Zelda Barends
Literacy is a fundamental human right for all. It opens the door to the enjoyment of other human rights, greater freedoms and global citizenship. Put simply, it is the foundation for people to acquire broader knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviours to participate fully and confidently in society.
Considering this, it is imperative that we remind ourselves, on International Literacy Day on Sunday of the fundamentals required for a learner to become literate.
Supporting learners on their journey to learn to read is important but it can feel overwhelming. As a mother of a foundation phase learner, I often think about the parents who do not have the understanding I have while supporting my son on his journey in learning to read.
Teachers are doing the best they can to educate and support our children. As we partner with our teachers in the education of our children, we should remember that as parents we are our children’s first teacher. So, it is important that parents, too, understand what the building blocks are for effective literacy education.
Our children’s oral language is imperative in their literacy journey.
Oral language represents children’s growing capacity to understand and produce the words and sentence structures of the language(s) they speak.
Oral language skills include children’s ever-expanding vocabulary, which is also a precursor for reading comprehension. Put simply, the stronger children’s oral language skills, the more readily they will be able to comprehend what they read.
Vocabulary is not the only foundation for reading comprehension.
Skilled word reading, which includes decoding (sounding out of unfamiliar words) as well as learners’ ability to automatically recognise familiar words is a necessary foundation for reading comprehension.
For our children to do this with ease we need to ensure that they have sufficient alphabet knowledge.
This implies that they can match the printed forms and sounds of each letter. Should learners be able to identify and manipulate sounds within words they would be able decode successfully.
Considering this, how do we know that our children are struggling? The journey to literacy is complex, and learning to read takes many years, so it can be hard to tell if your child is on track or needs additional support.
Among young children, early signs that learning to read may be challenging include difficulties with oral language, with manipulating sounds within words, and with learning the alphabet.
These are but a few of the fundamentals to consider and one can make an evaluative judgement about this with children as young as 3 to 5 years old. We are living in an era where technology is a key driver. Yes, technology can support children who are learning to read in a variety of ways.
Teachers often use programmes that range from helping a child sound out a specific word to reading a whole book to a child. Programmes like these offer practice and individualised help while the teacher is busy with other children.
Many computer programmes and applications (apps) are also available to support children with specific needs.
They can include accessibility features that remove barriers that children may otherwise face in accessing printed material.
However, technology should not replace the need for children to be taught and encouraged by parents, caregivers, other family members and teachers. Not all technology is created equally. For example, sometimes technology can have features that are distracting, such as buttons during a read-aloud session that do not support the meaning of the story.
Also, when it comes to children’s learning, there is no substitute for warm and responsive back-and-forth conversations and interactions.
Despite the magic of technology, we also should not negate the power of writing. There is a reciprocal relationship between reading and writing.
Literacy researchers and teachers talk about decoding (sounding words out) and encoding (spelling words).
Both these actions rely on the same foundational knowledge: knowing the sounds that make up words and the letters that represent those sounds.
Thus, practice in writing helps children build their reading skills. This is particularly important for younger children. As they learn how letters correspond to sounds and how to sound out words, practising spelling is also beneficial.
There is an enormous amount of pressure on learners to learn to read by the end of Grade 3, as in Grade 4 they use reading to learn. So, we should start with developing the skills necessary for reading as early as possible.
It is true that teachers must focus on teaching children foundational reading skills in the beginning of the foundation phase so that they can become confident readers (and writers). However, foundational skills alone will not prepare your child to read to learn; this also requires oral language and knowledge development.
Even before children can fluently decode words, they can learn through listening to books read aloud by teachers, parents and other caregivers.
The language of books is more formal than the language we use in daily conversations and often includes vocabulary we don’t usually use while speaking. Also, the conversations that take place before, during and after reading aloud are important to children’s learning.
We should not forget that it is never too late to develop reading skills.
Even with good early instruction, some children in later grades face significant difficulties learning to read.
With explicit instruction, practice and support, they can make great strides. If your child is struggling to read, stay determined and hopeful.
* Dr Barends is a senior lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Studies at Stellenbosch University.
Cape Times