Philosophy of Literacy Introduction “The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is how Dr. Seuss thought of reading, and I think of it in much the same way. Literacy is everywhere and influences us every day, therefore, it plays a major part in each of our lives. I believe that reading is an interactive activity in which learning happens, or as Clay (2001) defines it, “…a message-getting, problem-solving activity” (p. 1). Reading is the process through which one reads information and from doing so, constructs meaning about the material. The more exposure and practice one has with reading, the more knowledge one gains. In this paper, I will begin by discussing my own personal educational philosophy, then continue by stating and explaining four of my beliefs about the reading process and the research that is found to support each of them before sharing the remaining questions I have about literacy. I am an existentialist, and a strong supporter of a balanced literacy approach. My beliefs about literacy come from these foundations and perspectives that I embrace. For students to be successful in their literacy development, I believe that identity acceptance in the classroom is crucial, instruction for all students must be differentiated, direct and explicit instruction is at times necessary, and vocabulary is a significant component in the ‘Big Five’ of children’s literacy development. Educational Philosophy My
Reading is the beginning of every child’s learning. The basis of education begins with learning to read. Short (2010) explained that literature acts as “an inquiry to life” and a “way of knowing” (p. 50). However, in order to support children’s learning, it is essential to show children that learning is interesting from a young age. When Short first began teaching using worksheets and a basal reading program, she wrote, “I often felt that children were learning to read in spite of me” (p. 49). The students were not learning to think critically. However, when she began introducing literature circles to her students, she saw them “critically exploring their understandings with each other” (p. 49).
As time goes on the familiarity with reading and writing is essential for an individual to better themselves in life, for the world we live in is a place for competition between every human to succeed. The value of literacy is not only for high-end people but anybody that want to gain knowledge. As one gains knowledge through literacy, it can extend toward one achieving their goals or achievements in life. The strategies when going over a reading assignment is a significant part of what one is trying to comprehend the text.
Literacy plays a huge role in my daily life. Every single day I read and write. Whether it’s writing an email or reading a text message, class assignment, discussion board, etc. My literacy journey is unique because I have had different experiences. As a result, this is how my literacy journey has let me to be the reader that I am.
Throughout my first year as a middle school Language Arts teacher, I have developed a theoretical understanding of what I believe are the necessary components to providing a meaningful and generative environment in which students develop and expand literacy skills. The teaching of literacy needs to include a balance of reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, and needs to be a social endeavor that provides a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of all diverse learners. My teaching strategies, beliefs and personality that I bring to my classroom can be characterized as a blend of two types of philosophical theories: social constructivism and relational teaching and
English has never been my favorite class to take. I was more interested in math because there is one answer to a question and that is it. With English, everyone writes differently. Style is difficult to grade and there is not a yes or no answer to an essay.
Literacy embraces reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Integrating all of these into a literacy program is key. Teachers must provide endless and ongoing opportunities for their student to read, write, listen, and speak.
When I was two, my parents relocated us to Muskogee, Oklahoma. It is from these early days that literacy took control of my life. As a younger child, I do not remember a moment when books were not a crucial part of my existence. I eagerly awaited my father’s payday every week because that meant I could go to TG&Y and purchase a new Golden Book. Two of my favorite selections over the years were Little Brown Bear and Grover Takes Care of Baby. I may not have been able to read all the words, but through the pictures and my mother’s encouragement, the stories began to take me away. I did not understand the sacrifice my parents made for this opportunity until I was grown, but as an adult, I am extremely grateful for it. Without their support and encouragement of my literacy adventure, I would not be where I am today.
“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” –Dr. Seuss. Dr.Seuss could not be any more right. It is often said that once you find the right book, you could go anywhere. Literacy is one of the most important things that a child could ever learn. In order to succeed in society today, one must be able to read, write, speak and even listen. There has been great debate over the different approaches when it comes to teaching children how to read. This essay will go more in depth on both approaches, how the writer learned how to read, how the writer will teach their students how to read.
I 've loved to read and write ever since I was taught my ABC 's for the first time. It 's been a huge part of my life in a lot of different aspects. I learned how to read when I was three years old because I went to a daycare where I was the youngest kid and the only one who couldn 't read. Reading and writing just stuck with me after that. After I started reading better than my older daycare-mates, school was ready for me to conquer. The school put me with older kids right away and I was in English class with 3rd graders when I was in kindergarten. It helped me out with making friends and I always got along with older kids better
It is 6am on Saturday morning, and you roll out of bed before everyone else, hoping to get a jump start on the day, before the chaos of life rings the opening bell. You can smell the coffee as it begins to percolate through the filter. You sit down at your computer and take a deep breath, trying to find the frame of mind to get this work completed, when suddenly you are awoken 2 hours later by your son jumping on your lap, hysterically ringing the aforementioned bell. Just like every other time before, you are late out of the starting gate. Stumbling trying to find your footing, desperately trying to gain that stride. Eventually you hit that stride, the words you are trying to find flow through your fingertips like water rushing out of the great Mississippi. It has not always been this easy oh how you wish it were. Ultimately, my literacy journey albeit fairly uneventful, shaped and molded me into the person I am today.
During my childhood my comprehension of the word “literacy” was not as developed as it is now. Back in those days I thought literacy was a person’s ability to read and write, but as I progressed in age that understanding augmented. Today my grasp of literacy is far more intricate. Literacy expands further than just reading and writing; it is the foundation of how everybody learns and processes certain information, it also has even been integrated with technologies of the modern world. Thanks to the internet we have access to any information that we want, but you need literacy to understand it in the first place. Personally I feel as if literacy cannot be mastered it has no end, you learn more about it until you die. My justification for this
Everything that we do requires words. Even when we think we create our memories out of words. One reason why we do not remember stuff when we are young is because we don’t have the words to put the information into to store it. Writing is very important because writing means everything, and if we didn 't have writing, we wouldn 't be able to spread ideas. The local and world news are in writing also so we need to be able to read the information. Also directions on how to use something or directions to go somewhere for transportation are also written in words. It is unimaginable how many roles writing plays in our lifestyles and we don’t even think about it.
Literacy plays a huge role in many people’s lives everyday, whether it is learning how to read and write for the first time or writing a five-page essay for the hundredth time. We experience literacy differently and have our very own unique stories on how it has impacted our lives and had made us who we are today. It is an essential aspect that I use in my everyday life, such as in relationships, daily interactions with others, and learning. It has become such a powerful aspect and human right in which it allows one to speak his/her mind and in some cases express their opinion to the world. My personal literacy history has shaped me into who I am today because without my experiences I would not have been able to gain the confidence and
Literacy specialist and teachers will argue that being able to read and write is fundamental in everything we do. The way in which literacy is important is constantly changing as it is no longer needed to simply read a newspaper or book, but now it is a case that for teachers and students, it is also about being intellectually, culturally and electronically capable. We now live in a digital age and the use of IT is encouraged across the curriculum. This can be a hindrance to those students who struggle to analyse and search through the material presented. With these new technologies aside, literacy is still essential to developing a strong sense of well-being and citizenship. Research has shown that children who have good reading skills will
“It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations-something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.” - Katherine Patterson. Literacy is a right. It is implicit in the right to education. It is recognized as a right, explicitly for both children and adults, in certain international conventions. Literacy is the ability to read and write, and also refers to having enough reading and writing ability to function in society. People who cannot read and write are called illiterate. People are called functionally illiterate if they cannot read or write well enough to do activities that are common in social settings they encounter. Such activities may include employment, schoolwork, voting, or worship. The power of literacy is something that can change the world. How far has literacy come since the beginning and what is its history; what are the causes of a lower literacy rate; what effects can lower literacy rates have; what about higher rates; what are some ways to improve the literacy rates and; what are some of the benefits to a higher literacy rate?