I. General Information
School Name: Sea View Elementary School
School District: SD#85 Vancouver Island North
Inquiry Team Members: Jackie Peterson: jpeterson@sd85.bc.ca
Evania Nolan: enolan@sd85.bc.ca
Wade Fitzpatrick: wfitzpatrick@sd85.bc.ca
Inquiry Team Contact Email: jpeterson@sd85.bc.ca
II. Inquiry Project Information
Type of Inquiry: NOIIE Case Study
Grade Levels Addressed Through Inquiry: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-7)
Curricular Areas Addressed: Language Arts – Literacy, Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts – Writing
Focus Addressed: Literacy
In one sentence, what was your focus for the year? Sea View staff looked at how integrating literacy instruction that weaves together STEAM themes, Indigenous knowledge, and DE&I literature can help reduce the number of learners in the “Emerging” category in reading and writing.
III. Spirals of Inquiry Details
Scanning: During the spring of 2025, staff engaged in a comprehensive scanning process that included analyzing four years of school-based reading and writing assessment data, learner self-assessments, school connectedness survey results, and staff observations. Learner self-assessments provided insight into students’ engagement with reading and writing, the strategies they use when approaching literacy tasks, and their sense of belonging and connection to school.
As part of the scanning process, staff focused on two key questions: 1) Which learners are struggling and what evidence do we have to support this, and 2) What is contributing to their current level of success or challenge? To answer these questions, we examined achievement trends, confidence levels, learner voice, and observed learning behaviours. Data trends over the previous four years showed that approximately 23–24% of students consistently performed at the emergent level in reading and writing, with this increasing to 26% in the spring of 2025. When reading and writing were examined separately, the number of students identified as emergent readers showed a gradual increase each year.
Listening to the voices of our learners provided valuable insights beyond achievement data alone. Our 2024–2025 Year-End Student Survey indicated that 77.8% of students could identify three or more adults at school who care about them, and 88.9% reported feeling a sense of belonging at school. However, only 51.9% of students reported always feeling confident in their reading skills, while 14.8% reported never feeling confident. Confidence in writing was even lower, with only 37% of students reporting they were always confident in their ability to write sentences and paragraphs, and 7.4% reporting they were never confident. This revealed a gap between students’ sense of connection to school and their confidence as literacy learners.
The scanning process highlighted a persistent group of learners performing at the emergent level who relied on a limited range of literacy strategies and demonstrated lower levels of confidence in reading and writing. It also revealed that many students were highly engaged in hands-on learning experiences, STEAM activities, and passion projects, suggesting opportunities to leverage these interests to strengthen literacy learning.
Our scanning process was informed by both the OECD Principles of Learning and the First Peoples Principles of Learning. We recognized learners as active participants in the process by valuing student voice and self-assessment data. We considered the importance of emotions and learner confidence as key factors influencing achievement and engagement. Consistent with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, we recognized that learning is holistic, reflective, experiential, and relational. By listening to learners, examining their experiences, and considering their sense of belonging and connection, we gained a deeper understanding of both the strengths and needs of our students and identified literacy as a priority area for school improvement.
Focus: After reviewing our school-based data, we identified literacy as a priority area and chose to focus on reducing the number of learners performing in the emergent categories of reading and writing. Literacy is foundational to success across all areas of learning, and our data showed a persistent group of students who required additional support to develop essential reading and writing skills.
Through this focus, we hoped to see improvements in both literacy achievement and learner confidence. Our goal was for more students to become proficient readers and writers who can independently apply a range of strategies and engage meaningfully with literacy tasks. We also wanted students to view themselves as capable literacy learners and feel confident in their abilities.
As a staff, we aimed to strengthen our collective capacity in literacy instruction, deepen our understanding of effective literacy practices, and create more engaging and authentic opportunities for students to read, write, and communicate by weaving together STEAM themes, Indigenous knowledge, and DE&I literature into our instruction.
Hunch: As a staff, we developed several hunches about practices and approaches that may have been contributing to the literacy experiences of our learners. We wondered whether some students were disengaged from reading and writing because the topics and materials did not always reflect their interests, experiences, or preferred ways of learning. We also recognized that some of our literacy resources were outdated and may not have been sufficiently engaging or relevant for today’s learners.
We hypothesized that literacy may not have been consistently viewed or taught as a skill that extends across all curricular areas. While students participated in a variety of hands-on learning experiences, STEAM activities, and passion projects, we wondered if there were missed opportunities to intentionally embed meaningful reading, writing, speaking, and communication tasks within these experiences.
Although we have school-wide Guided Reading, focusing on reading skills, we also considered whether students required more explicit instruction and practice in literacy strategies, particularly those learners performing at the emergent level. Finally, we questioned whether our instructional approaches were providing sufficient differentiation and support to meet the diverse literacy needs of all learners.
These hunches guided our professional learning and helped us identify areas for further investigation and action.
New Professional Learning: As a staff, we engaged in professional learning focused on increasing student engagement in literacy through STEAM activities, passion projects, and authentic learning experiences. We explored ways to intentionally embed literacy skills into hands-on learning and investigated digital tools, such as the Book Creator app, to provide students with meaningful opportunities to read, write, create, and share their learning. We also continued to refine our guided reading practices to strengthen literacy instruction and support diverse learners. In my roles as Learning Assistance Resource Teacher and Teacher Librarian, I explored evidence-based approaches to supporting students with dyslexia and other literacy difficulties. To increase engagement and student ownership, learners were involved in selecting books for both school novel study sets and the library collection.
To support the learning of colleagues, staff were encouraged to share successful practices and resources during staff meetings and informal professional conversations. Teachers were encouraged to explore professional learning and purchase resources that best met the needs of their students rather than adopting a single school-wide program. This approach fostered professional autonomy while creating opportunities for staff to share effective practices and learn from one another.
Taking Action: To support literacy engagement and achievement, our team implemented several strategies that connected reading and writing to student interests and authentic learning experiences. During library blocks, newly acquired books featuring STEAM, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and Indigenous perspectives were regularly highlighted and promoted to students. These resources were intentionally selected to provide engaging, relevant, and diverse reading opportunities. Students were also regularly encouraged to recommend books, authors, and topics for future library and classroom purchases, ensuring that our collections reflected their interests and helped foster a culture of reading ownership and engagement.
Teachers increased the use of STEAM, DEI, and Indigenous-themed literature across subject areas, helping students see literacy as a tool for learning rather than an isolated subject. New STEAM-focused novel study sets were purchased and incorporated into guided reading groups, particularly for students reading at higher levels. These novels provided opportunities for critical thinking, discussion, and the application of literacy skills in meaningful contexts.
Through a Simon Fraser University Cmolik Foundation grant, we established a Create Lab program. In this program, students selected a topic or passion of interest, conducted research using a variety of print and digital sources, and applied their learning through a hands-on creative project. Students documented their learning process, shared their findings with peers, and reflected on their growth. This approach integrated reading, writing, inquiry, and communication skills while increasing student engagement and ownership of learning.
Together, these strategies created more authentic and purposeful opportunities for students to engage with literacy, while connecting reading and writing to their interests, identities, and real-world learning experiences.
Checking: Our evidence suggests that we made positive progress toward our goal, although there is still important work to do. Based on our in-house reading and writing assessments, the percentage of students performing at the emergent level in literacy decreased by 2.95% from the spring of 2025, while the percentage of students performing at the extending level increased by 4.3%. These results indicate overall growth in student literacy achievement.
When reading and writing data were examined separately, the results revealed both successes and areas for continued focus. Reading achievement showed significant improvement, with a 12% reduction in the number of students performing in the emergent category. However, writing data showed an 8.75% increase in the number of students identified as emergent, highlighting writing as an area requiring additional attention and support.
In addition to assessment data, staff observations provided evidence of increased student engagement with literacy. During Create Lab projects, students independently pursued literacy-rich passions, including writing movie scripts, creating podcasts, authoring novels, and designing graphic novels. Students demonstrated greater ownership of their learning and increasingly viewed reading and writing as meaningful tools for inquiry, creativity, and communication.
While we are encouraged by the gains in overall literacy achievement and student engagement, we are not yet satisfied with the outcomes. Our data indicates that further work is needed, particularly in writing instruction. Moving forward, we will continue to build on successful practices while exploring additional strategies to strengthen writing skills and create engaging literacy experiences for all learners.
Reflections/Advice: Through this inquiry, we learned that improving literacy outcomes requires more than simply embedding literacy opportunities across the curriculum—it also requires making those connections explicit for students. When students recognize that literacy skills are essential tools for learning in all subject areas and about their unique interests, they are more likely to engage with literacy in meaningful ways. We also learned that our learners benefit from a balance of direct, explicit literacy instruction and opportunities to explore literacy through their own interests, passions, and creative pursuits.
Moving forward, we plan to continue our literacy inquiry with a particular focus on strengthening student writing. We will build on the successful practices developed through this inquiry by further integrating literacy instruction with STEAM themes, Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) literature. We will also continue to provide authentic opportunities for students to read, write, create, and communicate for meaningful purposes.
Our advice to other schools would be to listen closely to student voice and use it to guide decisions about resources, instructional approaches, and learning opportunities. Providing students with choice and opportunities to connect literacy to their interests can significantly increase engagement. At the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the need for explicit instruction in foundational literacy skills.