Bringing Vibrancy Back to Literacy Learning
How can teachers bring literacy learning to life for their students?
For literacy thought leaders Faye Brownlie and Karen Filewych, it starts with a simple belief: every student, at every level, needs strong literacy instruction.
But making that happen takes more than choosing the right resources or following a scripted lesson plan.
In a recent Pearson-hosted conversation, Voices in Literacy: An Open Conversation About Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities Influencing Literacy Learning, Brownlie and Filewych shared their perspectives on what makes the greatest difference for students.
From encouraging student voice and choice to making thoughtful instructional decisions, their conversation offers practical insights for educators looking to strengthen literacy learning in their classrooms and schools.
Engagement, voice and choice: What they look like in practice
For both Brownlie and Filewych, engagement, voice, and choice are central to successful literacy learning.
Brownlie says students need opportunities to engage in their learning, contribute their thinking, and make meaningful choices. And these practices matter at every grade level and across subject areas—from kindergarten to Grade 12 physics.
And she is clear about what choice means. “I don't mean choice in the learning outcomes, I don't mean choice in how high the bar is set, but I mean choice in how they get to represent their learning and show what it is that they know.”
It's an important distinction. Students can work towards the same learning goals while having different opportunities to demonstrate their understanding.
In a literacy lesson, that might mean giving students options for how they respond to a text or share their interpretations. Across other subjects, it might mean inviting students to explain their reasoning through writing, discussion, or visual representations.
Filewych adds that voice is just as important. When students can ask questions, share perspectives, and contribute ideas, they become active participants in making meaning.
Engaged teachers lead to engaged students
When Brownlie and Filewych discussed engagement, they focused on teacher engagement.
For Brownlie, a teacher's involvement in a lesson matters. She loves seeing the energy in a classroom when teachers are genuinely engaged with their students, participating in the learning rather than simply delivering a lesson.
Filewych’s engagement advice? “Wear your literacy love proudly.”
“If we're excited about what we're doing, our students are going to be excited about what they're doing,” she says.
And with so many students spending their time outside of school on devices, Filewych says it’s more important than ever for educators to be excited about literacy learning and model that excitement.
That could look like having conversations about favourite books or your weekend trip to the library. Those everyday conversations help students see reading as something to enjoy and share, not just another classroom assignment.
Modelling a love of learning also means being willing to show a little vulnerability.
As Filewych explains, some of the best teachers aren't afraid to admit they don't have all the answers.
“The ones willing to say, ‘You know what, I'm not sure, let's give it a go, let's try, let's explore’.”
Brownlie agrees. She encourages teachers to invite students into the learning process by trying something new together, asking for feedback, and reflecting on how it went.
When teachers show they're willing to ask questions, try something new, and learn from mistakes, they model the curiosity and willingness to take risks they want to see in their students.
Gradual Release: The steps between instruction and application matter
Along with bringing enthusiasm to the classroom, teachers can think carefully about how they support students as they learn new skills and build independence.
Have you ever taught a lesson that seemed to go beautifully, only to discover that students weren't quite ready to apply the skill themselves?
Filewych remembers that experience from early in her teaching career.
She had learned about P. David Pearson and Margaret C. Gallagher's Gradual Release of Responsibility model during her undergraduate studies. But it wasn’t until she was in her own classroom that she fully appreciated its importance.
“I was doing the ‘I Do’ really well, that explicit lesson,” she recalls. “I thought I was doing a great job, and then I went, but why can't they do it?”
She realized that modelling a skill was only one part of the learning process.
Students also need opportunities to practice with support, develop their understanding in different contexts, and gradually take greater responsibility for applying what they've learned.
That's the value of gradual release. Teachers model new skills, provide opportunities for guided and collaborative practice, and gradually transfer responsibility as students become ready to apply their learning independently. The process isn't always linear. Teachers may need to revisit a skill, offer additional support, or adjust their approach based on what students demonstrate.
Know your students. Design with them in mind.
One of the most valuable things teachers bring to literacy instruction is something no resource or lesson plan can replace: their knowledge of their students.
Brownlie emphasizes that teachers are the ones who know the learners in front of them. They understand their strengths, interests, experiences, and where they need additional support.
A resource might offer a helpful lesson structure or instructional approach. But it's the teacher who knows when to spend more time on a skill, offer another example, or find a different way to make the learning accessible.
That professional judgment helps teachers respond to individual learners while maintaining high expectations for everyone.
Look at the evidence. Learn from one another.
For Brownlie, another important part of effective literacy teaching is looking closely at what's happening in your classroom and asking whether our instructional choices are making a difference.
“How do you know that what you're doing is actually getting you what you want?”
That’s a question she encourages teachers and school leaders to explore together.
What does students' reading, writing, and oral language tell us about their learning? Are they making progress towards the intended goals? What might we adjust to help them move forward?
These conversations help educators move beyond asking whether a lesson went well to examining what students actually learned and what they need next.
Brownlie also emphasizes the value of professional conversations. She recalls how teaching practices evolved when educators had opportunities to work together, discuss instruction, and examine student work.
That kind of collaboration gives teachers a chance to share what they're noticing, learn from one another's experiences, and make thoughtful decisions about their next steps.
For literacy coaches, consultants, and school leaders, it's also a reminder of the importance of creating time and space for meaningful professional learning.
Two words to sum up intentional literacy lessons
At the end of their conversation, Filewych and Brownlie each shared a word they hoped educators would take away.
Filewych chose intentionality.
Brownlie chose collaboration.
Together, they capture a central message from the discussion: effective literacy teaching isn't about finding one perfect approach. It's about making thoughtful instructional decisions, responding to what students need, and drawing on the knowledge and experience of colleagues.
And throughout that work, there's room for curiosity, experimentation, and joy.
As Brownlie puts it, “Let’s get the vibrancy back” in our literacy teaching and learning.
Keep the conversation going
Hear more practical insights from Faye Brownlie and Karen Filewych.
Watch the full Voices in Literacy conversation
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