Angela Walter

ELD 308
Dr. McKool
4 December 2014
My Philosophical Beliefs about Literacy
I believe students should be given a choice when it comes to selecting books.
I believe students should be intrinsically motivated to be readers.
I believe that independent reading should be a key component in the classroom.
I believe, as a teacher, my behaviors speak of my values and I should read along with the
students to show that I value reading.
I believe that students should be allowed to give and receive book recommendations.
I believe that even though students all have different backgrounds and abilities, all students will
find books that they enjoy reading.
I believe that students should engage in conversations about the books they are reading.
I believe in kid-lead, small, heterogeneous discussion about quality literature.
I believe in focused, small group instruction grouped by ability.
I believe that picture books can be used to teach any grade level.
I believe that true motivation to read comes from finding the right book.
I believe students should be encouraged to read and write a variety of genres.
I believe that good readers are formed by observing a teacher model good reading.
I believe teachers should create a safe environment for reading and writing.
I believe students should be allowed to abandon books they are struggling with.

I believe every student should establish personal goals for reading and writing.
I believe in meaningful reading and writing conferences.
I believe teachers should know a variety of books.
I believe that teachers should express to students that it is ok to sometimes struggle with reading
and that even teachers struggle.
I believe students should be granted time to write independently to write whatever they want to
write because writing is more profound when students write about the topic.
I believe the seeds formulated during independent writing will lead to seeds for future writing
pieces.
I believe independent reading and writing leads children to find what they value.
I believe in the balance of guided reading and independent reading.

I value literary because it is the basis for communication. Students need literacy in order to
function in the real world and literary begins in the primary grades. Younger students from Pre-K
to third grade need a strong foundation in reading and writing in order to continue growth and
development of their education. As an educator, it is my job to make the sure the students
properly develop good reading and writing skills. It is also my job to provide the students with
interesting topics to write and read about as well the freedom to explore reading and writing for
themselves. Students should be able to experiment with reading and writing so that they grow
comfortable with it. When students experiment with writing and reading, relating the skills to
topics they are interested in, they are gaining and interest in the skill while recognizing why
these skills are important. Students enter the classroom with a variety of reading and writing
skills and experiences. As a teacher, I am required to consider the different levels of learners as I
create lessons.