Emerging trends in development of literacy skills

Introduction

Various researches conducted illustrate the importance of adopting appropriate strategies in

developing of literacy skills among children.  These skills develop at a tender age and this requires the initiative of teachers and parents to enhance its development.   Chapter 4 of the textbook Teaching Reading in Today’s Elementary Schools (Roe & Smith, 2012), The role of literacy in early childhood education (Dorothy et al 2011) and Ecological influences of the home and the child-care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development (Daniel, Sally & Kymberley, 2011), provide a range of information and ideas that can be adopted by teachers in promoting literary skills. The paper delineates on these three sources in highlighting their contribution to the topic, their differences and further expresses personal responses to the ideas postulated. These insights are expected to add value and increase the knowledge base of the teachers on the best modalities of developing literacy skills among students.

In Chapter 4 of the textbook Teaching Reading in Today’s Elementary Schools, Roe & Smith (2012), postulate the importance of development of cognitive skills among children. This is one of the most important stage and more so defining in the life of children.  At this stage, the most important things that children develop is language. Language development varies from one children to another. These variations are brought by the differences in the environments and the ways the children relate with both their parents and teachers.  Learning to read and write requires application of different strategies. Teachers must therefore possess skills and knowledge to guide children at this early stage of their learning.  At this stage, children develop their phonemic awareness and therefore, they require adequate preparation for them to comprehend and understand them well.  At this stage, children learn how to recognize letters and alphabetic principles that are important in their comprehension of language. They are also introduced to print concepts and conventions whereby they can relate what is written and comprehend it. Teachers are also required to guide the children by reading the letters aloud. Sometimes self selected reading and writing helps students to comprehend and understand various words easily. At this stage, students develop oral language skills and therefore, they must be good listeners, involve in dramatic play and creative dramatics.  Such avenues help them to sharpen their oral skills. Classroom environment is yet another important consideration, when it comes to development of literacy skills among children.  There needs to be diversity in classroom to ensure that students are triggered to be creative.  School and home connection plays fundamental role in the children acquisition of literacy skills and therefore this also should be factored in by teachers. Some students may not acquire literary skills such as language easily because, of the influence of their homes language. Therefore, this is a challenge that requires to be addressed by the teachers to ensure that they help their students to develop these skills appropriately.  One of the importance things that need to be done by the teachers is to assess their children on their progress. This assessment is not done in vein but rather to provide early interventions to children that may be lagging behind. It should be understood that this is one of the most important development of literacy stage in children and therefore, nothing should be left untouched.

Ecological influences of the home and the child-care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development by Daniel, Sally & Kymberley, (2011), asserts that home and school environments play a fundamental role in the development of literary skills among children. This seems to be an extension of what the chapter 4 textbook by Roe and Smith alludes. Environments seem to play a key role in the acquisition of literary skills and language development among children.

The article provided a conclusion that the environments from which children comes from affected them differently because they come from different backgrounds; they are differently socialized and this impacts on their language and literary development when they join a school. Therefore, understanding this difference is essential for the teachers to allow them an opportunity to teach these children better. Furthermore, it is a very critical stage, which requires devotion and determination and application of appropriate teaching skills to help these children get accustomed to the new environment.

The article further, consent to the fact that, the aspects of home and school play a critical role in supporting of the children skills.  According to the article, the change in environment may take one year for the children to adapt to the new environment. Therefore, teachers have the responsibility to ensure that they continuously work on streamlining their children to adapt to the new environment. This article therefore provides concrete ways in which teachers in schools might organize, plan and implement their strategies.  Therefore, this article is excellent in providing tangible evidence about the early stages of cognitive development and therefore, a good extension of chapter four main messages on the issues that need to be considered in their learning process.  I do believe that this article will be re-visited and adopted by teachers to help in their teaching profession.

Another article, “The role of literacy in early childhood education” by Dorothy et al (2011) retaliate the previous views of the other two articles on advancing literary and language skills amongst children. The article provides an emphasis for the teachers to work closely with parents and guardians in advancing their early literary skills. The articles contends that research has shown that parental involvement where parents use literacy and engage children in activities that promote their literacy skills are well prepared for school as opposed to those that do not engage their children in the same. According to Dorothy et al (2011), learning to read and write is an ongoing process and it does not necessarily begin at the kindergarten but rather at home (p. 86).  Therefore, parents’ support is paramount from the early stage of children life.

The article further acknowledges that children should be involved in the learning process to have an added advantage in terms of acquiring vocabulary knowledge, print awareness, writing skills, and letter recognition skills. These are important skills in the cognitive development of children in the subsequent grades.  Language development and writing and reading skills are important factors that contribute to the cognitive development of a child at this at stage.  Phonological awareness begins early among the children with rhyming chants and games on their parents’ knees. They also learn from listening and talking and this contributes to their development of their ability to read and write.

 Teachers have a role too in ensuring that children are able to acquire literacy skills.  These skills need not to be taught in isolation but rather, teachers need to teach their children how to apply the skills they have learned to impact on their ability to read. This allows children to have the ability of manipulating sounds and word and this contributes to their understanding and reading outcomes.  Therefore, teachers have the role of creating a good learning environment that would enable these children to understand these concepts at this early stage of their literary education. The article further acknowledges the use of direct teaching or teacher-child interactions as one of the strategies in their teaching. This strategy is not frequently used and yet it is appropriate in developing literacy skills among the children.  Opportunity to encourage children to interact with their literacy related materials such as giving children opportunity to use various writing materials need to be used in their teaching. Therefore, this requires that environment at which learning takes place should be conducive to enhance the process of skill acquisition.

Dorothy et al (2011) further provides key implications for parents and teachers inn development of literacy skills among children.  Both the parents and teachers need to understand that learning capacity of a child is not determined at their birth. This means that every child have the potential and capability to develop good literacy skills if the parents and teachers provide them with good environment to develop these skills.   Second is that language and literacy skills can be developed at home through various informal and enjoyable ways and that parents and teachers need to provide opportunity to their children to use what they know about literacy and language in order to help them use what they know in other situations.

At these early stages of children, both parents and teachers need to take time to listen and respond to their children, explain things to them, engage children in extended conversations on various issues such as print media, events, storybooks, and use sophisticated words when appropriate when talking to children. This will help children to learn and develop cognitive skills quickly.

Just like the two other articles, there is a concerted effort to ensure that learners acquire broad, deep, universal understanding of various early developing literary skills. This research, acknowledge the important of teachers and parents’ guidance and participation in the acquisition of these skills among children.  The rest of the article as Roe and Smith article provides specific   activities and course of actions that teacher needs to bring to the educational table to engage their students to acquire literary skills at their preschools.

Therefore, all three articles present meticulous ideas that together provide an opportunity for learners to develop concrete literary schools in their early age. The textbook, is instrumental in providing guidance and enhancing holistic understanding of the needs of a child as they develop their literary skills. It gives an expansive elaboration or explanation of what it is required in ensuring that indeed children benefit at this early stage.

Daniel, Sally & Kymberley (2011) article continues to expand, on the ideas and concept of Roe and Smith on the needs of enhancing the learning environment. It is actually important to factor in the different environments, that is home and school in the development of literacy skills among children. There is an immediate shock or change of environment and this may affect on how the children comprehend what they are taught at school. Therefore, using appropriate strategies becomes an important thing in providing instruction to these children.

Dorothy et al (2005), on the other hand, has provided a depth analysis of the duties of parents and teachers to impact positively on the learning process of their children. The article expands the educational landscape and encourages integration of learning strategies for the improvement of literary skills among children.  Environment is also one of the considerations those parents and teachers need to factor in their interactions with children. Children develop their literacy and language skills from listening and talking and impacts of their capability to read and write. Hence, all the studies meet the threshold of efficacy and best practices. Development of literary skills is one of the fundamental stages in the development of children cognitive. Therefore, it is upon teachers and parents to use the best strategies as captured in these studies.  Environment is yet another important factor that needs to be considered in developing literary skills. Children come from different backgrounds, therefore, teachers, and parent’s plays a role of ensuring that the learning continuum they are exposed to produces successful educational outcomes.

 

References

Daniel, W., Sally, M., & Kymberley B. (2011). Ecological influences of the home and the child-   care center on preschool-age children’s literacy development, Reading Research    Quarterly, 40(2): 204-233.

Dorothy, S et al (2011). The role of literacy in early childhood education, The Reading Teacher, 58(1):86-100.

Roe, B. D., & Smith, S. H. (2012). Teaching reading in today’s elementary schools. (11th ed., pp. 301-345). Canada: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

 

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