Resource Library

The effectiveness of literacy education within the classroom is dependent on the expertise of the teacher. The effectiveness of literacy education throughout the school is increased when a teacher becomes a leader, sharing her expertise with colleagues to strengthen the entire literacy system. In this column, we address the roles of three audiences in supporting the growth of teacher leaders: (a) principals or other leaders who want to build the capacity for shared leadership in their schools, (b) literacy coaches who value the expertise of teachers and want to develop them as leaders, and (c) teachers who want to grow professionally and contribute to their team by engaging in acts of leadership.

The effectiveness of literacy education within the classroom is dependent on the expertise of the teacher. The effectiveness of literacy education throughout the school is increased when a teacher becomes a leader, sharing her expertise with colleagues to strengthen the entire literacy system. In this column, we address the roles of three audiences in supporting the growth of teacher leaders: (a) principals or other leaders who want to build the capacity for shared leadership in their schools, (b) literacy coaches who value the expertise of teachers and want to develop them as leaders, and (c) teachers who want to grow professionally and contribute to their team by engaging in acts of leadership.

Reprinted with permission from THE READING TEACHER VOLUME 74, NUMBER 5, APRIL 2021.

The way we speak to each other is often so deeply ingrained as to be unconscious. We often use language automatically, without any thought: “How are you?” “Great job!” “No problem.” “I’m all set.” “Go for it!” Yet, the language we use matters. It has everything to do with what we believe; what we learn; how we perceive ourselves, events, and other people; how we affect other people; and how we work and live together.

Think about the many ways that people use a common language to shape their societies—not only large societies but also smaller communities, such as athletic teams and clubs, and workplace communities. Language is created by society, incorporating social values, and in turn, language influences the values of that society. Language, and the way we use it to represent ideas, people, places, events, and experiences, shapes our thinking and our values and influences the identities of others.

Reprinted with permission from THE READING TEACHER VOLUME 74, NUMBER 5, APRIL 2021.

The way we speak to each other is often so deeply ingrained as to be unconscious. We often use language automatically, without any thought: “How are you?” “Great job!” “No problem.” “I’m all set.” “Go for it!” Yet, the language we use matters. It has everything to do with what we believe; what we learn; how we perceive ourselves, events, and other people; how we affect other people; and how we work and live together.

Think about the many ways that people use a common language to shape their societies—not only large societies but also smaller communities, such as athletic teams and clubs, and workplace communities. Language is created by society, incorporating social values, and in turn, language influences the values of that society. Language, and the way we use it to represent ideas, people, places, events, and experiences, shapes our thinking and our values and influences the identities of others.

In this downloadable white paper by Fountas and Pinnell they examine several factors that, according to research, make a difference in students' literacy learning. Each factor is highly related to the selection and use of texts in classrooms, including books for whole-group instruction, small-group instruction, and individual teaching.

Recently text complexity has gained more attention. The importance of text complexity, along with the suggestion to employ "close reading," has been recognized in the Common Core State Standards (2010) and in numerous, often conflicting, interpretations. Fountas and Pinnell believe that students should have numerous opportunities to engage with complex, grade-appropriate fiction and nonfiction texts in both whole-class and small-group settings and that students need to comprehend these texts in a deep way.

In this downloadable white paper by Fountas and Pinnell they examine several factors that, according to research, make a difference in students' literacy learning. Each factor is highly related to the selection and use of texts in classrooms, including books for whole-group instruction, small-group instruction, and individual teaching.

Recently text complexity has gained more attention. The importance of text complexity, along with the suggestion to employ "close reading," has been recognized in the Common Core State Standards (2010) and in numerous, often conflicting, interpretations. Fountas and Pinnell believe that students should have numerous opportunities to engage with complex, grade-appropriate fiction and nonfiction texts in both whole-class and small-group settings and that students need to comprehend these texts in a deep way.

In this article, published in the January/February 2019 issue of Literacy Today, the member magazine of the International Literacy Association, Fountas and Pinnell discuss the role that text levels play in literacy instruction. Leading a literate life in school means that students have the opportunity to act like readers to outside of school. That means having the freedom to choose books they want to read based on a wide variety of criteria such as genre, series, author, and more. The authors describe the appropriate use of levels, what families need to know about levels, and how to make good decisions about literacy teaching and learning.

In this article, published in the January/February 2019 issue of Literacy Today, the member magazine of the International Literacy Association, Fountas and Pinnell discuss the role that text levels play in literacy instruction. Leading a literate life in school means that students have the opportunity to act like readers to outside of school. That means having the freedom to choose books they want to read based on a wide variety of criteria such as genre, series, author, and more. The authors describe the appropriate use of levels, what families need to know about levels, and how to make good decisions about literacy teaching and learning.

In this article, published in The Reading Teacher, Vol. 72, Issue 1, July/August 2018, Fountas and Pinnell examine every child’s right, in every classroom, every day to live a literate life. Students deserve schools that are committed to a hopeful vision for their lives, both inside the classroom walls and beyond them. Improving literacy outcomes for every child is a goal worthy of educators' best efforts. This high goal is made more challenging due to shifting mandates in education that can leave literacy professionals and school leaders disoriented, seeking a guaranteed “fix.” Fountas and Pinnell propose a more coherent, effective way to attain this goal: thinking of the school as a system. The authors discuss four essential elements to designing a schoolwide system for literacy learning: a shared vision and set of core values; common goals, common language, and collective responsibility; a high level of teacher expertise; and a culture of continuous professional learning.

In this article, published in The Reading Teacher, Vol. 72, Issue 1, July/August 2018, Fountas and Pinnell examine every child’s right, in every classroom, every day to live a literate life. Students deserve schools that are committed to a hopeful vision for their lives, both inside the classroom walls and beyond them. Improving literacy outcomes for every child is a goal worthy of educators' best efforts. This high goal is made more challenging due to shifting mandates in education that can leave literacy professionals and school leaders disoriented, seeking a guaranteed “fix.” Fountas and Pinnell propose a more coherent, effective way to attain this goal: thinking of the school as a system. The authors discuss four essential elements to designing a schoolwide system for literacy learning: a shared vision and set of core values; common goals, common language, and collective responsibility; a high level of teacher expertise; and a culture of continuous professional learning.

Read this message from Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell on the role of the Recording Form across the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ brand. 

Learn about:

• the power and purpose of assessment
• the role of the Reading Record in assessment and observation
• assessment in Benchmark Assessment Systems (BAS), Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI), and Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ (FPC) at-a-Glance
• enhancements to the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Recording Forms
• the rationale for clarified comprehension conversation scoring
• the versions of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Recording Forms
• the consistency between BAS, LLI and FPC Recording Forms

Read this message from Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell on the role of the Recording Form across the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ brand. 

Learn about:

• the power and purpose of assessment
• the role of the Reading Record in assessment and observation
• assessment in Benchmark Assessment Systems (BAS), Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI), and Fountas & Pinnell Classroom™ (FPC) at-a-Glance
• enhancements to the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Recording Forms
• the rationale for clarified comprehension conversation scoring
• the versions of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy™ Recording Forms
• the consistency between BAS, LLI and FPC Recording Forms