The following two tables demonstrate some data connected with Arabic countries. Table 1 obtains information about the state of affairs peculiar for selected countries in 1980 while Table 2 presents more modern data which was obtained in 2010. Having compared these two tables, it is possible to make certain conclusions. First of all, it should be said that all countries have a significant population increase. Sometimes, it is more than 50 per cent. That is why it is possible to suggest that such rates of the growth of population can lead to overpopulation of these countries. However, very often this fact does not mean significant growth of the economy of a state. Moreover, very often countries show negative exponents of the GDP rate. That is why this phenomenon can be taken as the main evidence of the problem of poverty peculiar for the majority of these states. Nevertheless, access to the Internet can also prove this statement.
Being the richest state in the list, the UAE has the widest accesses to this technology. It is obvious, that the Internet is not a cheap service and people, who live under horrible conditions, cannot afford it. Besides, showings of the literacy rate can also be rather interesting. With the help of these tables, we can see that there are no showings in Table 1. It is possible to suggest that this issue was not interesting and peculiar for researchers in those times. Additionally, the absence of the interest can be taken as evidence of the fact that the majority of people were uneducated. However, there is a positive shift in the situation nowadays. Table 2 shows that the number of people who have at least some knowledge increases. This fact can serve as a sign of the improvement of the educational sphere in these countries. There is one more surprising fact. Being one of the richest states in the world, the UAE has poor showings of the GDP growth per capita. This fact can introduce some discussion about the main reasons for this process.
The Pre-Reading Plan involves formulating a central concept of the text, dividing the class into groups, and having students group ideas related to the topic into logical categories, reflecting upon their relationships, and eliminating redundant words from the list before reading. PreP can be used before reading various texts to uncover students prior knowledge and relate them to the text.
Brainstorming
Involves the examination of the title of the text and, possibly, the subtitles inside it; students then write out all the information that comes to their mind as concise bullet points. This can be used to uncover students prior knowledge and restructure it, as well as to agree upon central notions or ideas.
Pre-questions
Students are asked questions about the contents of the text. These may include definitions of the key concepts, examples of related situations, key traits of the phenomena involved, or students own experience with the topic. Also, students may be asked leading questions to better predict the contents of the text (Yang, Newby, & Bill, 2005). In a social studies classroom, these may be used especially when discussing topics that are related to phenomena existing today.
Discussing the purposes of reading
The teacher may ask students about for what purpose they think the text is provided to them to engage them in critical thinking, or the teacher may offer several purposes to be discussed. It is also possible to discuss the desired outcomes of the reading. This strategy can be used before reading virtually any text.
Discussing the author
It is possible to consider the author of the text and discuss the students knowledge about her/him. It may help to put the text in a broader context and help relate the students knowledge about the author to the ideas given in the text. This strategy can be used when reading works of any prominent authors that students are already familiar with.
Reading to Learn
Contextualizing
Students may be asked to place the text in its historical context. The learners should reflect upon the contemporary values they are adherents of, and the values and perceptions of the time during which the text was written. The strategy can be used while reading any works that were written a significant amount of time ago.
Reflecting upon challenges to students convictions
Students may be encouraged to compare the perceptions expressed in the text to their ones, and analyze the arguments for and against the new perceptions both the ones provided in the text and the ones students can think of. This can be used with any text expressing non-mainstream perceptions.
Summarizing the text
While reading, students may be encouraged to take notes of the text by writing out key ideas and supporting arguments from the text in a concise form. For example, it is possible to write out the main idea of each paragraph. This can be done along with outlining the text, which will allow learners to better navigate their notes (Sporer, Brunstein, & Kieschke, 2009). It can be used with virtually any text in a social studies class.
DRTA
Direct Reading Thinking Activity involves discussing what students know about the topic before reading, predicting what the text could contain from the title, subheadings, and illustrations, discussing what has been read, and modifying predictions about further contents after reading a subsection. DRTA can be used only with a text none of the students have read before.
Asking the author
Students are encouraged to formulate questions related to the contents of the text or the author of the text. The learners may then attempt to discuss these questions and guess the authors probable viewpoint. These guesses can be verified or refuted with the further parts of the text. Best used with a text the context of the creation of which is familiar to the learners.
Reflecting
Reading slips
After finishing reading the text, students are given questions related to their understanding of it (asking about how the text can be used in the real world, a surprising fact they learned, something they would like to know more about, etc.), and write brief responses. This can be used with virtually any text.
QAR
Question-Answer Relationship Strategy involves asking students questions about the text and encouraging them to explain how the answer is presented in the text (directly in the text as a fact, implied, derived from the text and the students background knowledge, or not given). QAR can be used with almost any text and teaches students to differentiate between facts given in the text and answers the learners found on their own.
Scales
Students are given several questions and are asked to indicate how much they agree or disagree with a statement based on the text by using a continuous line or a Likert scale. Learners then defend their positions; they can also engage in dialogues (Gunnlaugson & Moore, 2009). This strategy can be used with most of the texts.
Very important points
Students, who were asked to mark key points while reading, discuss these key points after finishing the text. They defend their perceptions of why these points are paramount. This can be used with almost any text and teaches students to differentiate between key points and details.
Answering pre-questions
If students generated pre-questions (see above), they may be asked to answer these questions based on the text. The strategy can be used with any text to which pre-questions were asked.
Vocabulary Building
Purposefully dedicate time to vocabulary learning
Vocabulary instruction should be a distinct, clear part of a lesson, for new lexis is a necessary part of students learning, and it is what allows them to become independent readers (Beers, 2001). Approximately 10-15 minutes of each lesson are recommended to be dedicated to learning vocabulary (Robb, 2014), in particular, is a social studies classroom.
Vocabulary previews
New words should be taught to learners before reading. The words should be listed, and their definitions should be provided. The relationships between words can be shown, as well as their connections to some already known words. This strategy should be used with any text containing new vocabulary.
Discussing new words and drawing maps.
Students discuss the new words before reading and also draw maps, charts, Venn diagrams, etc. This allows for better relating the new words to one another (Allen, 2006).
Writing paragraphs or short essays with key terms
This should be done after the reading is complete. Students should be encouraged to use as many new words in their paragraphs or essays as reasonably possible. This can be used in most social studies classrooms.
Reviewing the terms
Students review the terms they learned during a class in the following classes. This may be done by employing various techniques, such as the ones described above, as well as by giving texts where the learned terms would be used. It should be done in any class where students are to remember new terms, for they will forget most of the new terms without revision.
References
Allen, J. (2006). Too little or too much? What do we know about making vocabulary instruction meaningful? Voices from the Middle, 13(4), 16-19.
Beers, K. (2001). When readers struggle. Voices from the Middle, 8(4), 4-5.
Gunnlaugson, O., & Moore, J. (2009). Dialogue education in the postsecondary classroom: Reflecting on dialogue processes from two higher education settings in North America. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 33(2), 171-181. Web.
Robb, L. (2014). Vocabulary is comprehension: Getting to the root of text complexity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sporer, N., Brunstein, J. C., & Kieschke, U. (2009). Improving students reading comprehension skills: Effects of strategy instruction and reciprocal teaching. Learning and Instruction, 19, 272-286. Web.
Yang, Y.-T. C., Newby, T. J., & Bill, R. L. (2005). Using Socratic questioning to promote critical thinking skills through asynchronous discussion forums in distance learning environments. The American Journal of Distance Education, 19(3), 163-181. Web.
The main aim of the text is, according to the author, to review the records of literacy among the lower orders during the Qin and early Han dynasties. Although it is not clear to what extent the members of the lower orders could be considered literate and what graphs and signs they could recognize, Yates argues that literacy was demanded from the state so that the lower orders could be able to understand specific documents and ideologies (341).
Moreover, literacy was also used by the resistance groups who approached it as a source of power (Yates 341). The text is written for students and scientists who are already familiar with the history of Early China, and, preferably, at least partially understand Chinese, since the author provides quotations from the original text (translations are added too). The text also focuses on previous studies of Early China, e.g. disputes with the work of Mark Edward Lewis.
As the author states, there is not enough evidence of what was understood by literacy during the period of the Early Chinese Empire, so Yates tries to provide new information about it (340). The research was completed in 2011 and refers to the articles written in the 1990s and 2000s. Thus, much new information is provided.
The Kinds of Reasoning
The text is divided into several parts, where the author examines different pieces of evidence from the book Mozi, scribes (legal documents), reports and letters from soldiers, and state documents directed to women of lower orders. Yates theory is based on the evidence that suggests members of the lower order could read and write, although to a limited extent. The chapter begins with a suggestion that is examined in the sections mentioned above (Yates 341).
Yates proceeds, introducing the first evidence from the book Mozi. The next extensive chapter is devoted to the scribes, legal documents that bureaucracy operated with. Yates also presents the brief history of the scribes and their role in the life of the citizens and the state (345). In this section, Yates examines and analyses several documents that had various functions, but all confirmed that lower orders needed writing and reading skills to communicate with the authorities. In the section named Soldiers, Yates presents evidence in the form of military reports and letters that soldiers wrote during their duty. Yates concludes that soldiers also possessed writing and reading skills, although they were limited, enough to fill out a report (362).
Women from the lower orders were also literate to some extent since they were able to understand or edit some of the documents that belonged to them or their husbands (Yates 366). Thus, Yates can conclude from the evidence he presented. The logic of these conclusions is clear, but not all sources are valid enough to support Yates conclusions. At the end of the chapter, Yates provides a conclusion briefly summarizing the results of his analysis.
Evidence in the Text
Yates approaches different pieces of evidence to support his theory. In the first section, he examines the chapters from the book Mozi, which could be considered literary evidence, although it does document the life of the lower orders and provides detailed descriptions of their life. However, this book was badly damaged, and not all chapters of it were found, so the accuracy of this source remains partly doubtful. The next texts, i.e. scribes, military reports, and letters from soldiers, as well as statutes addressed primarily to women and their households are historical evidence.
The main advantage of the evidence that Yates uses in his text is that he provides the original, Chinese texts or abstracts from the texts too. Thus, readers can get acquainted with the primary sources without any mediator. However, for those who are not able to read the original texts, Yates provides accurate and correct translations.
The sources Yates uses are primary, although he also refers to studies of other scholars to support his views.
Evaluation
Although the arguments Yates uses are strong, the author himself states that the evidence he provides might be circumstantial; it is also not clear how literate the ordinary people were. Supposedly, they possessed basic skills in writing and reading; some of them could read and complete more complicated texts than the others (Yates 345). The method of analysis seems to be unproblematic, although the author often refers to his works to support some of the evidence.
More diversity in sources would improve the texts credibility. Judging by the title of the chapter, a reader will imply that scribes and military evidence, as well as the evidence from female members of the lower orders, will be extensively presented; nevertheless, the author focuses mostly on the scribes, leaving several pages of analysis to letters from soldiers and womens literacy. It is comprehensible since scribes provide the biggest amount of historical data. However, the expectations of a reader may not be satisfied because of the partly misleading title of the chapter.
Works Cited
Yates, Robin DS. Soldiers, Scribes, and Women: Literacy among the Lower Orders in Early China. Writing and Literacy in Early China: Studies from the Columbia Early China Seminar. Ed. Li Feng and David Prager Branner. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 2011. 339-369. Print.
The changes experienced in the world today explain why people should be keen to develop superior competencies and skills such as literacy. Literacy is a concept that has gained new meanings in the recent past to ensure that more people realize their potential. Personally, I define the term literacy as the ability to advance the manner in which I do certain things. The improvement should be completed within a specified period.
The concept has also attracted the attention of many scholars in different fields. The development of ones literacy can ensure that specific personal goals and career objectives are realized efficiently. Within the past five years, I have acquired new skills that make it easier for me to move through different communities and societies with ease and fluency. This discussion gives a detailed analysis of this personal literacy development.
Scope and Purpose: Intended Audience
The outlined literacy is significant since it makes it easier for me to network with many people, learn from them, and widen my competencies. I always use the insights gained from different individuals to redesign or improve my personal philosophy. Additionally, this literacy can be implemented in different fields to support my career and professional goals. This achievement will make me successful in the future.
The purpose of this narrative is to describe how I have managed to develop this kind of literacy. The discussion will go further to explain how my classmates and friends can focus on the best approaches to develop this kind of literacy. This means that the targeted people can embrace similar approaches, read widely, and cooperate with other individuals. By so doing, the targeted audience will acquire new skills that can be applied in different settings (Trejo et al. 279).
The practice will ensure that more people learn how to interrelate with friends and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, the readers will understand how to communicate efficiently, use different technologies, embrace the power of social media, and implement appropriate decision-making processes.
Influential Events
Literacy should be pursued by people who want to achieve their goals (Sereni-Massinger and Wood 261). Personally, I have acquired and developed meaningful skills that empower me to associate and communicate with individuals from diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. This kind of literacy is a powerful strength that has the potential to support my current and future goals. The most outstanding observation is that various events and experiences have made it easier for me to develop this kind of literacy.
To begin, my parents used to encourage me to respect others and treat them fairly. This concept always guides me to support my colleagues without looking at their religious or cultural backgrounds. My siblings have friends from different races. I have always emulated the way my siblings relate with them. This practice has made it possible for me to appreciate, respect, and befriend more people from different backgrounds. Consequently, I have learned how to communicate, ask questions, and address conflicts whenever dealing with people from various cultures.
My schooling environments have also empowered me to develop this kind of literacy. For instance, I have attended different learning institutions whereby the concept of diversity is always taken seriously. This argument explains why I have managed to develop this type of literacy over the years. Currently, my class is composed of learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. I always interact with them effectively in order to learn new ideas. My schooling compliments my literacy practices and achievements. It is also notable that my classmates have not limited my development of the literacy.
I have also been reading different books and novels that have equipped me with adequate communication skills. For instance, I have learned the importance of respect, attentive listening, choice of words, and tolerance. Different television programs and movies have taught me how to associate with others, solve emerging problems amicably, and support one another. I have also been visiting different websites that educate people on how to relate with others and promote peace. For instance, I have learned numerous concepts from such websites such as cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion. This argument shows conclusively that different media outlets have empowered me to develop this kind of literacy.
Since I have interacted with people from different communities, I have managed to develop adequate skills and models for dealing with problems. For instance, my association with Muslims has taught me how to love one another, promote peace, and respect peoples religious believes. On the other hand, my association with people from Latin America has made it easier for me to appreciate their beliefs, the use of traditional medicine, and meaning of grieving or mourning.
This analysis reveals that I can relate positively with more individuals depending on their cultural values, beliefs, and attributes. It is, therefore, appropriate for persons to communicate with their colleagues effectively and engage in constant questioning (Hale and Stanney 39). This strategy will ensure that people develop this kind of literacy and realize their aims in life.
The other important issue is how my literacy practices are exhibited in different communities or environments. It should be observed that I associate with individuals in accordance with their backgrounds. For instance, I would not be willing to discuss religious topics with persons from an Islamic background. At the same time, I would be ready to focus on different religious ideas whenever associating with Christians.
The important thing is to create a desirable environment for exchanging concepts and pursuing various goals (Mulder 81). It is also notable that my literacies have developed efficiently in both academic and online environments. Those who want to achieve this objective should respect one another and learn to listen attentively. The move can make it easier for them to learn more about their colleagues. Since my literacies function similarly across different contexts, I have been able to achieve my goals, support more people, and develop superior skills.
Powerful Insights and Arguments
Human beings can learn a lot from others in an attempt to improve their philosophies and eventually become successful (Mikhaylov 7). The above discussion shows clearly that any person can develop a similar literacy practice and function efficiently in different communities. That being the case, several lessons and insights can be learned from my experience by individuals who want to develop this kind of literacy. The first lesson is that individuals should be ready to respect others and listen attentively. They should also be willing to identify strangers, ask questions, and update their philosophies of life. The concept of constant questioning can result in lifelong learning. The move can ensure that more people learn how to relate with others, address their needs, and establish peaceful societies.
From my personal literacy development, it is evident that language functions as a complex manner. Human beings should be able to develop powerful competencies such as listening, problem-solving, and decision-making (Padhi 22). This achievement can make it easier for them to use the right words depending on the person they are interacting with. It is also evident that this kind of literacy is something that can be improved by socializing with more people.
My experiences also speak to the manner in which education functions in this country. The discussion reveals that people learn a lot from their neighbors, workmates, and friends. The narrative also indicates that education is a social function that takes place continuously. When people understand this fact, it will be easier for them to identify new concepts and skills that can improve or support their personal relationships (Sereni-Massinger and Wood 262).
Finally, this narrative is important since it explores the importance of different literacy practices. When a person develops a specific literacy, he or she will be able to achieve various goals or objectives. People should, therefore, focus on this idea in an attempt to widen their literacies in different fields or areas.
Conclusion
This literacy has empowered me to collaborate with many people from diverse backgrounds and learn from them. I have used the above concepts to improve my philosophy of life. People should coexist with other effectively, respect them, and focus on the best ideas that can support their goals. This discussion explains why it is appropriate for human beings to engage in continuous learning in an attempt to develop superior literacies that can support their aims in life.
Works Cited
Hale, Kelley S., and Kay M. Stanney. Handbook of Virtual Environments: Design, Implementation, and Applications. CRC Press, 2015.
Mikhaylov, Natalie S. International Business Students Cross-Cultural Competence Development: The Influence of the Educational Environment. SAGE Open, vol. 4, no. 1, 2014, 1-15.
Mulder, Martin. Competence-Based Vocational and Professional Education: Bridging the Worlds of Work and Education. Springer Shop, 2017.
Padhi, Prasanta K. The Rising Importance of Cross Cultural Communication in Global Business Scenario. Quest Journals, vol. 4, no. 1, 2016, 20-26.
Sereni-Massinger, Christine, and Nancy Wood. Improving Law Enforcement Cross Cultural Competencies through Continued Education. Journal of Education and Learning, vol. 5, no. 2, 2016, pp. 258-264.
Trejo, Bianca C., et al. Cross-Cultural Competence: The Role of Emotion Regulation Ability and Optimism. Military Psychology, vol. 27, no. 5, 2015, pp. 276-286.
The process of literacy development in children typically occurs in five phases, the first one being the development of awareness and exploration. As its title suggests, in the specified stage, children tend to explore the language, starting with the perception of the spoken word from their parents and people around them to building their vocabulary by reading books (Lai 110). The question that children tend to ask during the stage of awareness and exploration are the main signifiers of the literacy development process being launched. As a rule, young children tend to ask about the names of objects to build their vocabulary and gain the basic knowledge required for the foundation of literacy development (Lai 110).
The second phase, known as experimental reading and writing, can be observed when children reach the preschool age. At the given point of their development, they take particular interest in nursery rhymes and similar sources of learning to gain new vocabulary, as well as observe and understand how language is used. While children may prefer pictures in books to the actual process of reading, the latter should be encouraged by parents (Cooper et al. 184). In addition, children can show enthusiasm for learning by attempting to write letters for the first time or trying to spell their names (Cooper et al. 184). Any writing or reading endeavors should be highly encouraged by adults to prompt early learning.
As soon as children learn about letters and their use and become comfortable with the idea of using letters to formulate their ideas, they transition to the third phase of literacy development, which is known as early reading and writing stage. During the third stage, children enter the realm of the academic environment by enrolling in preschool. They learn key aspects of phonics and word building, becoming capable of writing phonetically (Lai 111). Remarkably, children are very likely to make numerous mistakes in spelling since they will rely on the sound of the word rather than its epistemology (Lai 112). However, parents and teachers should be delicate about correcting these mistakes not to avert a child from learning.
As a child grows to start their second or third grade, they enter the fourth stage of language development, which is known as the traditional reading and writing phase. During the identified period of their literacy development, young learners can comprehend written discourse and interpret it without the help of adults (Cooper et al. 186). Moreover, they can add their perspective to the narrative, thus contributing to its development (Cooper et al. 187). The ability to locate the theme and thesis statement of a story are characteristic of the specified phase of literacy development. Moreover, children develop the ability to relate to the stories that they read and draw parallels between these stories and their own life.
Finally, the fifth stage of literacy development starts once children gain the skills of fluent reading and no longer require the support of educators or parents to understand the meaning of the narrative that they read. Gaining independence in reading and the ability to communicate complex ideas through writing are two essential characteristics of the described stage (Lai 113). It is noteworthy that the enthusiasm toward reading and learning, in general, may not be observed throughout the rest of a childs development. However, the basic literacy skills that a child gains during the fifth stage will not disappear; instead, it will provide the platform for future learning.
Works Cited
Cooper, David, et al. Literacy: Helping Students Construct Meaning. 10th ed., Cengage Learning, 2016.
Lai, Chun. Autonomous Language Learning with Technology: Beyond the Classroom. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017.
In Bronfenbrenners Ecological Model (1979), a childs most basic environment is the microsystem, which includes his family. The culture of the society his family belongs to greatly influences how he imbibes the culture and how he expresses his developing personality. On this first level, all of the childs relationships are bidirectional, meaning adults affect his behavior and vice versa (Berk, 2006).
Young children find the theme of family very interesting, especially because their first life experiences are with their family members. Listening to family stories truly captivates children, and as they listen, they get to relate the plot to their own lives.
Aims & Objectives
The activities planned have objectives that conform to the state guidelines set by the NSW Department of Community Services.
Provision of an environment supportive of communication and where language is richly used by both children and adults.
Appropriate use of language and communication with children.
Being responsive to childrens efforts to communicate both verbally and non-verbally and Active encouragement of children to use language and awaken them to the power of both verbal and non-verbal language.
(NSW Department of Community Services. Office of Childcare, n.d.).
Specifically, the activities also aim to:
Promote literacy skills and higher-order thinking
Encourage socialization and cooperation among the children
Develop comprehension skills
Encourage creativity
Foster appreciation for family
Anticipated Outcomes
Children will gain good comprehension skills from the storytelling activity.
Children will be aware of story elements such as characters, setting, plot, etc.
Children will know how to sequence events of the story.
Children learn how to express themselves in drawing, writing, and verbal stories.
Children engage in higher-order learning in coming up with alternative story endings.
Children learn how to communicate their ideas to peers.
Children develop good interpersonal skills during group activities.
Children get to appreciate family values and the moral lesson of the story.
Children gain ICT skills within the theme.
Time Frame: The activities may be done as an evaluation of the students skills gained after a story reading session. An example of a family story is Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Each activity may be done for the rest of the work period depending on the developmental level of the children.
The older the children, the longer the time allotted for the activity since they have more developed attention spans. This may be done again for another session or two. The important thing is that children do not get bored doing it and so it should be interspersed with other supplementary activities.
For Children aged 2-3
Prepare three pictures from the story one for the beginning, another for the middle, and another for the end. Let the children arrange the pictures from beginning to end either from top to bottom or left to right. Let them explain what happened to each scene. As they progress, in the next sessions, more pictures may be added for them to arrange the correct sequence.
For Children aged 4-5
Instead of preparing the pictures, let the children draw the pictures. They can be assigned a particular scene from the story and have them dictate what is happening to the scene while the teacher writes down their verbalizations on the lines under the picture box where they are supposed to draw. Later on, let the children talk about their pictures in front of the class, then after everyone has shared, arrange themselves with the pictures according to the sequence of the story.
For Children aged 6-7
Have a number of strips of paper ready. On each strip, write down a phrase or sentence depicting a specific event in the story. Present the event strip to the class in random order. Let them reconstruct the story using the event strips. If they are just beginning to read, to prompt them in their reading, there can be a representative picture beside the words.
Writing: Changing Story Endings
Discuss the story after it is read to make sure the children understand it fully. With this base knowledge, try to raise their thinking to greater heights by asking them to group themselves into threes to come up with a different story ending. For example, instead of Goldilocks running away when she is awakened by the three bears, she gets adopted by the bears and is asked to live happily ever after with them. Or instead of scaring Goldilocks away, the three bears get to break into Goldilocks house instead and try out her soup, her chair, and her bed. The children are encouraged to be creative in their thinking then later defend their points with critical reasoning. After the small group discussions, each group shares its endings with the class. The class votes for the best alternative story ending.
Search the internet for interactive online stories with the theme of family. There are many available. Explore it first to make sure it is suitable to the developmental needs and level of the children. This activity may be for individual or paired children. Orient the children to the instructions of the online store. Be there to guide them in the first few minutes and when they manifest understanding and capability to work on their own, allow them to explore by themselves. These stories are interactive and would entail their active participation. Just be on hand to assist them if needed.
The activities detailed above are designed to develop literacy skills. Just what is literacy, and how does it develop in an individual? Venezky, et al (1990) provides an elaborate explanation, emphasizing writing as well as reading:
Literacy is minimal ability to read and write in a designated language, as well as a mindset or way of thinking about the use of reading and writing in everyday life. It differs from simple reading and writing in its assumption of an understanding of the appropriate uses of these abilities within a print-based society. Literacy, therefore, requires active, autonomous engagement with print and stresses the role of the individual in generating as well as receiving and assigning independent interpretations to messages. (p. 142)
Schools have been built to nurture and develop it and use a variety of methods to inculcate it in students, just so they may draw upon their literacy skills in becoming productive, learned individuals.
Emergent literacy is the term used to refer to the earliest period of a childs literacy development, specifically the time between birth and when the child can read and write (Sulzby and Teale, 1991). According to emergent literacy theories, the child is the central figure in the construction of learning. His life experiences directly affect his literacy. One theoretical perspective in the area of emergent literacy is that children are innately predisposed to becoming literate especially if they live in a literary-rich environment lots of books, pictures, films, software, educational posters, etc. The activities planned all expose the children to such an environment, including technology, which is very much a part of the childrens lives right now.
Piaget (1959) also has something to contribute to the theoretical perspective of literacy. According to him, literacy is actively constructed with a childs interaction with the environment. Such interaction brings about learning, as concepts are constructed or changed, usually, differing from adult concepts. Still another perspective has been inspired by Vygotsky (1962), as he theorizes that a child learns literacy through conversation and involvement in literacy acts with an adult. This interaction between adult and child is called scaffolding. This occurs when a knowledgeable adult gently guides a child through successive literacy activities while relinquishing autonomy little by little to the child until such time he can do it on his own. This is manifested in the three activities when teachers first guide the children until such time they are ready to work on their own and develop skills by themselves.
Analysis of Learning Experiences
The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears was used as an example because of its popularity and simplicity. It is a basic story that may be cultivated for a rich harvest of ideas and concepts. However, the choice of the story may be adjusted to the developmental level of the children. It may have been a good choice for the younger set, but if higher-order thinking is to be aimed at, then a corresponding reading level and story complication is called for. The sequencing of events activities was well designed with the developmental levels in mind, and it is expected that the children will respond well to it if an effective motivational teacher implements it. The Story ending activity would be limited to more verbal children aged 5 and up, as their language skills are more developed than the younger set hence they can express their ideas better to each other and to the class. The younger children aged 2-4 may be given an alternative activity like a game related to the story or a role-playing activity with props they can sort and classify into different attributes. The interactive ICT activity should be researched well by the teacher first before introducing it to the children. She herself must try it first to ensure that it will be appropriate for her students and that much value and learning will be derived from it. An alternative to this activity may be a film-showing activity that may be compared to the story told. Such analysis would elicit higher-order thinking in the children on top of being entertained.
Focus Child Language Analysis
Ali (age 4) was talking to his teacher one day, asking her what she would like to be when she grows up. She answers, I wanted to be a teacher. I already am!
But I am also a writer. Alis follow-up question was, You dont want to be a more left?
Ali is a precocious little boy who speaks confidently to anyone. This sample of his conversation shows his wit as a manifestation of his logical thinking skills. This may stem from his quality interactions early on from the home. Beaty (2009) contends that children develop a sizable vocabulary even as young as 20 months if adults around them talk to one another and to them and showed affection and interacted playfully as opposed to their counterparts who received little or no adult interaction and verbal communication.
Alis loving parents have showered him with the love and attention he needs, making him confident enough to experiment with words and meaning. Hearing the word writer meant for him right-er , so he associated it with the directional word left-er . To an adult, it would seem like a punchline to a joke, which makes childrens innocent speech amusing to them. But to Ali, he meant to use the word as he saw fit in his own understanding of the word.
Clay (1998) posits that all children must take an active part in negotiating meanings. The sample depicted above is a clear indication of Alis experimentation in finding meaning to words with a supportive teacher who allowed him to. Conversations with adults are essential in the language learning of children. Piaget and Vygotsky, key people in the study of language and thought, believe that development will not take place unless children engage in rich, meaningful conversations with others by which language is internalized to more complex thinking (Neuman & Roskos, 1993).
Both theorists uphold that through language, children begin to decipher particular words from objects or actions and then words begin to stand for ideas. Next, thought begins to take on a symbolic function, such as Alis use of the word righter in the example above. He was successful in using the natural medium of language for representational thinking at a very young age (Neuman & Roskos, 1993).
How should young children like Ali be encouraged to develop their literacy skills? Educators use different approaches to help children become literate:
Whole language approach
emphasizes a holistic, meaning-based, and context-based approach in linking printed text with spoken language.
Little attention is paid to specific or isolated skills and limited emphasis is placed on the role of focused practice.
Language and literacy are viewed as integrated systems, and specific components of language such as the sounds of each letter are not learned in isolation (Norris & Hoffman, 1993).
Phonetic approach
emphasizes phonological awareness training
value the provision of specific and focused opportunities to practice segmenting words into phonemes, blending phonemes into words, and learning to rhyme.
Natural literacy
expands the concept of emergent literacy by emphasizing the role of interactions with adults or more competent peers in a childs learning experiences.
Although the whole language approach and the phonetic approach seem to be opposing camps, there is good reason to suggest an integration of both for more effective literacy development. Watkins & Bunce (1996) gives the rationale:
On the one hand, because the process of literacy acquisition occurs through natural, meaningful experiences with print and reading, these experiences should play a role in efforts to facilitate such skills. On the other hand, because phonological awareness contributes to early reading achievement, some focus on particular phonological awareness abilities appears warranted. Thus, a rationale exists for integrating whole language and phonological awareness perspectives in attempts to promote literacy proficiency in young children. (n.p.)
The activities set forth above comply with the requirements necessary to meet the developmental needs of young children in terms of their literacy development. It is projected that the learning experiences will meet the objectives set forth above. Not only will they be literate, but these will also help them become good communicators in the future especially if they are exposed to more of such activities at a very young age.
References
Beaty, J.J. (2009), 50 Early childhood literacy strategies, Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, pp. 54-55.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Clay, M.(1998) By Different Paths to Common Outcomes, Stenhouse Publishers, Maine, pp. 5-32
Neuman, S. B., & Roskos, K. A. (1993) Language and literacy learning in the early years: An integrated approach, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Fort Worth, TX, pp. 27-31, 34-61.
Norris, J., & Hoffman, P. (1993). Whole Language Intervention for School-age Children. San Diego: Singular Press.
NSW Department of Community Services. Office of Childcare, n.d, NSW Curriculum Framework for Childrens Services.
Piaget, J. (1959) The Language and Thought of the Child. London: Routledge & Kegen Paul.
Sulzby, E. & Teale, W.H. (1991) Emergent Literacy. In R. Barr, M.L. Kamil, P., Mosenthal & P.D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research Volume II. New York: Longman.
Venezky, R., Wagner, D. & Ciliberti, B. (Eds.) (1990) Toward Defining Literacy, Newark, DE; International Reading Association.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962) Thought and Language (E. Hanfmann and G. Vaker, Eds & Trans.) Cambridge, M.A.: MIT Press
Watkins, R. V., & Bunce, B. H. (1996). Promoting language and literacyskills in preschool classrooms. Invited presentation, Kansas Division for Early Childhood, Manhattan.
Literacy development occurs during childrens formative years, allowing them to acquire phonological awareness, fluency, and comprehension of their native language. Eventually, a child begins to make connections in the systematic connection between language and its use for communication and learning. It is a natural and unceasing process that forges each childs approach to various aspects of literacy. However, some events may be critical in influencing a persons perceptions and skills. A pivotal experience that helped shape my relationship with literacy was receiving an opportunity to meet a well-known author that constructively critiqued and encouraged my writing.
Main body
I learned to read at a relatively young age despite having minor speech-language pathology in the early years of my literacy development. By elementary school, I was an avid reader. It was a passion of mine to explore the fantasy worlds described in books. Reading was both a method of relaxation and a tool of learning for me at the same time. Overall, literary works were an inspirational influence on my psycho-emotional development as a child.
Despite the common misconception, my reading skills did not translate into writing. In class, I found myself excelling at comprehensive tests while struggling with writing. A significant issue was that, as a child, my imagination was overflowing with ideas. When beginning to write, I immediately visualized whole worlds and adventures similar to those in books. However, these thoughts were rapidly going through my mind, having no structure or logical format.
At one point during the transition to middle school, my parents wanted me to apply for a specific gifted program in the school district. The application process consisted of analyzing my grades and teacher recommendations (both of which made me eligible), as well as a written exam which was a timed essay. Eventually, I was declined admission simply due to the abhorrent and inconsistent quality of my writing. An event that strongly discouraged my efforts to write.
A few months later, it was announced that a well-known author of several adventure books that I enjoyed throughout elementary school was visiting the area. I was one of the few people selected by the English department to meet the author personally. We were asked to write an essay about the authors work which could be a topic of discussion with him.
Eventually, the day came, and I had the opportunity to meet the author. It was a unique and unreal experience since I enjoyed his work and respected him as a person after reading his biography. The author noted that he had read our essays. At some point during the event, I had a chance to talk with him personally.
He clearly remembered my writing and proceeded to give me feedback. This was the first time I learned that professional writers had to develop complex plans and outlines when writing books in order to maintain structure and cohesiveness of thought. The author encouraged me to use writing as a medium to express ideas and knowledge in a way that I would want it to be presented to me. It was evident he could see the discouragement about my skills and sought to emphasize the importance of writing as an academic tool.
Conclusion
Afterward, my approach to literacy changed dramatically. I began to see rapid improvements in my skills, achieving better grades and entering into a gifted program the following year. I practiced writing for every school project and eventually became considered one of the top writers in my class throughout the rest of secondary education. A significant step towards the improvement of my writing, both creative and academic, was learning to express my thoughts competently.
The abundance of information I received from reading could now be translated to written expression. To this day, I continue to expand my literacy skills through improved vocabulary, phraseology, and genre-specific techniques. All these factors contribute to formulating an open-minded and expansive worldview while aiding me in structuring an argument to support my personal opinion.
In the 21st century, Americans live in a world of powerful, ubiquitous media. Children and young people spend much of their time in front of the screen. According to Common Sense Media (2019), the screen time for American children (8-to-12 years) and teens were 4 hours and 44 minutes and 7 hours and 22 minutes on average, respectively. Consistently, research shows that children and adolescents are increasingly bombarded with vast amounts of information from various sources (Elmore et al., 2017). Exposure to these messages significantly influences the audience as they may interpret the content in a particular direction. For example, an image or message and how it is presented in a commercial advert can be biased and cause the audience to take a specific position on the issue depicted in the promotion. Consequently, it is imperative for students and people, in general, to consume media content objectively and to analyze the message portrayed in the news. In this context, media literature becomes integral to the active consumption of media messages.
The term media literacy denotes the ability to decode media messages and critically evaluate the influence of those messages on how people think, feel, and behave. The concept also entails the skill to create and use media content thoughtfully and consciously. A literate audience is able to scrutinize media content and decipher the intended message. Informed viewers analyze the content to determine whether it reflects both sides of a story or argument fairly and accurately. Media consumers need to examine the source of the information they read and understand the particular goal the creator sought to achieve. This level of keenness can help viewers to establish the authenticity and reliability of the source. For instance, it is pivotal to remain alert when reading adverts on the Internet because some sites which advocate for a certain stance firmly, especially on controversial subjects, may not present factual information. Such websites are hardly objective in their depiction, as they often seek to sell their idea, product, or opinion. It is also imperative to observe that media messages are often created with a specific audience and purpose in mind. Media literacy is the ability to understand the underlying meaning of that message.
The most essential skill needed for media literate people is critical thinking. Such people can evaluate the received information; they discern whether the content makes sense, what and why specific details are included or omitted, and the underlying ideas. They use facts to support their reasoning, and they can make a well-informed decision about the information based on prior knowledge. Furthermore, they can recognize, interpret, and construct different perspectives on real-world processes. Such people create and consume media content actively and responsibly. They can realize the authors purpose and distinguish credible information from straight propaganda. In this context, media illiteracy is a grave danger to society. Thus, it is essential to consider the purpose of a media message and the credibility of its source to draw a fair, objective conclusion regarding the perspective or position being presented.
Finally, a media-illiterate community can be vulnerable to many serious risks. Notably, a less informed society is likely to be manipulated and misinformed by the media. Its children and young people stand a chance of being sexualized and bullied on the Internet. Moreover, such a society is vulnerable to negative racial and gender stereotypes and loss of privacy. Building media literacy knowledge and skills can provide children, teens, and even adults with some protection by empowering them to discern possible risks of bias and manipulation and make informed media usage choices. Therefore, media literacy can compromise a societys ability to create, engage, and consume different media types and technology intelligently.
Media is a popular source of information to every demographic group in the United States and globally. Technology and high literacy levels have created a conducive atmosphere for media companies to grow and disseminate content. Mass media organizations and social media have become the main source of analyzing global details or facts and distributing them. Currently, an incident in one part of a community can reach most of the global population in hours. George Floyds death was played or announced in almost every media outlet worldwide in one day. The news became viral in hours resulting in a public outcry in several towns and cities. High media literacy levels have made it possible for Media outlets to play an important role in transmitting the information.
The global literacy level was low at the beginning of the 20th century but has increased with more emphasis on education. The print media being the main source of information then, it was a challenge as a few individuals could read the information. The current level of educated people in the population has made it possible for any content to be analyzed and absorbed with ease. Media literacy is the publics ability to access, decode, evaluate and transmit a message from media (Yildiz & Keengwe, 2016). The current society will easily understand knowledge from print, digital, television, radio or social media. The digital age has made knowledge to be available at the click of a button. Technology has created a global community where information is shared easily and efficiently.
Floyds death revealed how the current global community is technologically connected. The victim was stopped by police and arrested for a crime he committed. While under custody, a police officer put his knee on his neck and suffocated him to death. Security cameras captured the incident, and mobile phones then shared it on social and mainstream media. The viral nature of Floyds story proved that media literacy and journalism are at their highest levels. Social media has made it easy for anyone with a mobile phone and internet to be a journalist. Shearer and Gottfried (2017) state that more than 60% of the American population uses social media. Viral news on the platforms has the potential to reach more than half the population in hours. Most American get their news from social media, making it vital for information sharing.
Media information has become an undeniable presence in peoples daily lives. It is easy to overlook, but exposure to media begins at a very young age. Children younger than two years spend an average of two hours watching television every day. Older juveniles spend more time on mass media, while teenagers consume more than seven hours of media information a day (Gripsrud, 2017). In essence, teenagers spend more time on social media and television than in class. Therefore, consuming the wrong information can be detrimental to such students. Media literacy is not merely a skill in the current generation but a huge part of life. The current generation access more information from media sources than from their teachers or parents.
Individuals and media outlets shared information about Floyds murder with an agenda that positively or negatively influenced the publics opinion. The protests immediately began after the incident, with the rioters and media recording and sharing videos, each with their motive. Images and motion pictures spark an emotional reaction, and technology has made access to such information available at the click of a mouse or tap of a screen. One persons experiences or bias will interpret an image differently from another. For instance, news of Floyds murder was perceived as American hypocrisy by the Arab world, while in other parts of the world, it revealed an existing history of racism. Media is a powerful tool that can change opinions; therefore, there is a need for media literacy education to avoid consuming information at face value.
Moreover, media outlets drive certain narratives to their viewers or listeners. News outlets in America intentionally used certain words to sell their agenda. Some channels used phrases such as violent protests to discredit the protestors (Media bias in the coverage of George Floyd, n.d). Furthermore, certain houses concentrated their news on the victims reason for arrest instead of highlighting the unfortunate events that led to him losing his life. Each narrative has an intended message and a target audience. A racist narrative will attract a racist audience, and a radical opinion will attract a revolutionary viewership.
Several organizations advocate for media literacy or education to reduce the negative impact of media narratives. The Media Education Foundation releases printed articles, films and scripts and distributes them to provoke critical thinking on political and social issues from the mainstream media. Additionally, the Center for Media Literacy provides education and leadership nationally and internally to promote media literacy education. Several other organizations but the Media Literacy Project remains at the forefront by providing robust presentations that enhance media literacy in schools and education institutions (Gripsrud, 2017). Concentrating on institutions of learning targets teenagers who are often misguided by unproductive narratives. Improved media literacy and education will enable the responsible consumption of information.
References
Gripsrud, J. (2017). Understanding media culture. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Back in the days, literacy was considered an ability to write and read. However, today it means engaging in advanced speaking, reading, as well as writing and listening. In order to evaluate the importance of literacy in the classroom, two case studies were conducted.
The first case study showed that classroom literacy is tightly connected with interactions between students that state their opinions and learn something new from others. The second case study showed that reading and writing are not the only ways of achieving literacy. Thus, the conclusion has been made that in modern days literacy can also be achieved by means of various interactions within the classroom.
Introduction
As many educational researchers have emphasized, literacy cannot be reduced to the acquisition of individual tasks, such as reading a book, completing an application, or taking an exam. Literacy tools include any artefact, idea, or process that people use when they read, write, and talk or otherwise use language to make meaning. We understand texts and write or otherwise use language to make meaning. We understand texts as extending beyond print to include digital, visual, audio, and performed texts.
Beyond any narrow explanations of literacy as encoding and decoding language, a much more recent explanation for it includes social interactions. Literacy studies investigate writing as well as reading in broad areas including everyday life (Bearne, Dombey, & Grainger, 2003, p. 14).
The Importance of Fluent Reading
Fluent reading helps students to understand and remember more of what they read and gain better and broader vocabulary knowledge. However, a reader cannot really concentrate on many things thus if they are spending too much effort and attention on getting the words from the page, they have very little left over for understanding the text they are reading.
Students need more models of fluent reading. Reading aloud is perfect for this, at any grade, for example, high school students will be able to better understand and read complex literature if they hear what the language sounds like.
Teachers reading aloud give examples of expressive reading, reading dialogues, phrasing, and proper use of intonation. In addition to reading literature aloud, teachers should help students develop fluency all along its path of development, such as speed games at the letter and word level, phrase reading, and practicing with the whole text (Deeney, 2009, p. 131).
Vocabulary
Dictionaries are considered the best for getting a meaning for an unknown word, but a smart reader is sometimes able to figure out the meaning of the word using context or parts of the unknown word. Context clues include parts of the sentence that can help a reader to understand new words while word parts include roots, prefixes and suffixes similar to other known words.
Vocabulary skills are important for improving literacy as well as the overall growth of the student in the classroom and outside classroom environment. By expanding the vocabulary, the person is able to communicate much more clearly as well as increase the perception of being an educated and intelligent individual.
Comprehension
Comprehension is a process that is closely connected with responding, interpreting and evaluating new information from the text or other sources. During comprehension, students aim at processing texts beyond word-level in order to get the bigger picture. Good and quick learners are able to use a variety of strategies at the same time and know how to apply different strategies to help comprehension for complicated texts (Comprehension, 2010, para. 3).
It is also worth noting that learners respond to new information in personal ways by creating different connections that enrich their understanding and support their sense of personal and social identity. Every single act of reading is able to bring a new set of experiences that contribute to the emotional and cognitive development of the student, and that will make their comprehension richer (Literacy for Learning: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario, 2004, p. 65).
The Class Case Study
The class I chose for this case study is a ninth grade at the high school. There are fifteen students in the class, six boys and nine girls. The class is very active when it comes to interactions and discussions they always discuss the latest news of their school, their homework and very eager to interact with the teachers.
Given this, when it comes to literacy exercises, they lose their interest. Reading or listening to the information that is not relevant to their lives or are not interesting to them becomes a tedious task for them. Only a couple individuals in the class have real problems with analysing acquired information, but their classmates are trying to help them in this, creating debates and discussions on different topics.
Of course, every student agreed that reading and literacy are very important aspects of the learning, although they all also agree that insistent reading or writing on irrelevant and sometimes boring topics does not teach them much. Thus, a solution to this problem is a visual interpretation of the information required for studying as well as picking up-to-date topics that would be much more interesting for reading and further comprehension and exploration.
The Student Case Study
I have chosen a male student from the class; lets call him Sam. Sam is not among the bright and gifted students that have no problems with reading, writing and evaluating new information discussed in class. During the learning process, Sam is the one who pays attention to what the teacher says and tries to take notes in order to remember more. He reads more than others and tries to do as many exercises for evaluating and remembering as possible, although in class he rarely stands out.
Thus, the solution for Sam is interacting more with his classmates instead of trying to learn all information for himself. Discussions and team exercises will help him structure his knowledge according to the relevancy and the emotional background of the thoughts and opinions stated by his classmates.
Conclusion
To conclude, the conducted case studies show that literacy and reading are tightly connected with the students lives, however, sometimes students prefer live discussions to writing or reading because learning this way is much more interesting.
The visualization of new information can become key in comprehending new material as well as improving vocabulary skills and literacy overall. In the case of the single student, Sam, who has troubles with learning and comprehending new information, conversations with his peers and acquiring some new information from others rather than from books can be instrumental in improving his skills.
References
Bearne, E., Dombey, H., & Grainger, T. (2003). Classroom Interactions in Literacy. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press.
Comprehension. (2010). Web.
Deeney, T. (2009). Literacy Instruction with Classroom Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Literacy for Learning: The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario. (2004). Web.