About This Model
The goals for students’ literacy skills in Grades 4-6 include comprehending and composing increasingly complex texts as they build their identities as readers and writers. Understanding the Learner Factors and strategies that impact literacy and how they connect to each other can help you build tools and lessons that support all learners.
Our research highlights several key themes about teaching and learning Literacy at the 4-6 level
Students are growing as readers and writers.
Students are growing as readers and writers as they develop metacognitive skills—the ability to "think about their thinking”.
Students are learning to compose more complex texts.
While students develop and strengthen their reading skills, they are also strengthening their writing skills.
Technology is playing a bigger role in students’ lives and learning.
With technology, students’ Literacy Environment expands as they are increasingly exposed to the world outside their home and classroom.
Dive Into This Model
Literacy 4-6 Factors
Literacy 4-6 Strategies
The Research Behind This Model
To create each Learner Variability Project Learner Model, we follow a systematic methodology led by our expert researchers. The process is also overseen by an advisory board of leading content area and learning sciences experts.
Advisory Board for Literacy 4-6
Carol McDonald Connor, Ph.D.
Sean Kang, Ph.D.
Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez, Ed.D.
Steve Graham, Ph.D.
Students are growing as readers and writers.
Students are growing as readers and writers as they develop metacognitive skills—the ability to "think about their thinking”.
Metacognition allows students to self-monitor their learning such as deciding whether to reread a section of text they didn’t fully understand or changing their writing plan as they compose. Supporting upper elementary students in maintaining their Motivation to read and write is critical to helping them improve, particularly for students who have weaker literacy skills. - Ensuring that students have access to a rich library of relevant, diverse books and authentic tasks can help improve students’ motivation to read and write and build their Background Knowledge.Students are learning to compose more complex texts.
While students develop and strengthen their reading skills, they are also strengthening their writing skills.
Students who engage in collaborative writing with their peers to plan, draft, and revise their compositions can improve the quality of their writing and reading as well as build their Social Awareness & Relationship Skills. Learning to compose different kinds of complex texts helps students build their Genre Knowledge and academic language. - Academic language is more sophisticated than the language we use in our everyday conversations. This language used in school and eventually in the workplace encompasses understanding and using discipline-specific Vocabulary and complex Syntax.Technology is playing a bigger role in students’ lives and learning.
With technology, students’ Literacy Environment expands as they are increasingly exposed to the world outside their home and classroom.
Technology allows students to access and interact with multimodal academic and social resources such as websites, blogs, videos, and social media. Increased technology use can have negative impacts as well. - Increased screen time, particularly before bedtime, is associated with poor Sleep, which can negatively affect students’ cognitive skills such as Working Memory. - Access to technology can also increase the chance for cyberbullying, affecting students’ sense of Safety and Emotion, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Encouraging mindfulness may support students’ mental health.