The old model of instruction often had a teacher talking, a student listening, and a parent uninvolved in the child’s education except to offer praise or punishment, depending on the scores and test results they brought home. Today, we know that it’s important to have all three groups talking and listening to each other, and sharing the things they learn that make education rewarding and fun. The Reading And Writing Project (the international arm of the New York-based Columbia University Teachers College initiative of the same name) provides a meeting point and resource base for teachers who are involved in literacy development, and they work directly with school organizations and students to promote literacy skills. While the organization first focused only on writing skills, it’s now a worldwide collaboration on reading skills as well. The Reading And Writing Project works with schools to develop their literacy programs by making sure that teachers have the tools and resources they need to help each student reach his or her potential.

By providing essential resources and best practices to the teaching community, the project ensures that educators will always have access to literacy tools that work. New teachers in particular will find their classroom tasks made easier when they can look at examples of good writing by real students of various ages, get lists of recommended books and text materials, and learn about ways to help students prepare to meet the various state and local testing standards such as the New York English Language Arts (ELA) exam, or the new national Common Core Standards examinations.

Teachers and school administrators can also get involved in the workshops, seminars, and conferences on literacy and education that are sponsored each year by the organization. To learn more about these sessions, or to find out more about the Reading And Writing Project, visit their website.