Let’s celebrate Lights On literacy in 2025

By Meredith Scott Lynn, Founder and CEO of WRiTE BRAiN WORLD.

Hello, afterschool angels and expanders of learning! Here’s the dealio we all know to be true: when learning is fun, disguised, inspiring, colorful, and relatable, it's meaningful for all students of all ages and learning levels. When students get to express themselves authentically, they discover who they are and what they’re made of. That’s why students across the country look forward to their afterschool programs with an enthusiasm and interest level they simply don’t have for the normal school day. Of course, early learners often have a joyful spirit around going to school—they still get to build things with their hands, run around, play, express themselves through crafts, get attention and praise from educators.

Well, isn’t that’s what afterschool is for students of all ages?

Afterschool is the perfect opportunity for building literacy in ways that don’t feel academic. Students need more than the vital homework help they get in out-of-school time. When it comes to writing, they need enriching activities and a sense of purpose. They need to care about the content and even create it! When teaching is fun and meaningful for accredited educators and paraprofessionals, everything (and everyone) is elevated! So many districts have gone all digital on the literacy front. Students need off-screen literacy opportunities.

Janerl Lampson, Expanded Learning in Fairfield-Suisun School District

Janerl Lampson, the principal of Expanded Learning in Fairfield-Suisun School District in California, puts great focus on literacy and is promoting literacy at her Lights On Afterschool event this year, giving students opportunities to author original short stories with activity-based resources from WRiTE BRAiN WORLD. “I believe afterschool programs should be designed as an extension of learning for students at the end of the school day, but it must be fun and innovative, so students are able to stay engaged. Writing is an integral part of State Standards yet is often given very little targeted instruction and practice time in lieu of reading activities. For this reason, writing should be integrated in afterschool so that students are receiving a complete education in literacy. Writing is also difficult or 'scary' for many students, but telling stories comes naturally. When students tell stories by discovering their own ideas, it opens their minds to forming sentences and expressing ideas in other subjects and assignments they are given. Writing in afterschool is essential for a complete education in literacy.”

Almost all students need a lot of scaffolding and support when it comes to writing—not just early learners and English learners. Nationwide, writing scores are lower than math scores. English learners are held back from reclassification by the writing score on their state’s EL test. Reading has never been harder to teach for too many reasons.

Thanks to 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding, science and technology are experienced by young people in exciting ways beyond the bells. We all greatly value technology and respect the incredible benefits and freedoms it offers. Students who can write a paragraph summary or lengthier report about their collaborative STEM project, will have advantages over those who can’t. It can’t be ignored that young people are developing fast-processing skills at the expense of slow-processing skills such as capacities for discernment, critical-thinking, judgment, and empathy. Story writing and storytelling activate kids’ brains and hearts, simultaneously.

A student can know how to read and NOT know how to write.

A student who writes, is a student who reads.

To make readers IN school, make writers AFTER school!

Here’s to shining some Lights On literacy on October 23!