Mindful literacy is a simple concept with profound implications for literacy, learning and life. It is the application and use of mindful strategies to improve attention, focus and self-regulation to improve a reader's engagement with text and the application of reading and writing strategies. Mindful literacy supports a more immersive, present moment experience, deeper reading comprehension, and more authentic, creative, and thoughtful writing.

One of the most fundamental aspects of learning is the ability to focus and be present. This is, of course, true for all content areas, however, critically important in the areas of reading and writing. The simple act of slowing down alone changes the experience for the reader. This is a process of quiet reflection that requires mindful attentiveness, a skill that can be taught, practiced, and developed. This allows the reader to be fully present with the text. The simple act of slowing down alone changes the experience for the reader. This allows the reader to be fully present with the text.

We have found that this allows the reader to have a calm awareness, creating a more immersive experience, deeper reading and comprehension and more authentic, creative, and thoughtful writing. When students are taught the art of attention, they build executive functioning to maintain focus on the task at hand. Research indicates that mindfulness and social emotional learning are significant factors in academic success. A 2013 study found that mindfulness practice helped students raise their reading comprehension scores 16 percent, as well as build working memory and limiting distracting thoughts. (Mrazek et al., 2013)