Literacy is a fundamental life skill; all children should have. As Australia is an increasingly multicultural country, migration has directly affected teachers whose classrooms nowadays have an array of linguistically diverse students. As a result, the definition of literacy is no longer considered the ability to read and write. Theory suggests that language acquisition is enhanced by social interaction with peers and more knowledgeable others, combined with explicit instruction and a supportive learning surrounding. Therefore, teachers are required to consider the linguistic backgrounds of students, whilst valuing this diversity to build proficiency in Standard Australian English, using culturally relevant content within a knowledgeable and stimulating learning environment.
Literacy is the act of conveying, analysing and understanding messages to make meaning of interactions. Therefore, literacy can be defined as a multifaceted, continually evolving multimodal process using numerous semiotic systems for communication purposes. A literate individual is required to make sense of information received in order to articulate or express an appropriate response; although, literacy strengths will vary depending on the context or social situation. In an increasingly multicultural and technologically "savvy" classroom, the teaching and learning of multiliteracies is of particular importance as it ensures students gain the skills needed to successfully communicate in a modern world. Therefore, it is necessary for literacy to be described as multimodal, which includes the use of aural, gestural, linguistic, spatial, and visual modes with a purpose to send and receive information. The term multimodal also incorporates the use of art, digita...
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...lues diversity and promotes SAE as do wall charts where students are able to monitor individual developmental progress. Additionally, the introduction of an appreciation day celebrating and embracing all types of diversity would promote an inclusive and understanding classroom.
Literacy is an integral part of the Australian Curriculum encouraging cognitive and social development as it lays the foundation for future learning. A combination of age appropriate, challenging and educationally relevant activities used on a regular basis alongside supportive instruction will support the development of language and more specifically SAE. It can be concluded that effective instruction combined with culturally and linguistically adapted content incorporated effectively into the curriculum, contributes to higher learning, enabling students to reach their full potential.
In some classrooms, teachers’ subconsciously use their language to establish negative relationships with literacy. For example, some teachers use reading and writing as a punishment or reference it as work instead of fun. Johnston (2004) said “ the way a teacher talks can position students differently in relations to what they are doing, learning, or studying” (p.9). In my opinion, this means that language has the power to influence student’s perception. Therefore, what teachers say and how they say it impacts how students feel about themselves and the world. But, some teacher may not realize how their words and tone towards literacy influences how children feel about it. In general, I think children in urban schools need to be exposed to language and literacy experiences that are positive and engaging. Instead of using reading and writing as a consequence, it could be used as a reward, or make it an option during free time just like any other fun activity. In general, I believe some teachers subconsciously use language to create negative relationships between students and literacy, but if teachers would be more mindful of the undertone of their language, children would perceive literacy differently (Johnston,
All students begin school with different levels of literacy development; English-speaking natives have obtained oral language proficiency in English which helps t...
There are many different opinions as to ‘What is literacy?’ and ‘What are literacy difficulties?’ Rassool’s (2009) article looks at literacy from an interdisciplinary approach which demonstrates how multidimensional it is and how literacy should be considered in relation to ‘ideology, culture, knowledge and power’ (Rassool, 2009, p. 7). She looks at the question of ‘What is literacy?’ from the perspective of the individual and the broader issues which shape both government policy and the practice of the individual tutor. In this essay I shall look at Rassool’s multidisciplinary approach in contrast to the view that literacy is a technical skill which involves the cognitive skills of decoding of text and functional literacy is the ‘process and content of learning to read and write in preparation for work ...’ United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, cited in Rassool, 2009 p. 7). It is my belief that this multidisciplinary approach highlights the complexities of how difficult it is to define literacy in an age of new technologies. These different models of literacy affect the definition of literacy difficulties. Are they a deficit or deficiency in the cognitive skills needed to read and write as suggested by the cognitive and developmental psychologists or should we view them from a socio-cultural perspective as suggested by Green and Kostogriz (2002)? These questions are important as they will affect how literacy is taught. After considering the evidence available, it will be argued that the latter approach is more beneficial to the learner.
Finding a definition of literacy is not as easy as it sounds. The Webster definition says that to be literate is to be” able to read and write.” But to some researchers, this definition is too simplistic, leading to multiple models of literacy. Most Americans adhere to the autonomous model, which falls closest to the standard, dictionary definition. Believers in this form say that literacy is a cognitive activity that students learn like any other basic skill. It has a set of proficiencies that one must master in order to be capable of decoding and encoding text (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). A competing theory is the ideological model, which claims literacy is intrinsically linked to culture, and therefore what constitutes a “literate” individual is ever-changing. Society is the largest influence on literacy, according to this thought, and it is affected by politics, religion, philosophy and more (Alvermann, 2009; SIL International, 1999). These two are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, some studies recognize “literacy as competence,” which is a “measure of competence to do a given task or work in a given field,” (SIL International, 1999) such as being computer literate. Although more researchers are recognizing and exploring multiple literacies, the one that most influences American schools is the autonomous, cognitive model – the ability to read and write. For many, it seems a simple task, but millions of adolescents are struggling or reluctant readers, and there are many reasons why young readers have difficulty with reading. XXXXXX------NEED HELP WITH THESIS STATEMENT HERE PLEASE—(This paper will focus on the effects of low reading skills, some of the possible causes of reluctant and struggling readership...
Literacy, as a concept, has been evolving during the last few decades, presenting itself as a more complex term to comprehend. The deeper understanding of this notion has made the process of learning it, a bigger and more elaborate challenge.
In recent years the meaning of literacy has become much more than that. Now literacy includes things such as, numbers, images, and technology. Literacy can be something that developed through things like Books, the internet, television, family, and many other resources. In this literacy narrative I will discuss the origins of my current attitudes about writing, and reading.
It is important to maintain children’s home language as it may help them learn and understand a second language. Barratt-Pugh (2000) discusses the benefits of bilingualism and maintaining it through early childhood settings, also mentions the concerns families have for their children maintaining two languages through schooling. Research within the article states that children who speak more than one language will have a higher level of understanding literacy content, form, genre, as well as understand the differences and translating within both languages. This demonstrates a contrast of strengths and experiences with literacy (linguist...
The modification of literary engagement is quickly happening in the 21st century because of the entry of various technologies that can transfer literacy (Birkerts (1994). Lockyer & Patterson (2007) have also recognized the significance of pre-school teachers integrating technologies in their placements to support learning surrounding multi-literacies. The introduction of various technologies into the classroom is a strategy that might be used to adjust the available new multimodal forms of literacy (Kalantzis & Cope, 2012). By using new technology formats, for example, social media, discussion forums, blogs, video games and wiki groups, literacy could be conveyed interpersonally, allowing students to understand from each other (Cattafi & Metzner, 2007; Gee, 2007 and Kalantzis & Cope, 2012).
There are many complications that arise when seeking a single definition of literacy. The debate over what is literacy and what isn’t is one that is of critical importance to the education of our country’s students. When originally asked at the beginning of this course about what literacy is, my initial response was the ability to read and write. While I suppose my answer wasn’t wrong, it certainly wasn’t entirely right either. Reading and writing are certainly important aspects of any persons literacy and are therefore one of the reasons why schools test in these areas frequently. However, as the course progressed I came to understand that there maybe more to what I originally thought about what literacy is. I came to realize that coming up with a single definition would prove to be a tedious task since there now appeared to be so many things that can be considered literacy. Through reading articles pertaining to literacy and observing various settings where literacy is used, I have been able to come to a better understanding of what literacy is.
Literacy is defined as “the ability to use available symbol systems that are fundamental to learning and teaching for the purposes of comprehending and composing, for the purposes of making and communicating meaning and knowledge” (Stock, 2012), and it is one of the most essential skills that an early year student will learn. Literacy serves to provide the building blocks for the continued knowledge acquisition and general education of individuals of all ages; by working to understand and identify how and why literacy is taught using the structured literacy block format in Australian schools, and in identifying the benefits of utilizing this type of tool for teaching literacy in student’s early years, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of the organization, planning, and teaching approaches that are used in a literacy block approach. A sample standard literacy block will be provided, offering the means of understanding the applications of the tool, which will serve to further stress the necessity of this tool’s usage.
Visual literacy is the capability to critically understand and interpret images. Images are made to convince readers about messages placed by the authors. Images are like printed text so they can be read. Visual literacy communicates through a process of reading and interpretation. “This view identifies literacy practices as a set of purposeful events mediated by written texts and embedded in the broader social goals and cultural practices of particular groups. “Literacy, therefore, is not a single set of generic reading and writing skills, and it can mean different things to different people at different times” (Rethinking Academic Literacies, pg. 2). Visual literacy is the understanding of the exchange of communication through images, the
Literacy is an on-going skill that teachers and students alike should commonly study and practice in all grades. Problems faced by teachers, especially teachers in higher grades, are not having the skills to be effective teachers of literacy. To effectively teach literacy across content areas, a teacher would need skills such as knowledge of the reading process and the ability to cultivate the knowledge gained in order to make informed decisions within their classrooms (Clary, Oglan, Styslinger,
Being literate defines who I am, and forms an integral part of my life. From the practical to the creative, it aids, and enables me to perform in the tasks that modern society dictates. I shall explore the many aspects of my life that are affected by literacy. Through this, understanding in greater depth what it means for me, to be literate.
The aim of this essay is to explore language acquisition and compare and contrast different theories of language acquisition and language development. Language in its most basic form is used to communicate our needs and wants. It encompasses a range of modes of delivery including signing, spoken and written words, posture, eye contact, facial expressions and gestures. So how do we learn ‘language’? Are we born with the skills for communication, or is it something that we have to learn or have taught to us? Four theories are looked at in this essay to determine how children acquire and then develop language. These theories include behaviourist, nativist, cognitivist and sociocultural. This essay will highlight some similarities and differences in each theory and what impact these have on a child’s acquisition and development of language. Lastly we will look at the implications of these theories when working with children. Can a classroom teacher deliver a quality literacy program based on just one of these theories or does it need to incorporate components of all four? Sims, (2012) pp. 21 states ‘’High-quality learning experiences in the early years of life enhance children’s cognitive and language skills’’. This places a great responsibility on educators and teachers alike to provide an environment which is rich in learning opportunities that will encourage both the acquisition and development of language.
Oral language skills play a significant role in the development of literacy skills. Research suggests that there is a high correlation between language development and reading comprehension. This is because as student's oral language abilities increase; they become more familiar with the phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic, components of learning language (Farrall, 2012). Additionally, the learning environment is of equal importance and should provide explicit modelling, age appropriate and authentic classroom experiences for developing and encouraging language. Teachers following Cambourne's eight conditions would support an environment enriching language and literacy development (Cambourne, 2001). The acknowledgement of linguistic diversity and suggested differentiation is also worth mentioning. The inclusion of regular planned and unplanned listening and speaking opportunities is vital for developmental progression.