Much has been learned in the past decade about classroom instruction that effectively develops the reading and writing of all children. The ten principles below provide a brief summary. Nothing is better than reading and writing to develop children's reading and writing. Children do not develop comprehension strategies by answering questions after reading. Some children need access to larger amounts of more intensive instructional support and enhanced opportunities to read and write with instructional support.
Thoughtful literacy is the new general goal for reading and language arts instruction.
A wealth of school tasks emphasizing summarizing, organizing, synthesizing, comparing, analyzing, creating, and presenting texts are evidence of thoughtful instruction K 12. Developing independent readers and writers is critical to developing thoughtful, lifelong learners. Easy access to books is critical support for fostering independent reading activity. Access to consistently high-quality classroom instruction is more important than which parents children have or which special programs they attend. Good classroom instruction is absolutely central to student achievement.