of readers.
Explicit Research and Text-Based Disciplinary Writing
Explicit instruction of the purpose, structure and language features of a specific genre/discipline with opportunities to construct texts that are authentic to the discipline. Research shows that multilingual learners benefit from a structured approach to writing instruction that includes modeling, deconstruction of mentor texts, co-construction, and independent writing (Shin, 2016; Brisk, 2014).
Explicit & Systematic Instruction in the Function of Language
Direct instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, morphology, grammar and syntax. Research shows that this is essential for most learners and critical for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Daily Work with Complex Text
Complex, grade-level texts provide students the opportunity to engage with meaningful content and ideas and to learn sophisticated language and language structures. Students who have traditionally been underserved are often denied access to complex, grade-level texts and, as a result, are denied access to sophisticated ideas and language.