To Literacy and Beyond

Literacy goes beyond print language. As a teacher, parent, and student, I spend a large share of my time, reading. Reading has also necessitated itself as a must with our latest technology. Email and text-messages find me reading in the oddest of places, in a hurried manner, and with relief that I am updated on my family's whereabouts.

Reading for meaning and information has taken on a different form as of late. I am able to attend my masters' coursework without leaving the house, get my "to-do" list from my principal for the day, and ask my husband to pick up dog food on his way home. I do all this reading through our latest technology. Reading for meaning and information, however, could never compete with the love I have to read for pleasure. Yet, it is clear that in order to survive the challenge's of today, I need to read for meaning, information, pleasure, to solve problems and more. So do my children and yours.

What is literacy?

According to the National Institute for Literacy:(http://novel.nifl.gov/nifl/faqs.html): "The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 defines literacy as 'an individual's ability to read, write, speak in English, compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual and in society.' This is a broader view of literacy than just an individual's ability to read, the more traditional concept of literacy. As information and technology have become increasingly shaped our society [sic], the skills we need to function successfully have gone beyond reading, and literacy has come to include the skills listed in the current definition."

Literacy development implores us to not just read for information, pleasure, and meaning we need to look beyond the words and think critically, problem solve, and use written and oral language to further our lives. Promoting all of this appears complex, but in reality for today's children this feat isn't as hard as it might appear.

How do I foster greater literacy?

• From the earliest of age, get your child a library card and take them to the library regularly. If you don't have a home computer, you'll find one there!

• Speaking of the computer, most authors have a website, have your children send an email to their favorite author. Take a few minutes and show your child how to research more about the book they are reading. They can go to Amazon.com and even write their own review. This helps with computer and communication skills.

• Read to your children. Even if it's the newspaper, an email from Aunt Betty,or the cereal box, find ways to connect with your child through reading.

• Books on tape are excellent for long commutes in the car. It reinforces vocabulary. Turn off the movie player in your car and your children will "find the need to read."

• Have literacy be a socially constructed practice. When your children play with other children, have them read with each other, and discuss what they read.

• Recreate the stories your children read. Help your child act out the characters they read about. If they are fascinated with a book's setting, take a trip to that place. For example: My daughter loves Anne of Green Gables, one day soon, I hope to take her to Prince Edward Island where the book was set.

• Keep a dialogue journal with your child. My daughter and I did this when she was in elementary school. She would write to me and I would respond back. We found one of our journals recently and we both treasured re-reading it together.

• "Find where your learner is." Assess to see where your child needs further reading, writing, or technology skills and meet their needs by providing guided instruction, parent modeling, and dialogue.

• Finally, get their favorite TV or Movie personality involved. Videos like the following are great reinforcers.