No 3. Literacy Literacy is communication
We too narrowly interpret the task of literacy as teaching children to read when what we must teach - and learn ourselves - is to master language as the essential building block of expression and human connection.
Georgia adults have low literacy skills.** 800,000
Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to
Life expectancy is reduced by up to years due to low-literacy.*** 26.1
Literacy is being able to use “written text to participate in society, achieve one’s goals and develop one’s knowledge and potential.” USA Facts *
combine them. Nathaniel Hawthorne
The foundation of literacy is language Literacy has rightfully received significant public attention in recent years because of how strongly correlated low literacy is with adverse life outcomes. However, literacy is much more than skills that enable the decoding of words or a love of reading. Fundamentally, literacy is about expression. It is about the formulation and communication of ideas through language. Language and literacy are so much more than economic and social necessities; they are the tools that unlock our voices and ideas, hopes and fears, and release them to be shared with others. Language is such a powerful tool in leading change, including the change in how young people are taught to read. Developing language precision and engaging in shared craft talk are markers of high-performing teams and organizations. When adults are both teaching how to read and engaging themselves in developing their language and skill in literacy, a true culture of reading emerges that centers people, connection, and ideas, not just decoding or fluency.
Literacy Implementation Teams (LIT) Participants:
I used to think literacy was a destination to proficiency but now I think literacy is an ongoing journey of growth. I now think about teaching students how to read from a holistic standpoint instead of teaching reading in isolation.
100% of participants agreed LIT helped them reflect critically to improve their practice.
By The Numbers Our Impact
Literacy as a Lifeline
BCLS-participating Paulding County schools saw an increase of +5 to 20 points from 2023 to 2024 in 3rd grade ELA GA Milestone scores
*USAFacts, Which states have the highest and lowest adult literacy rates?, 2023 **Deloitte, The State of Literacy in Georgia, 2023 ***Gilbert et al., Literacy and Life Expectancy, 2018
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