NCTE Commission on Reading Takes Proactive Positions On Reading and Reading Instruction
by Michael L. Shaw, NCTE Liaison to the International Reading Association, and Jane Braunger, Director, NCTE Commission on Reading

The NCTE Executive Committee has approved and posted on the NCTE Web site three documents created by the Commission on Reading to contribute to professional dialogue about literacy instruction. The documents speak to a national reading policy that is hampering teachers from making professional decisions about instruction that meets the needs of all students.  These research-based documents directly respond to the scripted, narrow view of reading and reading instruction set forth in the Reading First Initiative.

The first document is “On Reading, Learning to Read, and Effective Reading Instruction: An Overview of What We Know and How We Know It.” It conceptualizes reading as a “complex and purposeful sociocultural, cognitive, and linguistic process in which readers simultaneously use their knowledge of spoken and written language, their knowledge of the topic of the text, and their knowledge of their culture to construct meaning with text.” This document highlights that learning to read is a life-long process which begins during a child’s earliest interactions with families and communities. It also identifies characteristics of effective reading instruction that include a focus on authentic experiences with texts, multiple daily reading experiences, explicit demonstrations of reading strategies, ongoing assessment to inform instruction, creative and critical student response to texts, inquiry into language study, student collaborations, and partnerships with families to extend school learning.

The second document is a position/action statement, “A Call to Action: What We Know About Adolescent Literacy and Ways to Support Teachers in Meeting Students’ Needs.” This document calls for middle and high schools to recognize that adolescents read in multiple ways and “use literacy as a social and political endeavor in which they engage to make meaning and to act upon their worlds.” It emphasizes that teachers must “recognize and value the multiple literacy resources students bring to the acquisition of school literacy” by showing, demonstrating, and making visible “how literacy operates within the academic disciplines.” To meet the unique needs of adolescent learners, the statement also calls for teachers to provide adolescents with sustained experiences in diverse texts that include multiple genres and offer multiple perspectives. It further notes that adolescents need opportunities to critically examine texts that are print, electronic, and visual media through student-led discussions. The statement emphasizes the importance to provide ongoing opportunities for students to reflect about how they engage with texts.

The third document is “Features of Literacy Programs: A Decision-Making Matrix.” This document provides a matrix for teachers and curriculum developers to identify “standards-aligned criteria” when they select instructional materials and programs. The matrix identifies many features to consider when deciding on appropriate materials and goals for literacy instruction. Categories include texts and support materials, including content and perspectives; instructional methodologies, including approaches to comprehension and word study; opportunities for student engagements; assessment; and professional resources and development. The Commission on Reading also used a broad base of research to rank each of the matrix features with respect to creating effective literacy instruction. However, the Commission also emphasizes that the rankings are “less important than the locally-based conversations prompted than the conversations prompted by the use of the matrix.”

At the 2004 NCTE Convention, the Commission on Reading sponsored two sessions for participants to learn about ways to use these documents with colleagues, preservice teachers, community members and policymakers. The Commission on Reading is disseminating the documents to state NCTE affiliates and other professional organizations. NCTE members are encouraged to download the documents and use them as part of their work in literacy education. The Commission on Reading will also introduce the documents in a session at the upcoming 2005 International Reading Association annual conference.