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Our mission is to empower educators, inspire students, and encourage leaders with the resources they need to make literacy accessible for all.
We support literacy through a wide range of resources including advocacy efforts, volunteerism, and professional development activities.
The Missouri Literacy Association (MLA) is an affiliate of the International Literacy Association (ILA), one of the leading literacy organizations in the world. Members of MLA receive access to our digital peer-reviewed journal, The Missouri Reader and our MLA e-news all while supporting literacy across our state! Join us. We look forward to partnering with you!
JOIN MLA TODAY!
About the International Literacy Association
The International Literacy Association (ILA) is a global advocacy and membership organization dedicated to advancing literacy for all through its network of more than 300,000 literacy educators, researchers and experts across 146 countries. With over 60 years of experience, ILA has set the standard for how literacy is defined, taught and evaluated. ILA’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 provides an evidence-based benchmark for the development and evaluation of literacy professional preparation programs. ILA collaborates with partners across the world to develop, gather and disseminate high-quality resources, best practices and cutting-edge research to empower educators, inspire students and inform policymakers. ILA publishes The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy and Reading Research Quarterly, which are peer reviewed and edited by leaders in the field. For more information, visit literacyworldwide.org.
Diana Houlle, MLA DIrector of Membership
Missouri Literacy Association membership is a smart
step toward supporting literacy for ALL.
JOIN NOW!
Concluding Thoughts
Developing vocabulary in elementary school can be as exciting or dull as we make it. Creating a classroom where vocabulary is celebrated and enjoyed is one more step toward creating a lifelong learner. Learning vocabulary gives students the confidence to share their opinions and thoughts about the world around them. What we see in the moment is just a piece of a puzzle of the life of each student, but we may never fully know the impact of our instruction upon a students’ life. We may be preparing them for something that we would have never imaged. There are a variety of ways we can engage the minds of our students in learning and reinforcing vocabulary knowledge. With the investment of our time and energy, suddenly our instruction can come to life for our students.
Resources:
Blachowicz, C. L. Z., & Obrochta, C. (2005). Vocabulary visits: Virtual field trips for content vocabulary development. Reading Teacher, 59(3), 262-268.
Byington, T. A., & Kim, Y. (2017). Jump-starting preschoolers’ emergent literacy: The entomologist tool kit. Reading Teacher, 70(5), 601-604.
Kindle, K. J. (2009). Vocabulary development during read-alouds: Primary practices. Reading Teacher, 63(3), 202-211.
Wasik, B. A. (2010). What teachers can do to promote preschoolers’ vocabulary development: Strategies from an effective language and literacy professional development coaching model. Reading Teacher, 63(8),21-633.
Caitlin Ogutu is a fourth-grade teacher at Summit Christian Academy in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southwest Baptist University and is currently working on her master’s degree in Literacy at Missouri State University
.