Why Belonging is Essential for Literacy and Learning
By Dr. John A. Williams III, Associate Professor of Urban Education, Texas A&M University
Every student belongs at school.
The idea that the opportunity to learn is a fundamental right of every human is an integral principle of our society. It makes us who we are, as a people. School is about growth, about opportunity, about discovery — and every student deserves to know that they belong at their school, and are invited to participate in collective learning, just as they are.
But belonging isn’t just about sentiment or principle. In fact, it’s a required condition for academic success. Here’s why.
What is belonging?
To belong is to establish a connection to something that is part of a large organization, structure, community, or culture.
Every school community — every district, building, and classroom — has its own culture. Every student, as they explore who they are and who they want to be, will begin to form their own perception of how (or if) they fit into that culture — if school, if the very act of learning and growing alongside their peers, is for them.
If students conclude that they do not, in fact, belong at their school, then that school will not provide them with the conditions they need to be successful as learners.
Why does belonging matter?
Many educators are familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We’ve all seen what happens when the first two tiers — physiological and safety needs — aren’t met. A student who is hungry, insecure, or unsafe is not in a position to engage fully in learning.
But those first two tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy aren’t the only needs we should consider as educators. But belonging, nestled in the middle of the hierarchy, is just as essential. It’s the need for community and connection. If we want our students to recognize their own strengths as learners, to challenge themselves in the classroom, or to explore their own path to college and career, then we must create a space where they know that they belong.
What happens when students feel that they belong?
When students’ physiological and safety needs are met and they are made to feel that they belong at school, they are set up to thrive.
They’re free to take risks. Academic risk-taking happens in environments where students feel that they belong. When they know that the act of learning is something that fundamentally belongs to them — that learning is a journey they are expected, trusted, and empowered to take — they’re more likely to reach higher, push harder, and learn from their failures.
There’s science behind the power of failure. Our brains are wired to learn from our failures, and we build stronger synaptic connections when failure is part of our learning process. It’s all about building a strong, safe, inclusive foundation on which students can confidently and joyfully explore the world around them.
Students who know that they belong in school are free to be creative, to enjoy learning, and even to be more successful — after all, if they belong in school and school belongs to them, then they have in their possession all the keys they need to open any door they choose.
Why is belonging important to ELA blocks and English classrooms?
Literacy is a natural space to nurture belonging. Reading is, of course, the key to participating in any classroom and in the world beyond. ELA blocks and English classrooms also invite students to explore human themes through literature, posing an opportunity to make or break a student’s perception of their role in the learning community.
Literacy lessons should feature diverse, relevant, and engaging texts that allow students to see themselves or their interests reflected back to them, reminding them that their world is worth reading and learning about. In discussion and writing assignments, teachers should foster an environment of collaboration that welcomes diverse ideas and revision of thinking. Students' lived experiences should be treated as assets, meaning that both teachers and students understand that every learner has something to bring to the classroom that will benefit the collective learning experience.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating literacy content for its contribution to fostering belonging:
- Does the content invite students in?
- Does the content encourage students to participate?
- Does the content allow students to be heard?
- Does the content welcome students to stay?
- Does the content offer them something to return to?
Ensuring students feel a sense of belonging is more important than ever. We live in a time when we are finding a way, as humans, to strip away belongingness, brick by brick and piece by piece, for multiple individuals and groups. Our students see what the adults are doing in their larger communities — and it will, if it has not already, affect their perceptions of their role within their own school communities.
Dr. John A. Williams III is an Associate Professor of Urban Education at Texas A&M University. He received bachelors (03) and masters (12) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2019. Born and raised in East St. Louis, IL, Dr. Williams has a distinct focus on establishing affirming practices, policies, and procedures aimed at eradicating exclusionary school disciplinary measures for Black children. With an impressive track record of over 50 publications, Dr. Williams’ work is in renowned outlets such as the Journal of Urban Education, Teacher and Teacher Education, Journal of Teacher Education, Urban Review, and the Journal of Higher Education. Dr. Williams has secured external funding from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Finally, Dr. Williams is the Director and Founder of the Urban Lab for Transformative Research and Assessment (ULTRA), an innovative and transformative collection of emerging scholars that support and cultivate research that investigates solutions to effectively support students, educators, and communities in urban environments.
