LITERACY

"Literacy is an ongoing learning..."

Literacy is an ongoing learning process that incorporates speaking, listening, reading, and writing, viewing and thinking. Collectively, these components form the basis for language and communication development. During the initial stages of its development, the majority of the emphasis is placed upon speaking, listening and responding to non-verbal cues.

"Language is inherently social and..."

Language is inherently social and as such the quality and rate at which a child acquires oral language depends heavily on early narrative experiences. Variation in quality and rate are influenced by parent-child interactions, characteristics of the child, as well as by cultural and social classes. Earliest functions of language evolve from immediate transactions, which further nurture language development. As language continues to develop and become refined, literacy is further enhanced through increased development of natural language and exposure to print.

"Children begin to realize interrelationships..."

Children begin to realize interrelationships among reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Children learn to use language as part of the social understanding they are attempting to gain. Print-sound relationships, extensive exposure with narrative reading, familiarity with story structure and language of texts continue to develop and become more refined with early writing experiences and continued exposure to various forms of print during early schooling.

"Direct instruction in the area..."

Direct instruction in the area of reading begins with word-analysis skills. “Whether metalinguistic-and-linguistic-awareness abilities are a cause, concomitant, or consequence of learning to read is not dependent on only the stimulus demands (e.g.), whole words, blending of letters, nor on only reader resources, but also on their interaction with the resources of the instructor. Thus the instructor can exert control over the success or failure of beginning readers who vary in age and developmental attainment” (Yopp and Singer, 2000, p. 384).

"Writing,"

Writing, which is inherently social is an extension of one's oral language. Written language, like oral language, is learned naturally from ongoing natural encounters with print prior to formal instruction. Motivation to write is linked with oral language. Learning how to express thoughts on paper is dependent on degree of exposure and develops over time. Text is dependent on the purpose for writing; the stance varies. “ The writer is always transacting with a personal, social and cultural environment. Thus, writing process must be seen as always embodying both personal and social, or individual and environmental factors” (Rosenblatt, 2000, p. 1072).

"Oral language development,"

Oral language development, early writing experiences, encounters with environmental and other print, and myriad social interactions serve as the foundation for reading comprehension. The readers' schema, their organized knowledge of the world, form new schemata as the reader attempts to construct meaning from text. “Reading as a meaning-negotiation process is cyclical between reader, teacher, text and classroom context” (Ruddell and Unrau, 2000, p. 999).

"Interactive,"

Interactive, meaning-based teaching serves as motivation to engage learners. “For a task to have educational value, it is not sufficient for it merely to engage children to joint activity; there must also be confrontation between different points of view” (Forman and Cazden, 2000, p.163). It is through a social interactive environment that literacy skills become internalized. Successful literacy learning is evidenced through students' growing ability to use language and literacy in more and broader activities.

"Social interaction and collaboration are..."

Social interaction and collaboration are critical components of an authentic and effective literacy program. An environment that motivates and fosters students' interest and development in reading and writing is paramount to literacy acquisition. “Curriculum as conversation means it all hinges on talk or, more specifically, on curricular invitation that encourage new conversations and hence new ways of living lives in and out of the classroom. This is what literacy is all about” (Harste, 2000, p.1240).

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	Literacy is an ongoing learning process that incorporates speaking, listening, reading, and writing, viewing and thinking. Collectively, these components form the basis for language and communication development. During the initial stages of its development, the majority of the emphasis is placed upon speaking, listening and responding to non-verbal cues.


	Interactive, meaning-based teaching serves as motivation to engage learners. “For a task to have educational value, it is not sufficient for it merely to engage children to joint activity; there must also be confrontation between different points of view” (Forman and Cazden, 2000, p.163). It is through a social interactive environment that literacy skills become internalized. Successful literacy learning is evidenced through students' growing ability to use language and literacy in more and broader activities.


	Social interaction and collaboration are critical components of an authentic and effective literacy program. An environment that motivates and fosters students' interest and development in reading and writing is paramount to literacy acquisition. “Curriculum as conversation means it all hinges on talk or, more specifically, on curricular invitation that encourage new conversations and hence new ways of living lives in and out of the classroom. This is what literacy is all about” (Harste, 2000, p.1240).

	Back to Home