Making a Difference Means Making It Different: Honoring Children’s Rights to Excellent Reading Instruction

Summary

IRA asserts that, to meet the challenges of teaching literacy in the 21st century, it is time to build reading programs on a set of comprehensive principles that honor children’s rights to excellent instruction.

We believe that all children have a right to

Early reading instruction the meets individual needs

Reading instruction that builds skill and the desire to read increasingly complex materials

Well-prepared teachers who keep their skills up to date

A variety of books and other reading material in their classrooms, and in school and community libraries

Assessment that identifies strengths as well as needs and involves students in making decisions about their own learning

Supplemental instruction from professionals specifically prepared to teach reading

Instruction that involves parents and communities in students’ academic lives

Instruction that makes meaningful use of first-language skills

Equal access to instructional technology

Classrooms that optimize learning opportunities

Meeting our obligation to provide excellent reading instruction to every child means that classrooms need to be rethought, sufficient financial investments must be made, and communities must wholeheartedly support school and instructional reform efforts.

Purchase the 16-page full text booklet of this position statement, which includes a color “Children’s Literacy Rights” poster, from the Marketplace.