The Nebraska State Board of Education supports and encourages systemic efforts to improve foundational literacy, working to ensure that all students become successful readers and writers. The Nebraska State Board of Education believes that all schools should establish policies that promote high-quality early literacy instruction that is grounded in evidence-based practices and that highlights the importance of grade- level reading. Foundational literacy instruction is essential to ensure all children become successful readers and writers. All students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and high-ability learners should have access to high-quality instructional materials and instruction.

All schools should:

• Understand that literacy development begins at birth and partner with families and communities to encourage strong early literacy connections.
• Promote the practice of adults reading aloud to students daily to foster their enjoyment of reading and expose them to rich spoken language.
• Provide tools and resources to students’ caregivers and families that support early literacy development.
• Ensure all classrooms are “print-rich” environments, and that students have opportunities to engage with a wide range of high-quality literary and informational texts.
• Select and implement standards-aligned, high-quality instructional materials for English Language Arts.
• Develop and implement a curriculum scope and sequence of foundational writing instruction.
• Guarantee systematic and ongoing professional learning for all educators in language development, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension within standards-based, core instruction.
• Ensure all students receive a strong sequence of explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Use the Nebraska Multi-tiered System of Support (NeMTSS) to identify students in need of intervention that consists of targeted, supplemental instruction and progress monitoring.
• Consider factors including vision, hearing, dyslexia, and other learning issues that may affect a student’s literacy development.