Introduction
It is well known that children who are competent readers and writers are better able to take advantage of learning opportunities available to them. Reading and writing competency begins well before young children enter formal schooling around age five. Those who have mastered pre-reading and pre-writing skills can easily transition into learning reading and writing skills.
Stressing the importance of reading and writing to children begins in the home with parents, or caretakers, acting as facilitators. Properly prepared children can move into the formal schooling environment ready for their teachers to continue to stress the importance of competency in reading and writing. Reading and writing skills are required to master other subjects such as math or social studies. Competency should be stressed and connected to a child’s idea of what he needs to do to be successful in life.
Stressing Reading and Writing Competency in Young Children
Children can learn from an early age the importance of reading and writing. Children are more apt to follow examples set by adults rather than follow instructions giving by a parent or caretaker. Parents or caretakers act as the first examples for children to follow. These caretakers often provide the child’s first exposure to literacy skills. Children can learn early that reading and writing are essential skills for everyday living. Caretakers can provide opportunities for learning that teach that literacy skills are important. For example, allowing a child to help with cooking by following a recipe shows the child that being able to read is a necessity. A caretaker that writes reminder notes is showing, by example, that writing is an important skill.
Children should be taught that literacy skills affect a child’s ability to gain and retain employment as an adult. Discussing with a child what skills are needed for different kinds of jobs shows the importance of literacy to a child.
Reading and writing literacy begins with the acquisition of pre-reading and pre-writing skills. Caretakers can provide opportunities for children to learn these skills as well as their importance. According to research there are six pre-reading skills required for a child to learn to read (Whitehurst, p1). Parents, and caretakers, can expose children to opportunities for them to learn narrative skills, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, print awareness and motivation, and vocabulary.
Caretakers and educators can provide opportunities for learning but children need to know how important these skills are and why they should master literacy skills. Children need to understand that they will need fundamental skills to effectively communicate in the working world. These skills include reading comprehension and the ability to write.
The inability to read (and comprehend) and write can affect a child’s mastery of skills in other areas. For example, children having difficulty reading will have difficulty reading instructions in math or understanding a history lesson. Literacy skills should be stressed across curriculum boundaries. For example, a math teacher should correct a child’s errors in reading and writing rather than relying on the language arts teacher to catch and correct errors. Stressing literacy across curriculum boundaries sends a message to the child that reading and writing skills are important.
Conclusion
As stated earlier, literacy skills and their importance begin with examples set at home and by caregivers. Stressing that literacy is required for success in the work world will help the child understand why they have to learn these skills. Literacy should be the focus of education from early childhood to adulthood. The ability to communicate effectively is a skill that requires competency in reading and writing. Effective communication is required to gain and maintain employment. This should be emphasized by parents, caretakers, and educators. Children are more apt to follow the example set by an adult rather than the instructions given by an adult. Thus, children should be exposed to others using reading and writing skills in their everyday lives.
Works Cited
- Whitehurst, Grover (Russ) Phd. 2004. The Early Literacy Initiative. State University of New York.
- Rodriguez, Nancy. 2006. Collaborative News Desk. The Courier-Journal (Louisville KY).