What is Literacy?
Literacy can be defined as a social process, necessary for interactions between people and includes key elements of 'speaking, listening, looking, thinking, reading, and writing that is emergent (Kearns, 2012, p. 486).
According to ACARA, literacy not only refers to 'reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening' but also needs to consider these skills in relation to 21st century technologies, enabling new communication dependent on components including 'spoken language, print or multimedia' (2009, p. 6).
Literacy involves our ability to understand and communicate in our world, between people, our thoughts and ideas, making it part of our identity.
Being literate requires traditional methods of speaking, listening, reading and writing, however ongoing developments in society have created new literacy needs as a result of technology (DECD, 2009).
"Reading is such a critical skill and without a strong foundation, children simply can't flourish in school" (Marshall, 2012).
Literacy can be defined as a social process, necessary for interactions between people and includes key elements of 'speaking, listening, looking, thinking, reading, and writing that is emergent (Kearns, 2012, p. 486).
According to ACARA, literacy not only refers to 'reading, writing, speaking, viewing and listening' but also needs to consider these skills in relation to 21st century technologies, enabling new communication dependent on components including 'spoken language, print or multimedia' (2009, p. 6).
Literacy involves our ability to understand and communicate in our world, between people, our thoughts and ideas, making it part of our identity.
Being literate requires traditional methods of speaking, listening, reading and writing, however ongoing developments in society have created new literacy needs as a result of technology (DECD, 2009).
"Reading is such a critical skill and without a strong foundation, children simply can't flourish in school" (Marshall, 2012).
Literacy practices that I currently engage with and how
My current literacy practices involve engaging with print and digital media, for fun, entertainment, relaxation for personal development and remaining current in a digital society, and learning to extend my current knowledge and skills, and self improvement such as career changes.
The following multimedia presentation demonstrates the current literacy practices I currently engage in.........
Click on the play button in the white square below to view...
My current literacy practices involve engaging with print and digital media, for fun, entertainment, relaxation for personal development and remaining current in a digital society, and learning to extend my current knowledge and skills, and self improvement such as career changes.
The following multimedia presentation demonstrates the current literacy practices I currently engage in.........
Click on the play button in the white square below to view...
Writing stories and poems
Just for fun. A developing interest in writing nonsense poems and stories in rhyme, began when my son was young and suffering from the chickenpox. I had introduced my son to many authors and children’s picture books, however with the discovery of popular works by Lynley Dodd and her book character Slinky Malinki, we discovered and created nonsense rhyme that was relevant to our family situation as we also had a black cat called Slinky, aptly named as she had a similar temperament to the character portrayed in the books. Hence the poem, created in 1 minute, eventuated………
Just for fun. A developing interest in writing nonsense poems and stories in rhyme, began when my son was young and suffering from the chickenpox. I had introduced my son to many authors and children’s picture books, however with the discovery of popular works by Lynley Dodd and her book character Slinky Malinki, we discovered and created nonsense rhyme that was relevant to our family situation as we also had a black cat called Slinky, aptly named as she had a similar temperament to the character portrayed in the books. Hence the poem, created in 1 minute, eventuated………
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/7/9/11791210/47538.jpg)
How these current uses relate to my history as a school student
As a school student, literacy experiences enabled me to engage in reading for relaxation, escapism; for self improvement, general and specific knowledge development. My mum always believed the ability to read, write and be literate were important skills to learn from an early age-hence, my bedtime routine consisted of reading a book with mum each evening. As a school student, I grew up on a farm, where technologies such as computers and television were not available, which is part of the reason my interest in reading and engaging in literacy was developed at a young age. My favourite stories included stories in rhyme, such as The Berenstain Bears series, by Stan and Jan Berenstain, with “The Bike Lesson”; “The Big Honey Hunt”; “The Bears’ Vacation”; amongst the most read and favourites.
I remember vividly, how poor dad was always getting into trouble with their adventures; the wonderful illustrations and the rhyming stories, which I believe has been an instigator of my love for stories in rhyme, but also the distinct messages I received from reading the stories. I also remember obtaining a small collection of Little Golden Books, where my favourites by Kathryn B Jackson, included “Sly little bear” who didn’t want to take a bath, and “Hasty little bear”.
Reading eventually extended to engaging with many book sets that were accompanied with cassettes and CDs enabling me to follow the words in the books, along with the audio reader. This was a fun way to believe in myself as a reader, and extend my literacy and comprehension skills.
I also grew up engaging in the world of comics, and characters such as The Phantom; Donald Duck; Daisy Duck; and Scrooge McDuck (I always wanted to be able to dive into a pool of money, just like Scrooge did). Today, particularly in libraries, these comics are known as Graphic Novels, which to me, just doesn’t have the same meaning as it did when I was growing up.
My literacy focus on learning as a school student involved learning the correct spelling of words, with weekly spelling tests and comprehension tests; required nightly reading and writing book reviews to demonstrate my understanding of what I had read and the meaning I took from each book. At times, the choice of materials to read was not my own, however this assisted in ensuring comprehension, spelling and literacy were extended as the teacher viewed as relevant.
As a school student, literacy experiences enabled me to engage in reading for relaxation, escapism; for self improvement, general and specific knowledge development. My mum always believed the ability to read, write and be literate were important skills to learn from an early age-hence, my bedtime routine consisted of reading a book with mum each evening. As a school student, I grew up on a farm, where technologies such as computers and television were not available, which is part of the reason my interest in reading and engaging in literacy was developed at a young age. My favourite stories included stories in rhyme, such as The Berenstain Bears series, by Stan and Jan Berenstain, with “The Bike Lesson”; “The Big Honey Hunt”; “The Bears’ Vacation”; amongst the most read and favourites.
I remember vividly, how poor dad was always getting into trouble with their adventures; the wonderful illustrations and the rhyming stories, which I believe has been an instigator of my love for stories in rhyme, but also the distinct messages I received from reading the stories. I also remember obtaining a small collection of Little Golden Books, where my favourites by Kathryn B Jackson, included “Sly little bear” who didn’t want to take a bath, and “Hasty little bear”.
Reading eventually extended to engaging with many book sets that were accompanied with cassettes and CDs enabling me to follow the words in the books, along with the audio reader. This was a fun way to believe in myself as a reader, and extend my literacy and comprehension skills.
I also grew up engaging in the world of comics, and characters such as The Phantom; Donald Duck; Daisy Duck; and Scrooge McDuck (I always wanted to be able to dive into a pool of money, just like Scrooge did). Today, particularly in libraries, these comics are known as Graphic Novels, which to me, just doesn’t have the same meaning as it did when I was growing up.
My literacy focus on learning as a school student involved learning the correct spelling of words, with weekly spelling tests and comprehension tests; required nightly reading and writing book reviews to demonstrate my understanding of what I had read and the meaning I took from each book. At times, the choice of materials to read was not my own, however this assisted in ensuring comprehension, spelling and literacy were extended as the teacher viewed as relevant.
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/7/9/11791210/6235783.jpg?354)
Reflections of my literacy knowledge, skills and needs
In this digital age, to progress successfully in society, a reader requires basic skills and knowledge of how to read; and also how to use available technologies and sources relevant for reading, learning and support. According to Koralek & Collins, (2013), children engage in being literate that is emergent from birth, through “oral forms of language” such as sight and sounds, gestures and body language, followed by reading and writing, a theory also supported by Berger (in Frey & Fisher, 2010), further developing their phonetic interpretation involving decoding and correct pronunciation of words and literacy skills that engage them in lower order thinking skills including applying, understanding and remembering what they read.
Important elements of being a reader include knowledge of how to read such as phonological and phonemic awareness; morphemes-the connections of letters and sounds, from what we see and hear, as well as memory of what we already know. According to Kemp (1980), the reader also brings “expectations to the meanings of the print”, which supports the readers beliefs and extends or alters their existing/prior knowledge (p. 9). These opportunities assist to develop essential higher order thinking skills where readers can build new information “through analysis, synthesis and evaluation” to construct their own meaning from what they read, see and hear-vitally important for students to become proficient readers by making connections through words and communication, relevant to their own world (Marshall, 2012).
Of equal importance, are experiences that engage children in literacy that supports their individual learning needs and is relevant to their age, culture and learning ability, to encourage “a taste for reading” (Green, Cormack & Patterson, 2010, p. 7).
Sousa illustrates that reading is not limited to only the written word, when discussing the recognition of the McDonald’s golden symbol as it is not only a young child who can recognise this symbol, without the requirement for reading a word (2005, p. 38). This demonstrates a reader can successfully read, when they are able to gain meaning from what they have seen - not always dependent on just reading words.
Teaching literacy requires a balanced approach with phonics and whole language teaching, enabling children to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, combined with their individual and reflective critical thinking, to create independent reading (Winch, et. al, 2010, p. 13). Balanced literacy programs encourage a learning environment that is rich with literacy, and can be incorporated into all curriculum areas. Therefore, literacy is not just about reading and writing – “it is foundational to anything about learning to read and write, and to help children to listen, speak and think about the language" (UCtelevision, 2008).
Children who can build meaning and understanding of reading and writing, develop a link between the two processes (Kearns, 2010, p. 208). It also gives students the tools “to interact with and create any print-based, spoken, visual or digital texts” (NSW Department of Education and Training Learning and Development, 2009). The Australian Curriculum (2010) describes digital texts as “audio, visual or multimodal texts produced through digital or electronic technology which may be interactive and include animations and/or hyperlinks. Examples of digital texts include DVDs, CD-ROMs, websites, and e-literature. Students also learn how to construct meanings from digital texts by applying their growing understandings of print and other meaning such as sound and image (Winch et al.2010, p. 209).
Oral language as a foundation to literacy, developed through interaction and observation, is extremely significant in assisting children to develop language skills, sentence structure and use, build knowledge, meaning and understanding, access and evaluate information and to communicate effectively with others. The Australian Curriculum (2010) implies that incorporating oral language into other learning areas such as maths, science, history and general capabilities such as intercultural understanding, is vitally important for successful learning. Oral language and learning must enable an anti-bias approach and develop cultural awareness.
Oral language consists of four components including:
Phonology (the sounds of language-what we hear when someone speaks)
Morphology (the meaning of words)
Syntax-( sentence structure)
Pragmatics (rules of language use)
The earlier children interact through one-to-one or group communication that incorporates quality oral language, and building vocabulary knowledge, the better their chances for success in their education and place in society. Therefore children, who are receptive and have exposure to oral language, with opportunities to share verbal responses develop better listening skills, word recognition, awareness of separate sounds, reading comprehension in either formal or informal environments (Winch et al. 2010, p. 667).
Therefore, experiences that engage students in lifelong literacy learning will develop confidence, knowledge and understanding to function successfully in their world.
In this digital age, to progress successfully in society, a reader requires basic skills and knowledge of how to read; and also how to use available technologies and sources relevant for reading, learning and support. According to Koralek & Collins, (2013), children engage in being literate that is emergent from birth, through “oral forms of language” such as sight and sounds, gestures and body language, followed by reading and writing, a theory also supported by Berger (in Frey & Fisher, 2010), further developing their phonetic interpretation involving decoding and correct pronunciation of words and literacy skills that engage them in lower order thinking skills including applying, understanding and remembering what they read.
Important elements of being a reader include knowledge of how to read such as phonological and phonemic awareness; morphemes-the connections of letters and sounds, from what we see and hear, as well as memory of what we already know. According to Kemp (1980), the reader also brings “expectations to the meanings of the print”, which supports the readers beliefs and extends or alters their existing/prior knowledge (p. 9). These opportunities assist to develop essential higher order thinking skills where readers can build new information “through analysis, synthesis and evaluation” to construct their own meaning from what they read, see and hear-vitally important for students to become proficient readers by making connections through words and communication, relevant to their own world (Marshall, 2012).
Of equal importance, are experiences that engage children in literacy that supports their individual learning needs and is relevant to their age, culture and learning ability, to encourage “a taste for reading” (Green, Cormack & Patterson, 2010, p. 7).
Sousa illustrates that reading is not limited to only the written word, when discussing the recognition of the McDonald’s golden symbol as it is not only a young child who can recognise this symbol, without the requirement for reading a word (2005, p. 38). This demonstrates a reader can successfully read, when they are able to gain meaning from what they have seen - not always dependent on just reading words.
Teaching literacy requires a balanced approach with phonics and whole language teaching, enabling children to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, combined with their individual and reflective critical thinking, to create independent reading (Winch, et. al, 2010, p. 13). Balanced literacy programs encourage a learning environment that is rich with literacy, and can be incorporated into all curriculum areas. Therefore, literacy is not just about reading and writing – “it is foundational to anything about learning to read and write, and to help children to listen, speak and think about the language" (UCtelevision, 2008).
Children who can build meaning and understanding of reading and writing, develop a link between the two processes (Kearns, 2010, p. 208). It also gives students the tools “to interact with and create any print-based, spoken, visual or digital texts” (NSW Department of Education and Training Learning and Development, 2009). The Australian Curriculum (2010) describes digital texts as “audio, visual or multimodal texts produced through digital or electronic technology which may be interactive and include animations and/or hyperlinks. Examples of digital texts include DVDs, CD-ROMs, websites, and e-literature. Students also learn how to construct meanings from digital texts by applying their growing understandings of print and other meaning such as sound and image (Winch et al.2010, p. 209).
Oral language as a foundation to literacy, developed through interaction and observation, is extremely significant in assisting children to develop language skills, sentence structure and use, build knowledge, meaning and understanding, access and evaluate information and to communicate effectively with others. The Australian Curriculum (2010) implies that incorporating oral language into other learning areas such as maths, science, history and general capabilities such as intercultural understanding, is vitally important for successful learning. Oral language and learning must enable an anti-bias approach and develop cultural awareness.
Oral language consists of four components including:
Phonology (the sounds of language-what we hear when someone speaks)
Morphology (the meaning of words)
Syntax-( sentence structure)
Pragmatics (rules of language use)
The earlier children interact through one-to-one or group communication that incorporates quality oral language, and building vocabulary knowledge, the better their chances for success in their education and place in society. Therefore children, who are receptive and have exposure to oral language, with opportunities to share verbal responses develop better listening skills, word recognition, awareness of separate sounds, reading comprehension in either formal or informal environments (Winch et al. 2010, p. 667).
Therefore, experiences that engage students in lifelong literacy learning will develop confidence, knowledge and understanding to function successfully in their world.
References
ACARA see Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2009). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Australian_Curriculum_-_English.pdf
Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2010). Teaching visual literacy. Retrieved from http://www.corwin.com/upm-data/19560_Introduction.pdf
Green, B., Cormack, P., & Patterson, A. (2010). Re-Reading the Reading Lesson: Episodes in the History of Reading Pedagogy. Retrieved from http://w3.unisa.edu.au/eds/documents/rereading.pdf
Kearns, K. (2012). Supporting Education: The teaching assistant’s handbook. NSW: Pearson Australia.
Kemp, M. (1980). Reading-language processes : assessment and teaching. Retrieved from http://www.librarything.com/work/808407
Koralek, D., Collins, R. (2013). How Most Children Learn to Read. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/386
Marshall, P. (2012). Balanced Literacy Instruction: A Truce For The Reading War? Retrieved from http://www.k12reader.com/balanced-literacy-instruction/
Marshall, P, (2012). Reading Comprehension and Higher Order Skills. Retrieved from http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension-and-higher-order-thinking-skills/
NSW Department of Education and Training Learning and Development. (2009). An introduction to quality literacy teaching. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/northernadelaide/files/links/An_Introduction_to_Ouality.pdf
Sousa, D. A. (2005). Learning to read. How the brain learns to read. Chapter 2. California: Corwin Press. Pp. 31-62.
Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. & Holliday, M. (2011). Literacy: reading, writing and children’s literature (4th ed.).South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
Web Images.
Book images Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au/search?q=recipes%2B+image&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=
CD Image. Retrieved from www.trickmillion.com
Character sitting reading with thought bubble. Retrieved from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Charles Darwin University Logo. Retrieved from ask.cdu.edu.au
Girl sitting on top of book stack. Retrieved from www.pinterest.com
Linnea’s Personal Literacy Profile. Retrieved from http://www.presentermedia.com/index.php?target=closeup&id=3700&categoryid=135&maincat=clipart
Magazine images. Retrieved from http://www.magnation.com/index.php?
do=searchResults&terms=recipes%2B
A perfect World: Making the world a better place one cartoon at a time. Retrieved from www.aperfectworld.org
Sanders, C. (2013). The Blooms Bunch: A Family of Thinkers. Retrieved from http://thepinspiredteacher.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-blooms-bunch-how-i-increased-my.html
Street signs. Retrieved from www.sdt.com.au
YouTube
Literacy in the 21st Century [Video File]. Retrieved December 26, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgkKKDUoU58
UCtelevision. (2008. July 10) Science and Math Integrating Literacy in Early Childhood. [Video File]. Retrieved January 5, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNG6dTW9X70
************************************************************************************************
ACARA see Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (2009). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: English. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Australian_Curriculum_-_English.pdf
Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2010). Teaching visual literacy. Retrieved from http://www.corwin.com/upm-data/19560_Introduction.pdf
Green, B., Cormack, P., & Patterson, A. (2010). Re-Reading the Reading Lesson: Episodes in the History of Reading Pedagogy. Retrieved from http://w3.unisa.edu.au/eds/documents/rereading.pdf
Kearns, K. (2012). Supporting Education: The teaching assistant’s handbook. NSW: Pearson Australia.
Kemp, M. (1980). Reading-language processes : assessment and teaching. Retrieved from http://www.librarything.com/work/808407
Koralek, D., Collins, R. (2013). How Most Children Learn to Read. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/386
Marshall, P. (2012). Balanced Literacy Instruction: A Truce For The Reading War? Retrieved from http://www.k12reader.com/balanced-literacy-instruction/
Marshall, P, (2012). Reading Comprehension and Higher Order Skills. Retrieved from http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension-and-higher-order-thinking-skills/
NSW Department of Education and Training Learning and Development. (2009). An introduction to quality literacy teaching. Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/northernadelaide/files/links/An_Introduction_to_Ouality.pdf
Sousa, D. A. (2005). Learning to read. How the brain learns to read. Chapter 2. California: Corwin Press. Pp. 31-62.
Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L. & Holliday, M. (2011). Literacy: reading, writing and children’s literature (4th ed.).South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
Web Images.
Book images Retrieved from https://www.google.com.au/search?q=recipes%2B+image&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=
CD Image. Retrieved from www.trickmillion.com
Character sitting reading with thought bubble. Retrieved from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net
Charles Darwin University Logo. Retrieved from ask.cdu.edu.au
Girl sitting on top of book stack. Retrieved from www.pinterest.com
Linnea’s Personal Literacy Profile. Retrieved from http://www.presentermedia.com/index.php?target=closeup&id=3700&categoryid=135&maincat=clipart
Magazine images. Retrieved from http://www.magnation.com/index.php?
do=searchResults&terms=recipes%2B
A perfect World: Making the world a better place one cartoon at a time. Retrieved from www.aperfectworld.org
Sanders, C. (2013). The Blooms Bunch: A Family of Thinkers. Retrieved from http://thepinspiredteacher.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/meet-blooms-bunch-how-i-increased-my.html
Street signs. Retrieved from www.sdt.com.au
YouTube
Literacy in the 21st Century [Video File]. Retrieved December 26, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgkKKDUoU58
UCtelevision. (2008. July 10) Science and Math Integrating Literacy in Early Childhood. [Video File]. Retrieved January 5, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNG6dTW9X70
************************************************************************************************
A Resource for Teaching Reading: Part 1................
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/xls.png)
ela200_assignment_2_part_1.pptx | |
File Size: | 3048 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
A Resource for Teaching Reading: Part 2.................
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/xls.png)
ela200_assignment_2_part_2.pptx | |
File Size: | 9753 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/xls.png)
alliteration.pptx | |
File Size: | 1255 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/xls.png)
activity_4_lesson_2_word_knowledge.pptx | |
File Size: | 337 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
persuade_inform_entertain-activity.docx | |
File Size: | 237 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.