I sell literacy. I do. If I don’t sell kids on wanting to learn to read and write as well as they can, they won’t. Sometimes it’s an especially hard sell for kids in middle school, both for those who are competent in these areas but choose to be illiterate, and for those who have always struggled with these skills. You’ve heard the old axiom, “What you plant in September, you reap in June,” so it’s crucial to set the right tone from the start. Here’s what I do.

via Week 1 of School: Selling the Value of Literacy | Edutopia.