Literacy Skills

By: Ykeena Covin and Carlesha West

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What is literacy ?

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Literacy at one point was just the ability to read and write. While now it includes reading, writing, listening and speaking. As educators and parents we have to be aware of how literacy is changing because we need to be able to change along with it. We have to remember not only are our students different now but the way they communicate is also different.

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IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY

• Reading : Reading with a purpose- give students something to do while they are reading such as questions to answer or graphic organizers to fill in. This one is a great example of a graphic organizer for main idea.

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• Speaking : Accountable talk – we have to allow our students time to practice with informal conversation. For example for every 5-8 minutes you talk, give them 1-2 minutes to talk to each other. 

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• Writing: make sense of what we are learning and helps us make connections to our own lives or others' ideas.
• You can't avoid thinking when you write.
• Students need to be writing every day.

What to do at home

1. Read to your students or have them read to you. Reading together not only helps students understanding and fluency but can also build student confidence.
2. Encourage your students to write ( Short stories, sentences or just a few random words)
3. Talk to your students ( A lot) Formal and informal conversations helps with student diction and vocabulary.
4. Play word games ( I -Spy, sight word bingo)

Additional Activities Booksource Banter Blog