{"id":2127,"date":"2023-08-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/08\/31\/fueling-student-futures-with-the-power-of-literacy\/"},"modified":"2023-08-31T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T16:00:00","slug":"fueling-student-futures-with-the-power-of-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/08\/fueling-student-futures-with-the-power-of-literacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fueling student futures with the power of literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

September 8th is International Literacy Day<\/a>, a day designated by UNESCO<\/a> to showcase the far-reaching importance of literacy in our lives. It is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the full power, purpose, and potential that literacy offers\u2014in the classroom, in the library, and in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For nearly six decades, UNESCO has designated a new theme each year that focuses on specific aspects of improving literacy. This year\u2019s theme is \u201cPromoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.\u201d The goal for this theme is twofold: to boost progress toward making education accessible to everyone, and to \u201creflect on the role of literacy in building more inclusive, peaceful, just, and sustainable societies.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is literacy? Well, it\u2019s much more than just the ability to read and write. Literacy is central to the creation of prosperous and peaceful societies and is crucial to what makes us human. Literacy helps us to organize and express our thoughts, build empathy and respect for other viewpoints, and helps us to conjure, capture, and convey ideas. It sharpens our faculties: activating our cognitive potential and unleashing our creativity. Ultimately, what literacy really is, is a powerful tool for good and progress.<\/p>\n

Literacy matters<\/h2>\n

A significant benefit of technology tools\u2014employed by skilled and compassionate educators and reading teachers\u2014is to provide students with the opportunity to build skills and have more equity in their learning journeys. Microsoft Education believes that our literacy tools<\/a> can help every student become a fluent reader so that they may enjoy success in school, career, and life. This is the mission that guides what we do and the learning tools<\/a> that we develop.<\/p>\n

A suite of powerful literacy tools<\/h2>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A student using Reading Coach to practice reading independently.<\/em><\/p>\n

Microsoft Education\u2019s foundational reading fluency and accessibility tools meet the literacy challenges of today\u2019s educators and students. These solutions can help students learn, practice independently to become more fluent readers, and give writing and reading teachers the insights they need to provide individualized support. They also provide students opportunities to practice these skills in non-stigmatizing ways, anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n