The Importance Of Literacy Pedagogies

In the essay ‘What is literacy?’, James Paul Gee, presents to us a very detailed examination, of concepts that are rather deemed to be similar by most. He explores the definition and meaning of “literacy” by taking into account other related ideas such as “learning”, “discourse” and “acquisition”.

Campbell, R & Green, D. (Eds.)(2006). Literacies and learners: current perspectives. (3rd edn). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

Our view of literacy upon commencing this course, was that it is the ability to read and write. Our understanding of it however was partially true because, reading and writing are essential of any person’s literacy, but reading and

Literacy has many definitions to many people and some may be quite true and some feel far-fetched. However, when reading the articles from Sylvia Scribner, Ramona Fernandez, and Deborah Brandt, the concept of literacy became a bit more clear. In my opinion, literacy can be expendable, but it always comes down to us and our opinion. To clarify, in “Literacy in Three Metaphors,” Scribner talked about the three metaphors: literacy as adaptation, literacy as power, and literacy as state of grace. Therefore, it was quite fascinating to see that Scribner defined these three metaphors of literacy, but they are incomplete.

Literacy cannot be learned through multiple lessons taught solely in isolation. Instead, it must be learned in a comprehensive manner, in which various literacy skills are fully-integrated. Vygotsky (1987) is the theorist who appears to have had the greatest influence on literacy researchers working from a social constructivist perspective. Vygotsky’s approach to learning was holistic in nature, and he advocated the study of higher mental functions with all their complexity (Moll, 1990). Research on school literacy learning conducted from a social constructivist perspective suggests that students need to engage in authentic and relevant literacy activities, as opposed to rote memorization or repetitive worksheets contrived for practice (Au, 1998).

5). Without a strong dynamic aspect included within the definition of literacy, the skills acquired by students become separate concepts to their identities instead of being an integral part of the way they function. The Australian Curriculum’s definition lacks strong and evident dynamic aspects and in this way impacts the ways in which educators will teach literacy and the success that students will draw from their education. To improve the current definition, inclusions need to be made that specify the dynamic outcomes for

Education systems are seeking to find appropriate strategies to improve the learning and teaching of Aboriginal students. Aboriginal Educators have been employed to work with teachers to broadcast appropriate strategies and to improve the learning outcomes of Aboriginal students (Matthews, S., Howard, P. and Perry, B. n.d). If we look at the data we can see why it is important to include Aboriginal knowledge in the Education system. In New South Wales, the Aboriginal results from the National Assessment Plan – Literacy and Numeracy show there is some improvement for all students but the gap is not closing between Aboriginal students and non-Aboriginal students. In 2014, there is a 12.2 percentage gap between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal students achieving the national benchmark for reading, with 83.2 percentage of all Aboriginal students reaching the benchmark. Results differ in geographical location, where 86.4 percentage of Aboriginal students in metro areas reaching the national benchmark compared to 70.2 percentage in very remote areas. There are systemic reasons for the results – the system of schooling in New South Wales is not meeting the needs of all students (Ford,

The development of literacy has taken a number of years. The effort to explain how people have improved on their education using universal formulas has become useless. The growth of literacy is similar to designing a car. Many people with distinct elements are involved, and some of the factors might or might not be done in our control. There is no clear process of improving a person’s education. Therefore, it requires the efforts of those who are specialised in different phases of this development. There are those who help learners perform well in the lower levels while others offer their expertise in later stages of education. In addition to this, if all the people play their roles in the best possible ways and be able to learn from other

I will tell you about the importance of Literary. Literacy is important because it helps us spell words, read and do more in life. I was born in generation iGen. Generation iGen is the generation of people born with technology. With generation iGen our skills are most likely higher in technology skills then in literacy skills.

“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.

I firmly believe that strong, interdependent relationships with my students, their parents and my colleagues will enhance my literacy practice and ultimately benefit my students’ learning. An integral part of my literacy practice is student-centred pedagogy, where I value students’ autonomy and tailor my literacy teaching to their needs and wishes. To gain this information, I must establish and maintain strong relationships with my students. I would achieve this by being open with my students and take an interest in their experiences and interests outside the classroom, thereby gaining an understanding of the types of texts and literacies they enjoy through informal conversations. Furthermore, in contemporary Australian education there is a need to adapt teaching methods to an increasingly multicultural and multilingual classroom, with English language

As my senior year began, I finally began to understand the importance of literacy. Just recently, my school held a presentation for our senior class and talked about applying for college soon so we can have early access to scholarships. During this presentation, I gave my future some thought, and went home to talk to my parents about college. My parents went on to encourage me to begin the process of applying for college and stressed, “College is a whole different level compared to high school.” Senior year of high school is supposed to prepare you for the hardships of college, financially and academically. After high school, I know that the real world will strike me with many duties and challenges for myself to accomplish. My aunt is currently

While reading "Literacy Matters" it came to my attention a teachers role in the class should include teaching students different forms of skills whether they might be conceptual, literacy skills, or strategies that can be enforced in every subject. Being literate in today's world is important in order to enhance the students communication skills, knowledge and comprehension of our lesson. Effective teaching is when a teacher knows his/her content, can explain the process, follows the Common Core State Standards and differentiates their instruction with the content being introduced in a lassroom setting. Effective teachers must challenge the students in their class by letting them engage and explore with the content that way the students can

Literacy is very important for students, but what is literacy? Literacy is the ability to read, view, write, design, speak and listen in a way that allows you to communicate effectively (Neilson, 2014). The power of literacy lies not just in the ability to read and write, but rather in a person’s capacity to apply these skills to effectively connect, interpret and discern the intricacies of the world in which they live (Neilson, 2014). Students who are not properly taught correct literacy can struggle with communication. Focussing on the five components that make up literacy is the key to students successfully learning to communicate.

Literacy has changed the way that people live since the beginning of time. From cavemen communicating with drawings and hand signals to the earliest form of Latin. At that time reading was a skill that very few had. It was believed to be that only the wealthy and the noble class were taught this skill. Peasants did not need it in their everyday life. Reading was considered a privilege and was also used to suppress the lower class. Knowledge is power. For me, this knowledge has molded the way that I live and communicate.