Grades

Pre-K to 12

Digital Curriculum

TEACHES LITERACY

PREVENTS VIOLENCE AND BULLYING

Literacy FOR Democracy

ENCOURAGES DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Education for Democracy Institute is a non-profit,

tax-exempt educational, research, and publishing
organization dedicated to supporting the development
of a more literate and democratic society.
The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum is one of the
first projects of the Education for Democracy Institute.
The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum builds
on prior versions of Voices Reading, Voices Pre-K,
Voices Literature and Writing, Voices Leveled Library,
and Voices 3C eLessons.
The Education for Democracy Institute is also sponsoring
the Education for Democracy Campaign which is
dedicated to making real the promises of democracy,
especially for children and families living in poverty
in our country and around the world.
Education for Democracy Institute
P.O. Box 25
Harvard, MA 01451
www.efd.global
info@efd.global
1-844-540-8620 (toll free)

Table of Contents
Overview

Support for Literacy for Democracy . . . . . . . . . . 21

Program Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Module 1: Read-Aloud Instruction . . . . . . . . . . 22

The Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Module 2: Whole-Group Reading Instruction . . . . . 23

The Solution: Literate & Democratic Voices . . . . .

Module 3: Small-Group Reading Instruction . . . . . 24

Integrated Instruction
The Social Development Foundation . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Literacy for Democracy Themes . . . . . . . . . . 9

Module 4: Writing Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Module 5: Literature, History, Speeches,
and Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Ten Transformative Social and Democratic

Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Universal Access

Democratic Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Universal Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Integrating Social and Democratic Competencies

into Language and Literacy Instruction . . . . . . . 12

Goals and Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Authentic Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Deep Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Critical Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Digital Curriculum
The Five Literacy for Democracy Modules . . . . . . 17
Literacy for Democracy eLibrary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Ways to Implement Literacy for Democracy . . . . . 27

The Common Core State Standards . . . . . . . . . . 30

Research and Efficacy
Literacy for Democracy Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Literacy for Democracy National Advisory Board . . . 33
History of Literacy for Democracy . . . . . . . . . . 34
Research Base and Efficacy Studies . . . . . . . . . . 35

Literacy for Democracy Digital Activities

and Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

A New Model of Educational Publishing

Literacy for Democracy Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . 19

Literacy for Democracy Fundraising Plan . . . . . . . 37

Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum . . . . . . . 20

Literacy for Democracy Development Plan . . . . . 36

Overview
Program Overview
L I T E racy
FOR

D emocracy
Digital Curriculum

The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum is a new literacy curriculum

that integrates the teaching of social and democratic skills and values into
language and literacy instruction.
The Problem: Literacy for Democracy seeks to address four interrelated
problems: high levels of childhood poverty, high levels of violence and
bullying, low levels of literacy, and low levels of democratic participation.
The Solution: The Literacy for Democracy approach to solving these problems
is to teach children and youth to use their voices to improve their lives and to
advocate solutions for improving their communities. We have a five-part plan
for helping children and youth to develop their voices:
1. Integrate Social and Democratic Skills into Language and Literacy Instruction

The most compelling force

behind humanitys long and
troubled march toward racial
and social justice has been the
power of the spoken word.
President William Jefferson Clinton (2002)

Ten Transformative Social and Democratic Skills: Literacy for

Democracy integrates the teaching of ten transformative social and
democratic skills into oral language, reading and writing instruction.

Deep Comprehension and Critical Writing: Integrating these

oral, literacy, social, and democratic skills in turn fosters deep
comprehension of texts and the ability to use writing to critically
evaluate the world.

2. Develop Literacy for Democracy eLibrary and Literacy for Democracy

Digital Curriculum
Literacy for Democracy eLibrary: The centerpiece of Literacy for
Democracy is the Literacy for Democracy eLibrary that provides free
access to digital reading materials and activities.

Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum: Literacy for Democracy is

being designed as a completely digital curriculum that will also be
available for free.

2 Ove r v i ew

Overview

Five Modules: The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum includes

five modules: reading aloud, whole-group reading, small-group
reading, writing, and historical documents, speeches, and songs.

3. Provide Universal Access

Ways to Implement Literacy and Democracy: Literacy for Democracy
can be used as a a stand-alone, literature-based social skills and values
curriculum, a supplemental language, reading, and writing program,
or as a comprehensive literacy program.

Digital
Curriculum

Universal Access: Digital readings and activities will be designed

to assure universal access regardless of income, language background,
or learning abilities.

Goals and Outcomes: Implementation of Literacy for Democracy results

in: improved reading comprehension, increased writing ability, decreased bullying and violence, and increased democratic participation.

Alignment with the Common Core State Standards: Literacy for

Democracy fully embraces the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

Common Core Aligned

4. Demonstrate Efficacy
Experience and Evidence: Literacy for Democracy is based on more than
twenty years of research and efficacy studies related to the various
Voices curricula developed by the Literacy for Democracy authors.

Voices curriculum is implemented

in more than 2,000 schools

5. Implement a New Model of Educational Publishing

Literacy for Democracy Development Plan: Literacy for Democracy
has a three-year plan for developing a completely digital alternative
to traditional print-based curricula.

Literacy for Democracy is based on the belief that the future of our
society depends on our children and youth becoming fully literate
and able to contribute to creating a more just and free world.
w w w. e f d . g l o b a l

 Library of Congress/LC-DIG-ppmsca-19926

The Problems
We seek to address four related crises in the United States:

Four score and seven years ago

our fathers brought forth, upon
this continent, a new nation,
conceived in liberty, and
dedicated to the proposition

low levels of literacy,

increasing violence and bullying,

low levels of democratic participation in our society, and

increasing levels of children living in poverty.

According to the most recent national assessments, 66% of fourth-grade

students performed below proficiency level in the 2013 NAEP reading
assessment compared to 64% in 1998. Some 54% of white students were
below proficiency in 2013, while 82% of African American students and
80% of Hispanic students were below proficiency.1
At the same time that we have this increasing literacy crisis, particularly
for students of color, 60% of children 17 years and younger were exposed
to violence in 2008, and life-time exposure to violence exceeds this by
one-third to one-half.2

that all men are created equal.

President Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg Address (1863)

Youth Literacy, Violence, Voting, and Poverty

Percent of Students

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

4 Ove r v i ew

66%

60%

55%
45%

Reading Below
4th Grade
Proficiency

Exposure to
Violence

Youth
Not Voting

Children
Living in/near
Poverty

Overview

It has also been reported that 55% of youth between the ages of 18 and 29
did not vote in the 2012 presidential elections compared to 43% for all age
groups.3 Some 62% of persons interviewed on the General Social Survey
in 2006 said that they cannot trust other people. This social distrust has
risen steadily from 50% in 1972.4
Finally, as of 2012, 45% of children in the United States live in families
whose income is less than 200% of the federal poverty level ($46,566).
Broken down by race and ethnicity, 65% of Native American children,
66% of African American children, and 64% of Latino children live in
families below this level.5
These are the interconnected and severe problems that this proposal seeks to
address: a large majority of our youth are barely literate; they are traumatized
by violence in their environments; they are increasingly disengaged from our
democratic society; and they live in or near the poverty level.
Literacy for Democracy proposes to integrate the teaching of oral, social, and
democratic skills into literacy instruction through a completely digital
curriculum and thereby help students to become more literate and more
able to participate in our democratic society no matter what their income,
race, or ethnicity.

IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings
by Maya Angelou

Words mean more than

what is set down on paper.
It takes the human voice
to infuse them with the shades
of deeper meaning.
Maya Angelou
From I Kow Why the Caged Bird Sings

1. U.S. Dept. of Education, Institute of Education Sciences et al. 2013

2. Finkelhor, Turner et al. 2009
3. Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) 2013
4. NORC 2012
5. Kids Count Data Center, 2014
w w w . e f d . g l o b a l 5

L I T E racy
FOR

D emocracy
Digital Curriculum

The Solution:
Literate and Democratic Voices
Literacy for Democracy seeks to address these four problems by teaching children
to use their voices to improve their lives and to advocate solutions for improving
their communities.
Each year, schools implementing Literacy for Democracy hold a Democracy Day
Celebration in which students deliver speeches that advocate solutions to problems
in our society that they care deeply about. In the process, they learn and use core
literacy and democracy skills.

Madeline
1st Grade
Lebanon, PA

My name is Madeline, and I go to Harding

Elementary. Are you bullying other kids?
A problem that I care deeply about is kids
bullying other kids. I can make posters that
say No Bullying....Hopefully, bullies will
see them and stop being mean.
6 Ove r v i ew

Candy
2nd Grade
San Francisco, CA

My name is Candy Medea. My speech is about

racism....This is important to me because I dont like
it when people make fun of me when I speak Spanish.
Also I dont like it when they call me Spanish girl
or Mexican. My name is Candy, and I am from
Honduras. Please help me make this place kind and
respectful. Thank you.

Overview
Christopher
5th Grade
Lebanon, PA

My name is Christopher Santiago, and I am very worried

about the increase of children doing drugs and joining
gangs in my neighborhood and this city....Now if you
think youre in a gang and youre cool. Well guess what,
youre not. Heres my advice to you. Stay educated, never
follow the crowd. Be a leader, not a follower....Also
remember you have a voice....lift your head high and
have a much better life.

Nizhonie
5th Grade
Fort Wingate, NM

I would like people in my community to stop using alcohol....

Alcohol is something that ruins your life and dreams....I
dont want my dreams to be crushedIll go to the chapter
halls and have them support me to close down bars, so people
will not be out getting drunk and ending up in a crash....Ill
never drink and become an alcoholic.You dont need to be
a followerI hope my speech can bring about change in my
community.

Angel
5th Grade
San Francisco, CA

Hello, my name is Angel Chin and I will be talking

about budget cuts. Would you like to have old broken
down books, year after year? If we dont do anything to
prevent the government from cutting money from our
schools, essential programs in our schools might not
exist....One person cant do this alone, so right now,
Im telling about it. There is power in numbers. If we
organize in our neighborhoods together, then our
protest will be stronger and our voices will be heard.

Kenny
9th Grade
Colorado Springs, CO

The world including the United States of America is

in my opinion a place full of racial discrimination. We
believe and understand that all men are created equal.
But do we act so?

w w w . e f d . g l o b a l 7

Integrated
Instruction

The Social Development

Foundation
Literacy for Democracy is designed to integrate the teaching of core social

and democratic competencies into language and literacy instruction.

Building on the research of Professor Selman and many others, Voices
teaches four core social and democratic competencies in all the Voices
Themes:
Professor Robert Selman
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Voices Senior Author

Perspective Taking: The ability to express ones point of view and to

coordinate it with the points of view of others is one of the most important
social skills. The ability to establish and maintain secure attachments and
to be more self-determining depends on social perspective taking.

...there are two core

Attachment: The foundation of all social development is the ability

of children to form secure attachments with family members, friends,
classmates, teachers, neighbors, and others.

competencies that we believe each

individual must develop....The
first is the capacity to be aware
of ones own point of view...The
second is the capacity to take the
point of view of another person,
group, or even society
as a whole.
Professor Robert Selman
From The Promotion of Social Awareness

I n teg r a te d In s t r uct i o n

Self-Determination: Children with secure and trusting relationships with the

important people in their lives are more likely to explore their environments
and to be more self-determining.
Love and Freedom Values: Love-related values such as trust and compassion
help children to maintain healthy relationships; freedom-related values such
as hope and perseverance help them become more self-determining.

which also promote theme-specific social and democratic competencies.

These themes provide a common instructional framework for all the
Literacy for Democracy curriculum modules:
Theme I: Identity Awareness The Literacy for Democracy curriculum for all
modules begins with students learning to explore and understand their
identities and the identities of others.
Theme 2: Emotional Awareness In this theme, students learn to be aware
of their own and other peoples feelings and how to manage their feelings
particularly in difficult situations.
Theme 3: Social Problem Solving Building on their perspective taking
and emotional awareness skills, students next learn how to use a variety
of conflict resolution strategies to solve interpersonal conflicts.
Theme 4: Achieving Goals Building on their perspective taking and social
problem solving skills, students next learn to establish important goals and
to implement plans for achieving them.
Theme 5: Social Awareness Expanding on their interpersonal knowledge and
skills, students learn next to explore the causes of important social problems
and how to resolve intergroup conflicts.
Theme 6: Democratic Voices The final theme each year focuses on students
learning to advocate solutions to social problems they care deeply about.

Overview
Integrated
Instruction

Literacy for Democracy is organized around six social development themes

Library of Congress/LC-DIG-00651714

The Literacy for Democracy

Themes

Five score years ago, a great

American, in whose symbolic
shadow we stand today,
signed the Emancipation
of Proclamation decree.
This momentous decree came as
a great beacon of light to millions
of Negro slaves...We have...
come to this hallowed spot to...

to make real the promises

of democracy.
Reverend Martin Luther King
March on Washington (1963)

w w w . e f d . g l o b a l 9

 Library of Congress/LC-DIG-2005685701

Ten Transformative Social and

Democratic Competencies

When the school

introduces and trains
each child of society into
membership within
such a little community,
saturating him with the
spirit of service, and
providing him with the

Literacy for Democracy teaches four core social competencies in all the
themes and then teaches six theme-specific social and democratic
competencies in each of the themes as well. These are the ten social
and democratic skills and values taught in Literacy for Democracy:

In All Themes

Attachment

Specific to Each Theme

Identity Awareness

Self-Determination

Emotional Awareness

Perspective Taking

Social Problem Solving

Love and Freedom Values

Achieving Goals

Social Awareness

instruments of effective
self-direction, we shall
have the deepest and best
guaranty of a larger society
which is worthy, lovely,
and harmonious.
John Dewey
From The Child and the Curriculum

10

I n teg r a te d I n s t r uct i o n

Democratic Voice

Laboratories of Democracy: Literacy for Democracy teaches students the core

social skills they need to be members of a small democratic community such
as envisioned by John Dewey. The first four Literacy for Democracy core social
competencies help students bond with one another, support each others
autonomy, take each others point of view, and embrace values that support
both community and self-determination.
The Tools of Deliberative Democracy: Within these democratic classroom
communities, each year students progress from learning and practicing
core interpersonal skills to a broader set of social and democratic
competencies. As advocated by Gutmann and Thompson, students learn
the following democratic competencies:

citizenship in a deliberative
democracy, schools should
aim to develop the capacities
of students to understand
different perspectives,
communicate their

how to present their positions,

understandings to other

how to take the points of view of other positions/persons,

people, and engage in the

how to discuss and debate these positions, and

give and take of moral

how to reach democratic decisions that take in a broad range

of points of view and interests.

argument with a view

Democratic Character: By learning these ten social and democratic

competencies, students will develop democratic character. Democratic
character means that students treat others with respect, strive to resolve
personal and social conflicts peacefully, and advocate and work for common
solutions to important social problems.

Overview

To prepare students for

Integrated
Instruction

Democratic Character

toward making mutually

justifiable decisions.
Professor Amy Gutmann and Dennis Thompson
From Why Deliberate Democracy?

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 1 1

 Library of Congress/LC-DIG-00976u

Integrating Social and

Democratic Competencies into
Language and Literacy Instruction

Each time a man stands up

these core social and democratic competencies need to be integrated

into oral language, reading, and writing instruction, as well as

for an ideal, or acts to improve

classroom management.

the lot of others, or strikes

Authentic Voice: Literacy for Democracy begins by integrating these ten social
and democratic competencies into the teaching of oral language genres and
skills. The integration of these competencies into oral language instruction
promotes the development of authentic voice.

out against injustice, he sends

forth a tiny ripple of hope,
and crossing each other from
a million different centers
of energy and daring, those
ripples build a current which
can sweep down the mightiest
walls of oppression and
resistance.
Senator Robert F. Kennedy

12

To foster the growth of democratic community and deliberative democracy,

I n teg r a te d I n s t r uct i o n

Deep Comprehension: Students next learn to integrate these competencies

into their understanding and critical analysis of the texts they are listening
to and reading. The integration of these competencies into reading instruction
supports deep comprehension.
Critical Writing: Similarly, the integration of these competencies into writing
instruction promotes critical writing.
Common Core State Standards: Literacy for Democracy is being designed
to fully embrace the Common Core State Standardsauthentic voice, deep
comprehension, and critical writing are some of the most important features
of the Common Core.

Overview

Literacy for Democracy teaches children how to develop their voices through six Literacy for Democracy Core
Activities that integrate the ten social and democratic competencies into oral language instruction. These social
and oral skills in turn promote deeper reading comprehension and critical writing.
1. Tell Personal Stories: The first activity that helps
children learn to use their voices is a storytelling
activity in which they develop and share personal
stories about important events in their lives. As
students share their stories, they learn about their
own and other students identities.

Integrated
Instruction

Authentic Voice

3. Resolve Interpersonal Conflicts: Building on these

perspective taking and emotional awareness skills,
students then pretend to be characters in the stories
they are reading and role-play different ways to
resolve the conflict in the story they are reading.

2. Stand in Other Peoples Shoes: After learning about

each others important stories, students practice
standing in each others shoes. Pretending to be each
other, they express their thoughts and feelings about
controversial issues.

Role-playing conflict between Felita and

Gigi in Felita
Gigi: What do you think the problem is?
Felita: I think the problem is that you didnt
tell me you were going to try out for the part.
Gigi: I thought you would be mad at me.
Felita: I wouldnt have gotten mad at you
because youre my friend.

Standing in the shoes of Grace in Amazing Grace

Teacher: Why do you believe that you think
differently from Raj and Natalie?

A m az i n g G rac e
by Mary Hoffman
illustrated by
Caroline Binch

Name: Maybe its because I grew

up thinking differently about
people and thinking that
everybodys equal and they
didnt grow up that way
and maybe my family just
encouraged me to be open and
not to be racist or prejudiced....

F e l i ta
by Nicholasa Mohr

Gigi: I still think so, too.

Felita: So are you
saying we still
have enough trust
and confidence in
each other?

Aisling
6th Grade
Boston, MA

Gigi: Yes.

Jocelyn and Austin

5th Grade
Lebanon, PA

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 1 3

4. Present Personal Freedom Plan: Social problem

solving paves the way for students to use their
problem-solving skills to develop plans for achieving
important personal goals.

Jazmin
1st Grade
Lebanon, PA

Example of Personal Freedom Plan

Example of Democracy Plan

Jazmin: My goal is to read a chapter

book. My first step is to go to the library
and get a chapter book. My second step
is to sound out words that I dont know.
My helper is my sister.

My name is Destiny...I am going to

talk to you about cancer. ...Some people
who smoke say that they should be able
to do whatever they want. But I say stay
in good shape and do whatever you can
to stop cancer. Stay healthy. And stop
cancer today.

5. Resolve Intergroup Conflicts: Building their

interpersonal problem-solving skills, students next
role-play conflicts between groups of people in the
stories or texts they are reading. This focuses on
conflicts between groups that are related to important
social issues.

Rosetta,Rosetta,SitbyMe!
by Linda Walvoord,
illustrated by
Eric Velasquez

14

I n teg r a te d I n s t r uct i o n

6. Present Democracy Plan: Finally, at the end

of the year, students develop and present speeches
that advocate solutions to problems they care
deeply about.

5th Grade Class

Lebanon, PA

Destiny
3rd Grade
San Francisco, CA

Voices Theme

Voices Core Activity

Theme 1: Identity Awareness

Tell Personal Stories

Theme 2: Emotional Awareness

Stand in Other Peoples Shoes

Theme 3: Social Problem Solving

Resolve Interpersonal Conflict

Theme 4: Achieving Goals

Present Personal Freedom Plan

Theme 5: Social Awareness

Resolve Intergroup Conflict

Theme 6: Democratic Voices

Present Democracy Plan

Integration of Social and Democratic Skills: Literacy for Democracy integrates

its core social and democratic competencies into reading instruction through
helping students to establish important purposes for reading, providing
motivational and relevant texts, through applying these competencies and
related concepts to the texts, and through using these skills in classroom
discussions and debates.
Going Beyond Literal Comprehension: Based on the research of Professor
Snow and colleagues, what distinguishes the Literacy for Democracy approach
to reading instruction is our focus on challenging students to go beyond
literal comprehension of texts to analyze and evaluate what they are reading.
Explicit Teaching of Deep Comprehension Skills: Deep comprehension involves
being able to apply perspective taking and complex reasoning skills (analyze,
synthesize, and evaluate) to texts as well to apply what one has learned to
similar and different texts and contexts (apply and transfer).
Discussion and Debate: One of the most effective ways to teach deep
comprehension is through open-ended and sustained discussion and
debate in the classroom about important topics. Literacy for Democracy
provides weekly debates on important theme-related topics drawn from
the readings.

Overview

Professor Catherine Snow

Patricia Albjerg Professor of Education,
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Voices Author

Integrated
Instruction

Deep Comprehension

Ideally, every student would

have the chance every day
to encounter questions so
compelling that they are
willing to think deeply
about them, discuss them,
search for answers, and
write out responses. Such
questions become the source
of learning to read deeply
and thoughtfully.
Catherine Snow

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 1 5

Critical Writing
Integration of Social and Democratic Skills: Literacy for Democracy integrates its
core social and democratic competencies into writing instruction. They provide
purpose, motivation, relevance, and skills needed for critical writing.

Professor Ernest Morrell

Columbia University Teachers College
Council of Teachers of English
Voices Senior Author

Writing can be about

re-making and re-articulating

Based on Authentic Purposes and Genres: In Modules 13, students use writing
to critically analyze texts, while in Module 4 they use short- and long-writing
processes to communicate for important personal and social purposes.
Builds on Oral Language Genres and Purposes: In each theme, the Writing
Project and related writing genre build on the oral language genre and skills
related to the Literacy for Democracy Core Activity for that theme.
Explicit Teaching of Critical Writing Skills: Just as Literacy for Democracy
teaches students how to apply deep comprehension skills to the comprehension
of texts, we also teach them how to use these same skills to critically analyze
the world around them.

reality. As many classical and

Voices Theme

Voices Core Activity

Theme 1: Identity Awareness

of language have the power

Theme 2: Emotional Awareness

to change the world.

Theme 3: Social Problem Solving

Theme 4: Achieving Goals

Theme 5: Social Awareness

Theme 6: Democratic Voices

modern rhetoricians have held,

those who have the power

Professor Ernest Morrell

16

I n teg r a te d I n s t r uct i o n

Voices Writing Project

 ersonal Story About

Tell Personal Stories  P
Important Event (Narrative)
 ssay Comparing Points
Stand in Other Peoples Shoes  E
of View (Explanatory)
Resolve Interpersonal Conflict  Fictional Story About
Real-Life Conflict (Narrative)
 ssay Explaining How to
Present Personal Freedom Plan  E
Achieve Personal Goal
(Explanatory)
 ssay Explaining Cause of
Resolve Intergroup Conflict  E
Social Problem (Opinion)
Present Democracy Plan  Democracy Speech (Opinion)

Overview

The Five Modules

Digital
Curriculum

Literacy for Democracy is organized into five modules:

H a rv e s t i n g H o p e : T h e S to ry o f C e s a r C h av e z
by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Digital
Curriculum

Modules 14 can be used to provide comprehensive or supplemental

instruction for grades pre-K to 6. Module 5 provides supplemental materials
and curriculum for grades pre-K to 12. All modules are organized according
to the same Literacy for Democracy Themes, and all grades proceed through
the same theme sequence each year. The Literacy for Democracy social and
democratic skills are similarly woven into each of the modules.

Integrated
Instruction

Module 1: Read-Aloud Instruction (pre-K to 6)

Module 2: Whole-Group Reading Instruction (pre-K to 6)
Module 3: Small-Group Reading Instruction (pre-K to 6)
Module 4: Writing Instruction (pre-K to 6)
Module 5: Literature, History, Speeches, and Songs (pre-K to 12)

...the day will come when

we...shall see the fulfillment
of that passage from the

Module 1: Read-Aloud Instruction

Book of Mathew in the

New Testament, That the last

Module 2: Whole-Group Reading Instruction

LITERACY FOR
DEMOCRACY
Themes and
Social and
Democratic Skills

shall be first and the first shall

be last. And on that day, our

Module 3: Small-Group Reading Instruction

Module 4: Writing Instruction

Module 5: Literature, History, Speeches, and Songs

nation shall fulfill its creed

and that fulfillment shall
enrich us all.
Cesar Chavez
Address to the Commonwealth Club
of California (1984)
w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 1 7

Literacy for Democracy eLibrary

The centerpiece of the Literacy and Democracy Digital Curriculum will be
the Literacy for Democracy eLibrary.
Free Online Access:
Public Domain Digital Books and Other Resources: The LFD eLibrary
will be built upon providing free access to public domain digital books
and other media that can be used to promote student literacy and
the learning of the Literacy for Democracy social and democratic
competencies. This will include: fiction and non-fiction books and
readings, historical texts and primary documents, speeches, songs,
poems, videos, and oral recordings.

T h e D rag o n s C h i l d :
A S to ry o f A n g e l I s la n d
by Laurence Yep
with Dr. Kathleen Yep

You can learn to change

the world or go on being
changed by it.
Laurence Yep

18

Di g i t a l Cur r i cul um

Supporting Student Literacy: The LFD eLibrary site will enable students
to determine their reading levels, find digital books and readings at
their level, and receive feedback on their reading comprehension and
perspective taking skills.

Low Subscription Fee Access:

Digital Trade Books and Leveled Books: In addition to free access to
public domain digital materials, the LFD eLibrary will also provide
access to copyrighted digital materials used in the LFD Digital Curriculum
for a low annual subscription fee. This will include access to all the trade
books used in the LFD read-aloud program and the leveled books in the
LFD small-group reading instruction module.

In the Shoes of the Characters Activity: In this activity, the reader (the avatar)
can step into the shoes of a character and try to express the point of view
of the character about events in the story or text.
Deepen Comprehension Activity: At the end of each book or reading, students
can play Deepen Comprehension. This requires them to use complex
reasoning skills (analyze, synthesize, evaluate, apply, and transfer) to
understand the text and solve text-related problems.
Conflict Resolution Games: In books where there is a central conflict between
characters or groups of characters, the reader can take on the role of one
of the characters and attempt to solve the conflict before knowing how the
conflict is resolved in the story.

Literacy for Democracy Dashboard

Anyone on the Literacy for Democracy eLibrary can track and assess their
reading level as they read the leveled books and other materials.
Track Deep Comprehension: The Dashboard will enable readers to keep a log
of all books read. The Deepen Comprehension activity at the end of each
reading will measure the readers ability to use complex reasoning skills.
Track Perspective Taking: The Literacy for Democracy Dashboard will also
measure the readers ability to take the point of view of characters in the
story, which are generated by the In the Shoes activity.

Overview

B u l ly
by Judith Caseley

Theres a bully at school, and

his name is Jack, Mickey told

Integrated
Instruction

Literacy for Democracy will provide digital activities and games that
anyone can play.

Digital
Curriculum

Digital Activities & Games

his father. He used to be my

friend, but now he eats my
cookies and breaks my pencils
in half.
Maybe if you use your brave
words..., said Papa, putting
the watering can down.
Practice saying, I dont
like that or Stop! Youre
hurting me.
Judith Caseley
From Bully

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 1 9

LITERACY FOR DEMOCRACY

READING COLLECTIONS
In addition to making most of the
reading materials accessible online,
Literacy for Democracy will also make
available the following print version
collections:

The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum for grades pre-K to 6 will

READ-ALOUD COLLECTION
This collection includes the trade book
titles that are included in the Module 1
Read-Aloud Instruction (174 titles
total). Some of these titles will be
available online as well.

historically significant songs that can be used in grades pre-K to 12.

THEME COLLECTIONS
Students will be able to read the Voices
Theme Collections online and/or they
can read a printed version.
LEVELED LIBRARY
All Literacy for Democracy leveled books
are available digitally and in print
(approximately 700 titles).
LITERATURE, HISTORICAL
DOCUMENTS, SPEECHES,
AND SONGS
Schools will be able to purchase
multiple copies of the print versions
of the novels and texts in Module 5.
20

Literacy for Democracy

Digital Curriculum

Di g i t a l Cur r i cul um

provide teachers with a comprehensive way to integrate and customize

all literacy instruction. In addition, Module 5 will provide supplemental
resources such as novels, historical documents, famous speeches, and
Teacher Sites: Teachers will have a Teacher Site that will provide access
to the five Literacy for Democracy instructional modules and the Literacy
for Democracy eLibrary.
Integrated and Customized Curriculum Planning: Teachers will be able to
customize and save lesson plans as well as send lessons to the Student Sites.
Student Progress Monitoring and Data Management: Assessments can be done
online or entered manually, providing teachers with the ability to track and
monitor students on literacy measures.
Student Sites: Students will have their own Student Sites at which they will
have access to instructional materials assigned by the teacher and to the
Literacy for Democracy eLibrary reading materials.
Continuous Curriculum Improvement: A major advantage of a completely digital
curriculum will be the ability to annually update the curriculum and reading
materials to stay abreast of literacy instruction research and current events.
Free Digital Curriculum: The LFD Digital Curriculum will be accessible for free
to teachers and schools anywhere. There will be a low annual subscription
fee for access to the copyrighted digital reading materials. Printed books and
curricula will also be available for a low cost as well.

On-Site Support: Literacy for Democracy will provide on-site professional

development workshops and coaching.
Video Library Website: Literacy for Democracy will provide videos of teachers
and students implementing the Literacy for Democracy Core Activities and
engaging in classroom debates.
Classroom Management Support: Literacy for Democracy will help teachers
integrate social and democratic skills into classroom management and
school-wide discipline procedures.
School-wide Culture Support: Literacy for Democracy will provide schools with
posters and displays for each of the themes including related school-wide
performances and assemblies.
Family Support: Literacy for Democracy provides for active engagement of
family members with each of the Literacy for Democracy Core Activities
and reading together of the Literacy for Democracy reading materials.
Community Service: Selected Literacy for Democracy Themes culminate
with community service activities in which students can use the social and
democratic skills they are learning to solve real-life community problems.

Overview
S u r f e r o f t h e C e n t u ry
by Ellie Crowe, Illustrated by Richard Waldrep

In Hawaii, we greet friends,

Integrated
Instruction

Online Support: Teachers will be able to access online resources and videos
at their Teacher Sites. Telephone support will also be available and teachers
will be able to take free online professional development courses.

Digital
Curriculum

Support for Voices

loved ones or strangers with

Aloha, which means love....
Try meeting or leaving people
with Aloha. Youll be
surprised by their reaction.
I believe it and this is my
creed. Aloha to you.
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku
From Surfer of the Century by Ellie Crowe

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 2 1

RE AD -ALOUD COMPONENTS
READ-ALOUD DIGITAL CURRICULUM
Provides ability to customize and save
instructional plans, assign lessons,
and assets.
READ -ALOUD COLLECTION:
PRINT VERSION
Each of the Literacy for Democracy
Themes is organized around three to five
multicultural literature titles.
BACKGROUND BUILDING VIDEOS
Provide explanation of background
needed to understand the story or text.
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
RESOURCES
Digital curriculum includes interactive
whiteboard resources that help teach
vocabulary, comprehension strategies
and skills, and writing competencies.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
These are provided for all
read-aloud books.
READ -ALOUD ASSESSMENTS
Provide listening comprehension and
vocabulary assessments at the end
of each week and theme.

22

Di g i t a l Cur r i cul um

Module 1: Read-Aloud Instruction

The Literacy for Democracy curriculum begins with read-alouds to provide
integrated social development, oral language, listening comprehension,
and writing instruction.
Six Step Read-Aloud Pedagogy: The Literacy for Democracy Read-Aloud
Curriculum is organized according to the Literacy for Democracy Six Step Pedagogy: Connect, Read, Discuss and Debate, Practice, Reflect, and Participate.
Connect: To begin, the teacher introduces the Literacy for Democracy Theme
and then engages students in oral language activities related to the Central
Question. These activities help students connect with each other and the text
they are about to listen to and discuss.
Read, Discuss, and Debate: The teacher then reads the story aloud and engages
students in an ongoing discussion that helps build comprehension strategies
and skills. After discussing the overall meaning of the text, the teacher
facilitates students debating important issues in the story.
Practice, Reflect, and Participate: Next, the teacher models and the students
perform the Literacy for Democracy Core Activity that integrates oral language
and social and democratic skills. Then, students reflect on what they have
learned and apply selected skills in service learning activities.
Close Listening and Deep Comprehension: In alignment with the Common Core
Standards, in read-aloud lessons, students learn to listen closely to the text and
use complex reasoning skills to analyze its meaning. Close listening prepares
them for close reading.
Writing from Sources and Critical Writing: Each day, students use their writing
journals to analyze what they have discussed or experienced in the various
read-aloud related activities.

skills with the read-aloud book, teachers can then provide whole-class
scaffolded support as students apply these same strategies and skills
to shared reading of a common, challenging text.
The Shared Reading Pedagogy: With shared reading, teachers model how
to apply the selected comprehension strategy or skill to the text, provide
scaffolded support to students as they apply these same strategies and skills,
and then discuss and evaluate the meaning of what they have learned.
Three Levels of Close Reading: In alignment with the Common Core
standards, shared reading of a common, grade-level, challenging text
makes it possible to teach students close reading. The Literacy for Democracy
approach to close reading consists of three levels of reading: the first
reading focuses on overall meaning, the second on author craft, and
the third on evaluation of the text.
Challenging Text Complexity: The readings in the Theme Collections for each
of the Literacy for Democracy Themes have been selected to be at or above
grade level and are more than 60% nonfiction.
Close Reading and Deep Comprehension: Literacy for Democracy deepens the
quality of close reading by systematically teaching deep comprehension
skills such as perspective taking and complex reasoning.
Close Reading and Critical Writing: After close reading of a selected passage,
students use their writing journals to explain their critical analysis of
the text.

WHOLE-GROUP DIGITAL
CURRICULUM
Provides whole-group reading instruction, assigns lessons to students, and
monitors student progress.
THEME COLLECTIONS: (K6)
Provide theme-related excerpts from
authentic stories and texts that can
be used for sharing reading.

Overview
Integrated
Instruction

After modeling and practicing selected comprehension strategies and

WHOLE - GROUP RE ADING

COMPONENTS

Digital
Curriculum

Module 2: Whole-Group Reading

Instruction

PHONICS READERS (K3)

Provide systematic phonemic
awareness and phonics instruction.
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
RESOURCES
Provide interactive whiteboard
activities for teaching vocabulary and
comprehension strategies and skills.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
Provided for all Theme Collections and
Phonics Readers.
THEME COLLECTION ASSESSMENTS
Provide ability to assess vocabulary
understanding and reading
comprehension.

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 2 3

SMALL- GROUP RE ADING

COMPONENTS
SMALL-GROUP READING DIGITAL
CURRICULUM
Enables teachers to review all digital leveled
eBooks, select the right one for each small
reading group, customize and save the
curriculum for each book, and then monitor
student reading progress.
LEVELED LIBRARY: DIGITAL AND PRINT
VERSIONS (K6)
Contains 120 leveled books for each theme
and 720 total titles covering all reading levels
from grades K to 8. Includes language
support version.
AUDIO RECORDINGS
Include audio recordings of all eBooks.
BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
Provide oral reading assessments for
fiction and nonfiction passages.
SMALL-GROUP READING ASSESSMENTS
Provide book-specific oral reading
assessments as well as online vocabulary
and comprehension assessments.
READING AT HOME AND
INDEPENDENT READING
Allow students to read eBooks at home
online or with a print version.

24

Di g i t a l Cur r i cul um

Module 3: Small-Group Reading

Instruction
First, students learn comprehension strategies and skills while listening
to books read out loud. They then use comprehension and decoding skills
to read challenging books in a whole-group setting with strong teacher
support. Finally, they use these same comprehension and decoding skills
to read books at their reading levels in small groups with scaffolded
support as needed.
The Small-Group Reading Pedagogy: In small reading groups, teachers can work
with students who are at the same reading level or who have similar reading
needs or abilities and thus provide more personalized instruction.
All Text Levels for all Themes: Literacy for Democracy provides leveled texts
for all reading levels for all themes. Therefore, teachers can find a book at any
students level, no matter how high or low, and in the same theme.
More Than 60% Nonfiction: The Leveled Library books are more than 60%
nonfiction books which have been selected to help students to explore
the Literacy for Democracy Themes and Central Questions.
Close Reading and Deep Comprehension: Students practice close listening
with read-alouds and close reading with whole-class texts and leveled texts.
In each situation, the curriculum provides support to apply deep comprehension skills to these texts.
Writing from Sources and Critical Writing: In small-group instruction, students
have the opportunity to read many different theme-related complete texts
which they can then compare and critically analyze in writing.

all of the reading modules and systematic and explicit writing instruction
in Module 4. This module provides a comprehensive writing program
that builds on theses social, oral, and reading activities and skills.
Writing Pedagogy: The Literacy for Democracy Writing Pedagogy builds
directly on the oral language and reading genre skills that students learn
when listening to and discussing the read-aloud books. For example, in
Theme 1: Identity Awareness, students learn to tell stories about important
events in their lives and to closely analyze the effects of important events in
the lives of the characters in the books they are listening to and reading. This
provides them with the genre knowledge and skills they need to write their
own personal narratives.
Short and Long Process Writing: In the first three to four weeks in each theme,
students learn the writing genre knowledge and skills for that theme in a
series of one-week writing activities. In the last two to three weeks, they
apply these skills as they undertake the writing project for that theme, which
includes all components of the writing process.
Narrative, Informative, and Argumentative Writing: In alignment with the
Common Core, each year, students write personal narratives about important
events, fictional narratives about real-life conflicts, informative essays
comparing points of view, explanatory essays about important personal
goals, argumentative essays about the causes of important social problems,
and argumentative speeches advocating solutions to these problems.
Critical Writing: The goal of the Literacy for Democracy writing instruction
is to help students to be able to use writing to critically analyze the world
around them.

WRITING DIGITAL CURRICULUM

Permits teachers to customize and save
their writing instruction plans, provide
interactive writing activities, and
monitor student writing progress.
STUDENT ONLINE RESEARCH
Makes it possible for students to
conduct research from their Voices
Student Sites and integrate it into
their writing projects.
INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD
RESOURCES
Provide engaging ways to teach core
writing and grammar skills.

Overview
Integrated
Instruction

The Literacy for Democracy curriculum provides short writing activities in

WRITING COMPONENTS

Digital
Curriculum

Module 4: Writing Instruction

STUDENT WRITING COLLECTION

Teachers can submit their best writing
samples to be included in the Literacy
for Democracy Student Writing
Collection.
STUDENT ONLINE WRITING
PORTFOLIOS
Students can save writing projects
to their online writing portfolios.
ONLINE WRITING ASSESSMENTS
Literacy for Democracy provides
customized holistic and analytic rubrics
for writing projects. All assessments can
be entered online.
w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 2 5

Module 5: Literature, History,

Speeches, and Songs
MODULE 5 COMPONENTS
DIGITAL TEACHER GUIDES
Provide teachers with the ability to customize
and save instructional plans for individual
titles, assign lessons, and monitor student
progress.
LITERATURE, HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS,
SPEECHES, AND SONGS COLLECTION
Includes supplemental theme-related
picture books, novels, and nonfiction texts
for grades pre-K to 12.

This module provides teachers with flexible ways to integrate Literacy for
Democracy Theme-related literature, historical documents, speeches, and
songs into literacy, social studies, and arts courses.
Models of Voice: In addition to modeling voice in the classroom, teachers can
use these audio recordings of famous speeches and songs to inspire students
to develop their own authentic voices.
Teaching Novels and Sophisticated Texts: This module provides supplemental
material for teachers who want to teach more sophisticated, longer novels and
texts than are included in the whole- and small-group reading collections. Each
text is supported by a Digital Teacher Guide.
Middle School and High School: These novels and texts can be integrated
into middle school and high school English and History courses as another
way of integrating social and democratic skills.
Coordination of Social Studies and History: These materials can be used to
coordinate the content of English and History courses. Social studies and
history teachers can teach the supplemental history materials at the same time
that English teachers present the related content in ELA courses.
Oratory, Music, and Drama: In a similar way, drama and music teachers can
have students memorize and deliver speeches and songs that accompany the
Historical Documents, Speeches, and Songs Themes.

26

Di g i t a l Cur r i cul um

Overview

Ways to Implement

Universal
Access

writing program or serve as a supplemental program.

Go to the Literacy for Democracy eLibrary and Click: Literacy for Democracy has
been designed so that anyone can browse and read materials on the Literacy
for Democracy eLibrary website. Students can register on the site, maintain a
folder of activities, and track reading progress on the Literacy for Democracy
Dashboard.
LFD: Independent (pre-K6): a stand-alone literature-based character
education, social-emotional learning, and civic education digital curriculum
that can be used in a variety of school and community settings
LFD: Supplemental (pre-K6): a supplemental curriculum that includes
read-aloud, whole-group reading, small-group reading, and writing modules
that integrate the teaching of social and democratic competencies
LFD: Comprehensive (pre-K6): a comprehensive curriculum that includes
all the components (modules) of a comprehensive language, reading and
writing curriculum that integrates the teaching of social and democratic
competencies

OTHER WAYS TO
IMPLEMENT LITER AC Y
FOR DEMOCR AC Y
BEFORE-SCHOOL OR AFTER-SCHOOL
PROGRAMS (PRE-K TO 12)
Literacy for Democracy can be used as part
of before-school and after-school
programs that support literacy and
social development.
SUMMER PROGRAMS (PRE-K TO 12)
Selected themes can be used or
combined for summer school programs.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
(PRE-K TO 12)
Voices can also be used to provide
individual and small-group reading
programs in community centers
or libraries.

Digital
Curriculum

Democracy eLibrary. It can be expanded to a comprehensive reading and

Universal
Access

students, teachers, or family members) can access and use the Literacy for

Integrated
Instruction

Literacy for Democracy has been designed so anyone (individuals,

LFD: Literature and Speeches (pre-K to 12): a collection of literature and

speeches that can be integrated into ELA and social studies classes at all
grade levels

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 2 7

Universal Access
Library of Congress/LC-DIG-2006686215

The full potential of Literacy for Democracy depends on it reaching those

individuals and students who most need it. With this universal access goal
in mind, Literacy for Democracy is being designed so that any individual or
student can access it regardless of income, language, or ability.

Wilma Mankiller

Prior to my election, young

Cherokee girls would never
have thought that they might
grow up and become chief.
The secret of our success is
that we never, never give up.
Wilma Mankiller
Former Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Sweet Briar College (1993)

28

Uni ve r s a l Acce s s

No Income Barriers: The Literacy for Democracy eLibrary website is being

designed so that anyone, anywhere can access the digital reading materials,
activities, and games. The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum is being
designed so that it can be accessed for free by teachers and schools with
a low annual subscription fee for the copyrighted digital reading materials.
No Language Barriers: The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum is being
designed to provide specific instructional suggestions for making the books
and activities accessible to students who are just learning English.
No Ability Barriers: The Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum will also be
designed according to Universal Design for Learning principles to assure
that all students can access and use the Literacy for Democracy eLibrary and
the related Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum activities.

Improved
Classroom and
School Climate

Improved Social,
Language, and
Literacy
Competencies

Overview

Based on research and efficacy studies, Literacy for Democracy and the
related Voices curricula have has been developed over the past two
decades to foster improved classroom and school climate and improved
social, language, and literacy competencies. The Literacy for Democracy
theory of change posits that this improved environment along with
explicit and integrated teaching of social, language, and literacy
competencies will result in attaining the Literacy for Democracy goals.

J i m T h o r p e s B r i g h t P at h
by Joseph Bruchac, Illustrated by S.D. Nelson

It is important to understand
that there are many different

Digital
Curriculum

Literacy
for Democracy:
Curriculum and
Professional
Development

Improved
Language and
Literacy
Decreased
Violence and
Bullying
Increased
Democratic
Participation

Universal
Access

Integrated
Instruction

Goals and Outcomes

ways of seeing the world and

expressing the wisdom of

Literacy for Democracy Goals

Expected Outcomes

Authentic Voice

Deep Comprehension

Critical Writing

Democratic Character

Improved listening and speaking skills

Increased classroom discussion and debate
Increased reading scores
Increased critical understanding of texts

Native belief....No one voice

speaks for all voices...
Joseph Bruchac

Increased writing scores

Increased critical writing skills
 ecreased bullying and violence
D
Increased democratic participation
w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 2 9

The Common Core State Standards

photo by Daniel Nicoletta

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts define the
literacy expectations that must be met for students to be prepared to enter

college or workforce training programs. Educators have identified eight

major shifts in ELA instruction required by these new standards. Literacy
for Democracy embraces these shifts in the following ways:

to give...its the fact that if

Reading Text Closely: Literacy for Democracy provides for close listening
of read-aloud texts followed by close reading of challenging whole-class
texts as well as of leveled texts in small groups.

a gay person can be elected,

So if there is a message I have

its a green light. And you

and you and you, you have
to give people hope.
Mayor Harvey Milk
The Hope Speech (1978)

Text-Based Evidence: Close listening and reading comprehension

questions require students to cite text-based evidence to support
their positions.
Writing from Sources: Students write explanatory and argumentative
short and long essays that cite the books and research they are reading.

Academic Vocabulary: Literacy for Democracy provides intensive

instruction in oral language vocabulary related to the themes, listening
vocabulary drawn from the read-aloud texts, and reading vocabulary
drawn from the whole-group and small-group texts.

Increasing Text Complexity: Literacy for Democracy provides read-aloud

and whole-group shared reading texts that are at or above grade level as
well as texts at all reading levels for each of the themes.

Building Disciplinary Knowledge: Students study the same universal

themes with more sophisticated central questions each year and thereby
build a body of knowledge related to each of the themes, including
related titles, writing projects, and theme projects.

30

Uni ve r s a l Acce s s

Overview

The innovation of the Common

Core is to explicitly connect
and rules on which American
democracy is based with
the development of the

Balance of Writing: Literacy for Democracy provides for writing in

response to the texts as well as a systematic writing instruction that
focuses on narrative, explanatory, and argumentative writing.

writing, speaking and listening,

as well as in math, that students
need to be discerning,

Ross Weiner
From The Common Cores Unsung Benefit

In the classroom and in society, students need

to be able to take a stand, provide support for
their positions, and engage in discussion and
debate with regard to their positions.
Critical literacy skills are core democracy skills.

Common Core
State Standards

 ake justifiable
M
decisions

Academic language
and vocabulary

Universal
Access

empowered citizens.

Critical Literacy Skills Are Democratic Skills: In comparing the deliberative

democracy skills advocated by Gutmann and
Deliberative Democracy/
Deep Comprehension/
Thompson, the Deep Comprehension skills
Gutmann and Thompson
Snow et al.
argued for by Snow and colleagues, and these
core Common Core skills, it becomes clear that
Understand different
Perspective taking
points of view
critical literacy skills as advocated by Snow
Communicate
Complex reasoning
and the Common Core are very similar to the

understandings
(analyze, synthesize,
democratic skills advocated by Gutmann and
evaluate, apply, transfer)
Thompson.
Engage in
give-and-take

Digital
Curriculum

practical skills in reading,

The Core of the Common Core: The central focus of the Common Core State
Standards is on the ability of students to analyze and evaluate what they are
listening to, reading, or observing; to provide text-based support and research
for their positions; to present their positions orally or in writing; and to engage
in sustained discussion and debate about their interpretations.

Integrated
Instruction

knowledge of the principal

Balance of Texts: Literacy for Democracy provides more than 50%

nonfiction texts for use as read-alouds as well as for whole-class and
small-group instruction, including a complete library of social studies
and history texts.

Analyze and evaluate texts

or media (close reading)
Provide text-based
evidence and research
Present and argue
f or interpretations orally
and in writing

Ability to discuss and

debate positions

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 3 1

Research and
Efficacy

Literacy for Democracy Authors

VOICES Senior Authors

whenever and wherever human

beings endure suffering and
humiliation. We must always
take sides. Neutrality helps
the oppressor, never the
victim. Silence encourages
the tormented.
Elie Wiesel

32

Re s e a r ch a n d E f f i ca cy

Catherine Snow, PhD,

is the Patricia Albjerg
Professor of Education
at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education.

Maria Carlo, PhD,

is currently Associate
Professor of Teaching
and Learning in the
School of Education at
the University of Miami.

Robert L. Selman, PhD, is

the Roy Edward
Larsen Professor
of Education and
Human Development
at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education and
Professor of Psychology
at the Harvard Medical
School.

Ernest Morrell, PhD,

is Professor of Arts and
Humanities and Director
of the Institute for
Urban and Minority
Education at
Teachers College,
Columbia University.

Patrick C. Walker, PhD,

is the founder of Voices
and the Executive
Director of Education
for Democracy
Campaign, a nonprofit
educational research,
development, and publishing organization.

Cynthia Tyson, PhD,

is a Professor in the
School of Teaching and
Learning at the Ohio
State University.

Night
by Elie Wiesel

I swore never to be silent

the tormentor, never

VOICES Consulting Authors

Overview
Integrated
Instruction

Choose confrontation

Digital
Curriculum

dissemination of Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum.

wisely, but when it is

your time dont be afraid
to stand up, speak up,
and speak out against

Universal
Access

Advisory Board to oversee and provide guidance to the development and

injustice.
John Lewis

Research and
Efficacy

We are in the process of forming an Education for Democracy National

http://johnlewis.house.gov/media-center/press-kit

Education for Democracy

National Advisory Board

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 3 3

History of Literacy for Democracy

What are the most

powerful ways to help a
child improve his or her
life? This is the question
that my neighbors and I
asked ourselves after my
next-door neighbor, Axel
Reyes, was killed in a fight
between his gang and a
rival gang in the Jamaica
Plain neighborhood
of Boston in 1993.
Patrick C. Walker, PhD
Founder and Senior Author of VOICES

34

Re s e a r ch a n d E f f i ca cy

1992: Developed Comprehensive Community-Based Drug and Violence

Prevention Program in Jamaica Plain: Voices received a U.S. Department
of Education Drug Free Schools grant to develop a comprehensive drug and
violence prevention program in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston.
1995: Adopted as District Wide K12 Character Education Program in Boston:
Voices was adopted by the Boston School Committee as its K12 literature-based
character education program. Supported by the Boston Foundation, State Street
Foundation, Charles Hayden Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Surdna,
Metropolitan Life, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundations.
1998 to 2001: Developed Comprehensive Reading Program in Memphis:
Voices developed a comprehensive school reform model and a comprehensive
reading program for eight schools in Memphis funded by the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation and the Assissi Foundation.
2002 to 2008: Developed Comprehensive School Reform Model: After positive
evaluations in Memphis, Voices was adopted in more than twenty states as a
comprehensive school reform model.
2004: Published by Zaner-Bloser Educational Publishers: Zaner-Bloser acquired
Voices in 2004 and has published the following programs: Voices Reading,
Voices Pre-K, Voices Literature and Character Education, Voices Literature and
Writing, and Voices Leveled Library.
2014: Began development of the Education for Democracy Campaign and the
Literacy for Democracy Digital Curriculum.

Overview

Research Base and Efficacy Studies

Case Studies: Evaluations, assessments, and case studies of Voices core

reading, supplemental literature, and early education programs have
demonstrated a significant impact on reading comprehension, writing
achievement, vocabulary development, and social development.
Evaluation of the Comprehensive School Reform Models in Memphis:
A longitudinal evaluation of Voices Reading in Memphis demonstrated that
Voices had the biggest impact on reading achievement scores compared to all
other reading programs in the district.1
Evidence-based Research Report on Voices Reading: A comparative analysis
of Voices Reading in grades K2 demonstrated that it had a significant effect
on reading comprehension and social development.2

1. Calaway, F. (2001)
2. Robert Marzano & Associates, I. (2005)
3. Univ. of Cincinnati Evaluation Services Center (2013)

VOICES LITERATURE AND WRITING

LEARNER-VERIFICATION STUDY
A recent evaluation of Voices Literature
and Writing found that the program had
a significant impact on perspective
taking, oral language, and listening
comprehension.3

Digital
Curriculum

Research Base: Voices and Literacy for Democracy curricula are supported
by decades of research on childrens social development conducted by Professor
Robert Selman of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and on language
and literacy development conducted by Professor Catherine Snow of the Harvard
Graduate School of Education. For a complete explanation of the research
base, see Literacy for Democracy by Patrick Walker (forthcoming). Also see Voices
Scientific Research Base and Program Efficacy (www.efd.global/research).

OTHER RESE ARCH

AND STUDIES

Universal
Access

and on Voices efficacy studies.

Research and
Efficacy

conducted by the Literacy for Democracy authors, research-proven practices,

Integrated
Instruction

Voices was originally designed and continues to be based on the research

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 3 5

A New Model
of Educational
Publishing

credit: Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA

In contrast to the major educational publishers, we plan to publish a completely

digital curriculum that will provide free access to the digital curriculum and
public domain reading materials along with a low annual subscription fee
for the copyrighted digital reading materials. Accompanying this full digital
strategy is an equal emphasis on providing solid research and efficacy studies
that demonstrate the ability of Literacy for Democracy to improve language,
literacy, and social outcomes.
We propose to develop Literacy for Democracy according to the following
schedule:

But each of us can...

speak out for justice and
equality for womens rights
and human rights...

We have a choice. We have

a voice.
Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Seneca Falls: 150 Years Later, July 16, 1998

36

Literacy for Democracy

Development Plan

A N ew M o d e l of E d ucatio n al Pu bl ish in g

Phase I: Pre-K to Grade 5

Develop/revise Literacy for Democracy eLibrary (Pre-K to 5th),
LFD: Independent (Pre-K to 5th), LFD: Supplemental (Pre-K to 5th),
LFD: Literature and Speeches (Pre-K to 12th)

Available for 20162017 school year.

Phase II: Grades 612

Develop/revise LFD: Comprehensive (Module 2) (Pre-K to 5th)

Available for 20172018 school year.

for raising the funds necessary to publish the Literacy for Democracy
Digital Curriculum.

Overview

Integrated
Instruction

America is a place where

all things are possible; who
still wonders if the dream
of our founders is alive in
our time...tonight is your

Digital
Curriculum

Media, Inc. This educational media company would be responsible

answer. Tonight weve

proved once more that the
true strength of our nation
comes...from the enduring

Universal
Access

publishing company tentatively called Literacy For Democracy

there who still doubts that

power of our ideals:

democracy, liberty,
opportunity, and
unyielding hope.
President Barack Obama
President-Elect Victory Speech
November 4, 2008 Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois

Research and
Efficacy

We are currently exploring the possibility of establishing a for-profit

If there is anyone out

A New Model of
Educational Publishing

Literacy for Democracy

Media, Inc.

w w w. e f d . g l o b a l 3 7

L I T E racy
FOR

D emocracy
Digital Curriculum

LITER AC Y FOR DEMOCR AC Y

A new digital literacy curriculum that integrates
the teaching of social and democratic skills into
language and literacy instruction
Literacy for Democracy Institute
P.O. Box 25
Harvard, MA 01451
phone: 844-540-8620 (toll free)
www.efd.global

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to

improve the lot of others, or strikes out against

injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...

Senator Robert F. Kennedy

Click here to return to

the Education for Democracy Institute Website.