How is literacy developed? Oral language is the foundation of literacy. It begins early in life, even before a child can talk with receptive interactions with adults. Through experiences and social interactions, oral language is developed. For children, adults and peers provide comprehensible input in the context of meaningful interactions. As language is linked to cognition and understanding, the base of literacy is formed. The awareness of sounds, the consciousness that letters and words are symbols linked to sounds, concepts and objects aides a student in developing reading skills and written language. Extensive exposure to written language in the form of books, environmental print and the writings of others provide literacy experiences for forming and confirming hypotheses about language which may be conscious or spontaneous. Reading aloud, thinking outloud about strategies and shared writing experiences are valuable experiences to model literacy. As an individual becomes more sofisticated in his/her level of literacy, he/she will use more metacognitive strategies to monitor his/her own speaking, reading and writing.
What does literacy (in a mature form) look like? Well, it is the ability to interpret, process and use language in an oral, auditory or written form to express oneself competently, communicate understanding, be entertained and learn. It is sophisticated. A literate person uses a variety of forms of communication and expression for different purposes and social contexts. It is competent. A literate individual can use language skills to find information, construct meaning, accomplish functional tasks and to communicate in personal and artistic ways.
That's my philosophy of literacy...it is complex, but I have tried to simplify it.
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