Literacy Series: So, Just What Is Literacy, Anyway?by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger 06 Feb 2007 12:49 AM If you're looking for an answer to the question, "What is literacy?" you're going to get different answers depending on who you're talking to. The National Council of Teachers of English have a list of communicative competencies that they use to define literacy, and they have placed visual representation on that list, which would include being able to draw a picture of what you've just read. (I would really stink at that - I don't draw.) In Scotland, they broaden the definition to include math, verbally expressing opinions, solve problems, and handle information. And yet in other areas, literacy is simply the ability to read and write. There isn't a standard by which literacy is judged. When I think about what literacy means to me, it means sitting down with a book and understanding what's being presented in such a way that I can use it in my own life and pass it on to my children. I think about being able to take a bus, read a map, follow a recipe or an instruction book. I think about learning of other lands and cultures. Literacy, to me, is shaped like a giant key to unlock all my dreams. Regardless of your region's definition of literacy, it's pretty much a given that where there is literacy, the quality of life goes up. According to Wikipedia, when the education reforms of 1948 were made in the country of India and girls were allowed to receive educations, female and child mortality rates declined dramatically by 1960. There is a correlation between literacy and health - what if you couldn't read a label and so you weren't sure you were getting the nutrition you needed? What if you accidentally took something poisonous or that contraindicated the medication you were taking? Literacy doesn't just increase your quality of life; it can prolong your life. My thought for the day - let's look beyond the label "literate" and examine what it really means, and then think about ways we can raise our standards of literacy in our own lives and the lives of our children. Being able to read is such a blessing; let's make the most of it. Related Blogs: Literacy Series: An Introduction Literacy Series: Statistics on Literacy Learn more about Tristi Pinkston  I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006. Relevantmedia tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags comprehension, education, quality of life, reading Discuss this article
|
Media Reviews categories |
