1+-+What+is+Literacy




 * Literacy: What is it? **

Literacy is “reading, writing, speaking and listening, and involves the knowledge and skills required to engage in activities required for effective functioning in the community”. (Hill, 2006, p.3) Literacy is one of the building blocks for all other aspects of learning. Having good literacy helps people to further their education beyond schooling.

Children are very different learners from adults and teachers need to be aware of this. When teaching early reading, writing and word work there are three important ideas that need to be understood; “adults scaffold children’s learning, children are active learners and problem solvers and learning is connected to children’s worlds”. (Hill, 2006, p.3) Children need to be taught in an engaging, interactive way that keeps them focused.

“Learning to read, write and gain word knowledge is a developmental process and there are many ways to describe the phases of development” (Barone et al. as cited in Hill, 2006, p.5). The six phases in literacy development include: Beginning (0-3 years of age); Early-emergent (3-5 years of age); Emergent (P-Kindergarten); Early (K-Year 1); Transitional (Years 1-2); and Extending (Years 2-4). (Hill, 2006, p.5) These can be used as benchmarks but teachers need to be aware that all children develop at different times.