The ABCs of an Effective Literacy Educator

By Ximena Dueñas, Gina Catalina Loaiza, Silvana Godoy Mateus y José Luís Sánchez

What makes a teacher effective in literacy education? An A, B, C of the "superpowers" needed to boost student learning and enhance their reading and writing skills.

To commemorate and honor the work of teachers, we want to highlight some actions, qualities, and "superpowers" that are part of the skillset of numerous teachers and literacy educators we have met in recent years. These elements show us that change, among many other factors, requires the participation of teachers. Below, we share the ABCs of what these professionals do to teach effectively and successfully.

The effective literacy educator:

Reflects on their practices and teaches based on evidence. The literacy process requires constant evaluation of beliefs and possible biases about teaching reading and writing. Teachers who carry out this work investigate and base their pedagogical interventions on effective practices supported by scientific evidence. This means they rely on a solid set of studies, methods, and research that provide reliable information on the cognitive and biological processes related to understanding letters and printed texts.

They know their teaching is decisive and do not wait for children to mature; instead, they create the necessary conditions for the development of reading and writing skills. They promote early literacy practices and learning opportunities that foster the development of oral language, open spaces to expand vocabulary, and expose children to quality reading materials and writing experiences. This is achieved by understanding that children do not learn to read and write overnight. The determining factor is not age or biological readiness, but rather the knowledge they acquire about how letters systematically represent the sounds of spoken language.

They teach in a direct and explicit manner, and their support is essential for their students' learning progress. They play a leading role by clearly communicating learning objectives, ensuring children understand what is expected of them. Additionally, they explain and model activities and strategies, showing step-by-step how to develop each skill. Like scaffolding, they open multiple practice spaces, whether in groups or pairs, always offering support and guidance. They use independent activities to verify whether the child has learned correctly.

Their teaching is structured and systematic. They organize learning and practice along a path of increasing complexity, proposing simple activities that gradually increase in difficulty or require cumulative learning. They are also capable of providing clear and concise instructions, as well as opportunities to practice mastering written language. The activities they propose follow a class plan with clear goals and purposes.

They incorporate a culture of assessment into their practice. An effective literacy educator knows the level of mastery of reading and writing skills for each child and uses this information to guide the next steps. If children have learned, the educator continues to develop their skills and gradually transfers responsibility to them. If it is confirmed that they have not reached the expected level of learning, the educator models again, intensifies instruction, and provides more practice opportunities until the goal is reached.

They recognize the need for support and foster networks of collaboration, involving colleagues, administrators, and families to implement early and effective interventions. They lead change in the classroom, at school, and in parental involvement, understanding that student progress is the result of collective effort. They recognize that engaging families in the literacy process can improve educational progress by 4 to 5 months. However, when conditions are adverse, they take on the great responsibility of closing educational gaps through evidence-based reading and writing instruction.

They transform the classroom into a living reflection of social dynamics, where words create identity, resolve conflicts, and build lasting and sustainable peace. They have high expectations for themselves in their educational role and for the abilities of children to learn and succeed. They acknowledge the socioeconomic characteristics of students' contexts, such as poverty or belonging to racial and/or ethnic minorities, and they value diversity as an asset. They validate everyone's voice and turn the school or classroom into a space where multilingualism and multiculturalism are celebrated. In this environment, traditions, culture, music, and various forms of representation are used as pretexts for reading and writing.

We invite you to meet Argelis Dearmas, an effective literacy educator who, with the superpower of metamorphosis, ensures the civic right to read and write. Her story is inspiring and demonstrates how passion and dedication in teaching can transform lives and entire communities. Dearmas's ability to adapt and evolve in her educational role highlights the importance of a flexible and committed approach to literacy.

Share your thoughts on this post about literacy and her story. We're eager to hear from you!

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