Unit 1 Understanding Literacy Difficulties

UNIT 1
Understanding Literacy Difficulties

Instructional Objectives:
• Discuss different reasons for literacy difficulties children experience
• Examine various types of literacy difficulties
• Identify and explain the roles of stakeholders in addressing children’s literacy

difficulties.
Defining literacy: UNESCO
Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and

compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.
Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their

goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their
community and wider society (UNESCO, 2004; 2017).
How important is literacy?
According to National Literacy Trust (2017), “lacking vital literacy skills holds a
person back at every stage of their life. As a child they won't be able to succeed at
school, as a young adult they will be locked out of the job market, and as a parent
they won't be able to support their own child's learning.”
People with low literacy skills may not be able to read a book or newspaper,
understand road signs or price labels, make sense of a bus or train timetable, fill
out a form, read instructions on medicines or use the internet.
What are some of the causes of literacy
difficulties?
Factors Relating to Literacy Difficulties
Physiological
Physiological factors may include vision, ability to hear, and the ability to speak
(Verhoven, Reitsma & Siegel, 2011).
Physiological factors can affect the ability of an individual to develop competency
in certain areas. For instance, blindness can make a child experience difficulties in
developing reading skills. Similarly, deafness can affect a child’s oral skills.
Factors Relating to Literacy Difficulties cont’d
Psychological
Emotional issues, anxiety, attitudes, motivation, self-regulation, behaviour and self-
esteem all contribute to learning.
Cognitive
These factors involve cognitive functions like attention, memory, and reasoning (Danili &
Reid, 2006).
Language
Bilingualism: Learning of two languages at once can cause confusion in some children.
This confusion may cause frustration that affects motivation and literacy development.
Socio-economic
Children’s initial reading competency is correlated with the home literacy environment,
number of books owned, and parent distress (Aikens & Barbarin, 2008; Bergen, Zuijen,
Bishop, & Jong, 2016).
However, poor households have less access to learning materials and experiences,
including books, computers, stimulating toys, skill-building lessons, or tutors to create a
positive literacy environment (Bradley, Corwyn, McAdoo, & García Coll, 2001; Orr, 2003).
Hereditary
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to
their offspring; especially genetic disorders that affect health and by extension literacy.
Cultural/environmental
Environment: It is important that developing children be immersed in a language rich environment.
Children who are spoken to and read to are more likely to want to speak and learn to read. Social
environment can be a hindrance to language development when there is a lack of example on which
children can base their understanding of language and all that it entails.
Culture plays an important role in shaping children’s perceptions, self-esteem, values, behavior, and
learning (Willis, 2000). Research on culturally relevant teaching practices has found that knowledge of
children’s home cultures—most importantly their languages, literacy practices, and values—can help
teachers address the interests and build on the skills of their students (Abt-Perkins and Rosen, cited in
Willis, 2000).
Some ways that teachers can learn about children’s cultures include talking with families, viewing
family photographs or videos, involving families in classroom activities, reading about families’
cultures, observing interactions between children and families, and attending cultural events in the
community.
Gender Issues
Educators have noted that girls consistently outperform boys in reading skills, and research bears
this out. Studies reveal that the literacy gap between male and female students is both
longstanding and worldwide.
With existing learning materials, and especially in textbooks, most research points to continued
gender bias. Attention is particularly needed to the frequency and gender representation of
characters — their status, roles, activities, personalities, behaviours, and more.
Why do you think girls out perform boys in literacy?
Types of literacy difficulties
Children who lack literacy skills in these areas will have challenges reading and
writing:
• Decoding
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Spelling
• Oral vocabulary and listening comprehension
• Fluency due to decoding problems
• Reading comprehension
• Writing (mechanics/grammar, organization and creativity)
Stakeholders in the Jamaican Literacy Context
• Parents
• Teachers
• Curriculum developers
• MOE
• Community
• Resource Personnel
• Literacy Coaches
Who are stakeholders and what roles do they play in literacy?

Discussion
1. What are some easily observed signs that a child is experiencing literacy
challenges?
2. Discuss FOUR reasons why students may display a poor attitude towards
reading.
3. Discuss THREE strategies a teacher could use to help develop a more positive
attitude towards reading.
ACTIVITIES
• Interview classroom teachers about the types of literacy challenges children are
experiencing in the Jamaican classroom and why they think these problems exist.
• List the responsibilities of each stakeholder in the Jamaican literacy context.
• Find newspaper articles about literacy in Jamaica and say whether you agree or
not with the literacy situations described.

Unit 1 Understanding Literacy Difficulties

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1 Understanding Literacy Difficulties

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unit 1 Understanding Literacy Difficulties

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

UNIT 1

Understanding Literacy Difficulties

• Discuss different reasons for literacy difficulties children experience

• Examine various types of literacy difficulties

• Identify and explain the roles of stakeholders in addressing children’s literacy

Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and

Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their

Who are stakeholders and what roles do they play in literacy?

• List the responsibilities of each stakeholder in the Jamaican literacy context.

You might also like