Dear Editor,

As we approach education week, we cannot help but be concerned about the literacy rate in our country and how we can partner to deal with the challenges associated with literacy.

When we consider the socio-economic effects that illiteracy has on individuals, families, and the society at large, coupled with the behavioural challenges that arise from such, we need to move with urgency to rectify this matter.

It is essential to begin with the foundation. The home is the child’s first place of learning, and the parent or guardian is the child’s first teacher. Thus, it is imperative that caregivers capitalise on these earlier years of child development to expose children to a print-rich environment. The home should be print-rich, having not just books, but also labels of the different furniture in the home so that children can learn their names as well as how they are spelt. Alphabet mats, alphabet charts, and other manipulatives can also aid in children’s literacy development at home. Besides, technology is a great tool, but parents need to guide children with its usage. If there is a solid literacy foundation, students will be excelling by the time they reach school.

Research has revealed that the best age for the mastery of literacy is 0-9 years; therefore, parents should capitalise on this. One might argue that children have different learning challenges; however, that does not prevent them from learning. They may not learn at the same pace as their peers, but once learning is taking place, that is all that matters.

Having set a strong foundation for children at home, educators are now responsible for adding to that foundation when students come to school. This requires that teachers utilise targeted instruction, be intentional in their approach to teaching literacy, integrate in every subject area, offer reinforcement when necessary, and activate students’ prior knowledge.

Like the home, the classroom should be print-rich. Students should be presented with a variety of strategies such as read-alouds, manipulatives, choral reading, individual reading, games, among others to make learning meaningful for students. Being cognisant of the challenges that some teachers may face, such as time constraints and lack of resources, creativity and flexibility are needed to get the task done. Teaching students how to transfer learning to the different subject areas should be modelled by teachers, and literacy can be applied to every subject area.

Additionally, teachers should detect struggling readers and see how best they can assist. It can be as simple as having the child at your desk, teaching him a letter and its sound while the rest of the class is working. Small efforts added yield great results.

Notwithstanding, educators need adequate resources to enhance learning. This ranges from access to printed materials to providing students with handouts and worksheets, as well as equipment such as projectors, smart TVs, and smart boards. This will cater to students’ varied learning needs and make them better able to grasp the content.

The child needs both parents and teachers to play their role so that they can be successful. It takes a village, indeed, to raise a child. Parents should show keen interest in partnering with the school to see how best they can help the child. Communication is vital for this kind of collaboration.

If this is done, the child will be on a path to achieving. Literacy is too essential to be treated as something trivial. Hence, we are calling on parents and guardians to partner with institutions to make this a success.

Literacy is everybody’s business.

Shauna-Kay Douglas

Reading teacher

douglasshauna91@yahoo.com