Ways to Use The Roadmap to Literacy
Because The Roadmap to Literacy is comprehensive, there is more than one way to use it. Some ways are good. Others undermine the efficacy of the program.
Good Options for using The Roadmap to Literacy
There are seven different ways to use The Roadmap to Literacy. They are introduced below. Choose the one that best meets your needs:
- Option 1: As a Complete Language Arts Program This option is for teachers who wish to use Roadmap in its entirety (i.e., to teach and assess all aspects of language arts). That way students receive a balanced and effective language arts program.
- Option 2: To Balance a Traditional Waldorf Program This option is for teachers who have a wonderful Waldorf program that is missing some aspects of language arts. Teachers can keep the aspects they like in their existing curricula and use The Roadmap to Literacy to supplement. That way students receive a balanced and effective language arts program.
- Option 3 To Balance a Public-School Curriculum This option is for teachers who have a solid program such as Sounds Write (and/or another literacy program that is mandated by the state). It is especially good for Steiner-Waldorf teachers in the UK and for teachers in charter schools. Teachers can keep using the program and bring in other aspects of language arts from The Roadmap to Literacy. That way students receive a balanced and effective language arts program.
- Option 4: As a Textbook for Teacher Training This option is good for university teacher training programs. Professors can use Roadmap as a textbook in their courses.
- Option 5: For Professional Development This option is good for faculty study and homeschool collectives that want to study best practices and/or explore new ways to teach language arts. They can then go on to use options 1-3 if they are so inclined.
- Option 6: To Get Students Caught up In Reading and Spelling Skills This option is for all teachers who have students who fell behind (e.g., during the pandemic). For example, teachers can provide direct instruction in literacy capacities (phonemic awareness, symbol imagery, and concept imagery) to make sure all students have the foundations they need for success.
- Option 7: To Help Remedial Students This option is for teachers who have remedial students in grades 1-8. Roadmap contains extensive information about what teachers can do to help remedial students.
