Beyond utilization of high-quality instructional materials, effective teaching strategies are essential for fostering student success. The purpose of the Virginia Literacy Act’s Literacy Walkthrough Tool is to support administrators, teachers, and reading specialists in the implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction to improve student learning. When aligned with Ceedar Center’s High Leverage Practices (HLPs), it is evident that the fundamental teaching practices used in special education remain relevant despite which core curriculum has been adopted. Let’s explore how the HLPs can complement and reinforce VLA’s Literacy Walkthrough Tool, creating a seamless approach to supporting all learners.
Aligning VLA’s Literacy Walkthrough Tool Look-Fors with High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities
Instructions: Select by clicking on each evidence-based literacy practice from the VLA Walkthrough Tool to reveal observable look-fors. With each literacy practice, there are aligned HLPs. When you click on each HLP, you will learn just how closely they relate to the outlined literacy practice.
Additional Resources
The VLA Walkthrough Practice Guide is a non-evaluative companion tool designed to support administrators, coaches, reading specialists, and teachers in the implementation of evidence-based literacy instruction. It aims to drive schoolwide, vertical conversations about best practice from multiple stakeholders.
The National Center on Intensive Intervention’s Intensification Strategy Checklist provides ideas for strategies on how to intensify instruction and it can be used as a reference in conjunction with any approved literacy intervention program. Notably, within this checklist are common themes which also relate to HLPs.
The HLP Self-Assessment Tool helps preservice and in-service teachers reflect on and assess how well they are implementing high-leverage practices for students with disabilities.
