Literacy in the Community

Literacy is everywhere in my community. Walking through a college campus is a great way to think about what literacy looks like in the community. When I walk through campus I see street signs and buses with advertisements on them, whether it's for a new production coming to the theater or a new app for students to download. Literacy is also seen through flyers that are spread throughout campus. Whether handed out by students or posted to the wooden kiosks, flyers provide information about the many events that are happening throughout campus. Living in a literacy rich community is important because it is available to people of all ages.

I should care about what literacy looks like in my community because as a future teacher, I want my students to be aware of literacy in their community. I want to help my students understand that literacy can be pictures and symbols and not just words on a page. A fun way to incorporate this into the classroom would be to go on a literacy walk with students. Students can write down different types of literacy throughout the community, and then as a class create a "What Literacy Looks Like" book. 

Language Learners

I have recently experienced what school is like for students whose first language is not English. Of course I took the required Spanish courses in high school, but my memory was put to the test recently in a literacy class I am taking this semester. Our instructor handed out instructions on what to do, and it was all in Spanish. I immediately struggled to make sense of the task. Luckily, one of my classmates understood Spanish a lot more than I did, so she was able to figure out it out. The activity only lasted about ten to fifteen minutes, but the entire time I had difficulty understanding and communicating. I can only imagine what this feels like to language learners in the classroom.

Just think for a minute about this. Here's a student whose first language is Spanish, or something other than English, and they are sitting in your classroom each day. They may not understand what is going on and they may have difficulty expressing themselves. Sitting in school for seven or eight hours a day feeling lost is most likely a horrible feeling to those students who don't speak English very well. The recent experience I had of feeling this way after ten minutes has really opened my eyes. I immediately thought of ways to support language learners in the classroom.

Support is essential to the students who are struggling with language. If there is no support these students may feel lost or disconnected to the teacher and their classmates. They may not feel like they are a part of the class. Teachers must work with these students and communicate with them. They can never give up on their students either. A great way to incorporate their language into the classroom is to bring in books and other resources. It gives the student an opportunity to enjoy school. Showing the student that you really care about them and their success is another important goal.  Most students, no matter what language they speak, want to learn and discover new things. It is up to us teachers to provide these opportunities for our students.

What is Literacy?

Literacy embodies reading and writing; however, when you think deeply about literacy, so many other things are embedded within. In addition to reading and writing, literacy includes prior knowledge, experience, and interests. Can you think of a memory (positive or negative) that has affected the way you think about literacy?Literacy also includes different ways to engage students, for example, during a read aloud, have students repeat certain parts or even act out the story. Another way to engage students is to have students write or draw what their favorite part of the book was. There are so many ways to make literacy engaging for students. Literacy is about making meaning; however, to make something meaningful a connection has to be made, whether it's from prior knowledge or experience.

As teachers, it's important to reflect on our own past experiences with literacy. A creative way to do this is to create a literacy timeline. After creating my literacy timeline, filled with positive and negative moments from preschool through college, I couldn't help but reflect on these moments and how they have affected me as a teacher. I remember enjoying literacy and its creative aspects, for example, writing my own version of a book I read in elementary school. Another thing I enjoyed about literacy was being able to experience it through theater. I have learned from my positive memories, and I have also learned from my negative ones. I want to give my students a choice in what they read. I want to create engaging and authentic lessons that incorporate activities where students will use their imaginations and creativity. Finally, I want to incorporate my student's interests into literacy. Through this my students will make meaning and connect with what they are reading.