The Critical Need for Effective Literacy Instruction

Literacy is the foundation of academic success, yet many students continue to struggle with reading proficiency. Recognizing this challenge, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $149 million in Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grants in September 2024 to 23 states. These grants support literacy development from birth through grade 12, with a focus on underserved students, including those in poverty, English learners, and children with disabilities. Some of the awards include Alaska ($10 million), Tennessee ($5,5 million), and New Jersey ($14.7 million) (Visit ed.gov for more).

While this funding is critical, ensuring that it translates into measurable improvements in literacy instruction requires more than just traditional professional development. Schools, universities, state education departments, and professional development organizations need efficient, scalable solutions that provide ongoing, data-driven support for educators. This is where Vosaic becomes an essential tool.

With automated talk-time analysis, AI-powered feedback, video tagging, and remote collaboration features, Vosaic allows professional development providers to deliver targeted, actionable feedback more efficiently, ensuring that every educator receives the support they need—when they need it most.

Leveraging Vosaic for Enhanced Literacy Coaching

By analyzing classroom videos, instructional leaders can identify strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement, and provide actionable insights that align with research-based best practices. The following sections explore how Vosaic's AI Mate feature can support key areas of literacy instruction:

1. Phonemic Awareness & Phonics: Ensuring explicit, systematic instruction in foundational reading skills.
2. Vocabulary & Morphology: Strengthening students' understanding of word meanings and structures.
3. Reading Fluency: Helping students develop accuracy, speed, and expression in reading.
4. Comprehension Strategies: Teaching students how to think critically while reading.
5. Data-Driven Instruction: Using assessment results to tailor instruction and interventions.

1. Facilitating Explicit Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Instruction

Effective reading instruction begins with systematic teaching of phonemic awareness and phonics. Vosaic allows coaches to analyze classroom videos to ensure educators:

• Clearly model the articulation of sounds before student practice.
• Provide direct instruction on letter-sound relationships rather than assuming students will infer them.
• Use cumulative review and multisensory techniques to reinforce learning.

Sample Vosaic AI Coaching Prompt:

"Evaluate how the teacher introduces letter-sound correspondences. Are the explanations clear, and is there sufficient modeling before student engagement?"

2. Enhancing Vocabulary and Morphological Understanding

A robust vocabulary is essential for reading comprehension. Through Vosaic, coaches can assess whether teachers:

• Introduce new words with clear definitions and contextual examples.
• Engage students in discussions that apply new vocabulary in various contexts.
• Integrate instruction on word parts, such as prefixes and suffixes, to aid in understanding complex words.

Vosaic AI Mate Prompt:

"Observe the strategies used to teach new vocabulary. Are students provided with opportunities to use these words in meaningful contexts?"

3. Developing Reading Fluency

Fluency is a critical bridge between decoding and comprehension. Vosaic enables the evaluation of fluency-building practices such as:

• Teacher modeling of fluent reading with appropriate expression and pacing.
• Providing guided oral reading sessions for students.
• Offering timely and constructive feedback to struggling readers.

Vosaic AI Mate Prompt:

"Assess the effectiveness of the teacher's modeling of fluent reading. Does it encompass proper pacing, expression, and phrasing?"

4. Strengthening Comprehension Skills

Reading comprehension requires explicit instruction in thinking strategies while reading. Using Vosaic, coaches can determine if teachers:

• Explicitly teach comprehension strategies such as summarizing, predicting, and questioning.
• Facilitate discussions that deepen understanding of the text.
• Provide scaffolds that help students navigate complex texts.

Vosaic AI Mate Prompt:

"Analyze the methods employed to teach comprehension strategies. Are students actively engaged in applying these strategies during reading activities?"

5. Using Data to Drive Instructional Adjustments

Responsive teaching requires using assessment data to inform instruction. Vosaic’s platform helps educators and coaches review whether:

• Instruction is adjusted based on student performance data.
• Teachers implement targeted interventions for students who struggle with reading.
• Lessons are differentiated to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Vosaic AI Mate Prompt:

"Evaluate how the teacher utilizes assessment data to modify instruction. Are interventions timely and tailored to address specific student needs?"

Ensuring Privacy and Security in Video-Based Coaching

When implementing video-based coaching, schools and professional development organizations must prioritize privacy and security to protect both educators and students. Vosaic is designed with robust security measures to ensure that all recorded and analyzed content remains confidential and protected.

How Vosaic Safeguards User Data

End-to-End Encryption

All data, whether in transit or at rest, is fully encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. This ensures that classroom videos and coaching feedback remain secure at all times.

Role-Based Access Controls

Schools and districts can customize access permissions, ensuring that only authorized users can view, edit, or analyze specific content. This prevents unauthorized access to sensitive instructional footage.

Built-In Face Blurring for Anonymity

To protect student privacy, Vosaic includes a face-blurring feature that can obscure student identities in recorded videos. This ensures compliance with FERPA and other privacy regulations while allowing teachers to share videos for coaching and reflection.

Secure Cloud Storage

All video content is stored in secure, cloud-based environments, ensuring data integrity and availability while protecting against potential breaches. Schools and districts control video retention policies and access settings.

By prioritizing these security measures, Vosaic provides peace of mind for educators and administrators while enabling effective, data-driven professional development. With encryption, role-based permissions, and privacy-enhancing features, institutions can confidently implement video coaching without compromising security or compliance.

Conclusion

The urgency of improving literacy instruction is clear, and states are making historic investments to support teachers. However, funding alone won’t solve the problem—educators need ongoing, evidence-based coaching to refine their practice.

Vosaic makes this possible by providing a secure, AI-powered video coaching platform that enables educators to analyze their instruction, receive meaningful feedback, and make data-driven improvements. Schools, universities, and professional development organizations can leverage Vosaic to make coaching more efficient, scalable, and impactful.

Want to see how Vosaic can elevate literacy coaching in your district or institution? Contact us today to explore how video-based feedback can transform reading instruction.