Valentine’s Day invites us to think about what we love—and in the classroom, love is rarely abstract. It shows up in the practices we turn to repeatedly, the ones we refine, and the ones we keep choosing because they work for students.
Falling in Love with Practices That Work
The literacy practices that endure are rarely flashy. They are dependable, effective, and rooted in what we know about how students learn. Research‑backed instruction—explicit modeling, purposeful practice, meaningful feedback, and opportunities for transfer—creates conditions where students can grow with confidence.
What I love most about these practices is not just their effectiveness, but their honesty. They don’t promise shortcuts. They honor effort, clarity, and time.
A Practice Worth Sharing: Modeling and Think-Alouds
Research touchpoint: Decades of literacy research point to the power of explicit instruction. Studies by scholars such as Anita Archer, John Hattie, and Nell Duke consistently show that students benefit when teachers model strategies clearly, name the purpose, and gradually release responsibility.
One practice that is known to be returned to again and again is intentional modeling through think-alouds. When we slow down our thinking—naming how we approach a text, why we pause, what we do when meaning breaks down—we make the invisible visible.
Research consistently affirms this approach: students benefit when teachers explicitly demonstrate cognitive processes before asking students to try them independently. Meta-analyses of effective instruction identify modeling and guided practice as high-impact moves—particularly for developing readers and writers. But beyond the research, modeling communicates something quieter and just as powerful: learning is allowed to be imperfect.
When students hear us say, “I’m not sure yet—let me reread,” they learn that uncertainty is part of literacy, not a failure of it.
Practices Students Can Carry With Them
Research touchpoint: Strategy instruction is most effective when students understand not just what to do, but when and why to do it. Research by Duke & Pearson and others emphasizes teaching strategies in authentic reading and writing contexts so students can transfer them independently.
The most meaningful literacy practices are portable. They travel with students beyond a single lesson or classroom. A few that students often name as helpful:
Rereading with purpose rather than speed
Annotating selectively, not excessively
Asking questions of the text—and of themselves
Talking about reading and writing with peers before finalizing ideas
These are not just strategies; they are habits of mind. When we teach them explicitly and revisit them often, students begin to choose them on their own.
Sharing Literacy—and Compassion
Research touchpoint: Trauma-informed teaching, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the science of learning converge on a shared truth: students learn best in environments that combine clear expectations with relational trust. Structure supports learning; compassion sustains it.
At its best, literacy instruction is an act of care. It says: Your thinking matters. Your voice is worth cultivating. You are capable of growth.
Compassion enters when we allow space for difference—different reading histories, different language backgrounds, different relationships with school. Research‑backed instruction and compassion are not in tension; they depend on one another. Clear structure supports students, and empathy sustains them.
An Invitation
So this Valentine’s Day, perhaps the question isn’t just what we love—but what we are willing to keep nurturing.
What literacy practice have you fallen in love with this year? What does the research say about it, and what do your students show you through their engagement, persistence, or confidence?
Consider sharing your reflections:
In the comments of this post, to spark collective learning
In a team meeting or PLC, grounding conversation in both evidence and classroom experience
In professional learning, by modeling the practice for colleagues the same way we do for students
When we share what works—and why—we extend compassion beyond our own classrooms. That kind of professional generosity is worth celebrating, today and all year long.
About the Rose Institute for Learning and Literacy
The Rose Institute for Learning and Literacy was founded at Manhattanville in 2013 when Sandra Priest Rose established an endowment to ensure that as many students as possible have teachers who are trained in the most effective research-backed literacy instructional methods. The Rose Institute offers graduate coursework and advanced certificates through Manhattanville and professional development opportunities both in-district and through several partner BOCES.
Manhattanville University School of Education
The School of Education undergraduate and graduate degree programs prepare PreK-12 teachers and administrators, higher education and community leaders, and educational industry entrepreneurs. Having served the tri-state area for over five decades, the Manhattanville School of Education guides new generations of educators to become leaders in their field through unrivaled community-based field experiences in over 25 area schools and educational agencies.
Our graduate and doctoral programs offer a blended learning experience with online, in-person, and hybrid courses, which provide our students with the flexibility and resources they need to fulfill their educational goals.
