Already Readers and Writers: Honoring Students’ Rights to Read and Write in the Middle Grade Classroom

To help all middle school educators encourage their students to build literate lives both within the classroom and well beyond it, veteran middle school teacher Jennifer Ochoa has brought together middle school teachers and teacher leaders, children’s author and We Need Diverse Books cofounder Ellen Oh, children’s literature scholar Kristin McIlhagga, reading and writing workshop teacher-author Linda Rief, and censorship expert Millie Davis to examine current middle school literacy practices that support students’ rights to read and write. By showcasing their experiences and activities, and positioning NCTE policy statements-The Students’ Right to Read and NCTE Beliefs about the Students’ Right to Write-as foundational guiding documents, Ochoa and her colleagues prove that even in today’s standards-driven environment, authentic reading and writing practices can create literacy-rich middle school classrooms. As a bonus, teachers who don’t have strong support in their schools to implement these practices will find a myriad of suggestions for developing a virtual personal learning network-a grassroots professional development tailored to their needs and interests-that will support them in their efforts to help kids as readers and writers.