In a recent video with AIM Institute for Learning and Research, Dr. Katie Pace Miles highlighted the importance of supporting students based on their individual reading and writing skills. Dr. Miles, Associate Professor at Brooklyn College (CUNY), emphasizes the shared cognitive foundations of reading and writing and advocates for tailored strategies to enhance both abilities. In this post, we will explore Dr. Miles' insights on improving literacy education, including her innovative practice of integrating pre-service teachers into tutoring roles to promote effective teaching practices from the start of their careers.
While reading and writing may seem similar, they are distinct skills rooted in a shared foundation of cognitive and oral language abilities. Research indicates that students can excel in one area, such as reading comprehension, while struggling in another, like spelling or transcription. Dr. Miles suggests that this insight underscores the importance of addressing each student's unique reading and writing needs.
Currently, schools heavily prioritize assessing and tracking reading scores. Dr. Miles advocates for broadening this focus to include writing, emphasizing the need for systematic support and constructive feedback in writing education comparable to that in reading. She emphasizes that analyzing and improving students' writing skills is essential for achieving comprehensive literacy outcomes, highlighting the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing.
Dr. Miles is optimistic about the increasing partnerships between universities and state departments of education. These collaborations offer a dual benefit: enhancing teacher training, particularly for pre-service teachers, while simultaneously serving local communities.
One of the most impactful initiatives Dr. Miles supports is utilizing pre-service teachers as tutors. During their training, these future educators engage in one-on-one support and build meaningful connections with their students. This experience helps foster a deep commitment to evidence-based teaching methods. By tracking student progress throughout the semester, pre-service teachers witness firsthand the direct impact their teaching makes on students' reading and writing skills.
In her role as Associate Professor at Brooklyn College, Dr. Miles has partnered closely with AIM Institute for Learning & Research. This collaboration has enriched her courses by providing additional resources and research-based professional learning opportunities for her students. AIM’s contributions have been crucial in supporting Dr. Miles to broaden her coursework, akin to collaborating with an additional expert in developing course content. Her students have particularly appreciated the interactive and high-quality nature of AIM Institute’s professional learning modules, which have equipped them with the skills and confidence to make a tangible impact in their future teaching careers.
Dr. Miles' work and her collaboration with AIM Institute for Learning & Research exemplify the powerful potential of integrating research-based practices into teacher training and classroom instruction. Embracing the dynamic relationship between reading and writing and fostering partnerships that bridge the gap between theory and practice provides educators with support to enhance student’s literacy outcomes. This integrated approach enriches educational experiences and improves academic outcomes, benefiting K-12 students, pre-service and in-service teachers, and their local communities.
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About AIM Institute: The AIM Institute for Learning & Research® is a non-profit center for educational excellence and professional development, providing educators with the latest research, technology, and evidence-based practices in the fields of literacy and language-based learning disabilities.