My Perspective on Literacy

The three articles posted on literacy provided a variety of different perspectives. One article gave a brief cultural history on literacy and its view around the globe. Another stressed the value of pictures to gain the interest of young readers. The third depicted a story on what educators today are facing when it comes to a rigid curriculum. All three articles were insightful and provoked a lot of thought. I was reminded that literacy is a broad term that represents a multitude of different areas of learning. It is important to understand what literacy entails before we can move forward. I view literacy as a combination of reading, writing and comprehension skills that all individuals must master to provide effective communication.

There are a variety of issues that caught my attention while reading the assigned passages. In addition to catching my attention they have also left me pondering where is education headed? It appears that we are losing qualified and caring teachers because of rigid, pre-designed curriculums. Districts are observing teachers as if they were criminals making sure the curriculum is followed out to the period. They have altered their thought process about what is best for the student or just feel that a cookie cutter curriculum is the best thing for all students. As a first year teacher I know that every single student is different and learns at his or her own pace. Some students are visual learners while others learn with the assistance of manipulatives. Any teacher that believes all students learn the same way has more to learn then his or her students.

The same article also stressed that the Open Court curriculum is designed to be conducted at a fast pace. This prevents the curriculum from being designed with differentiated instruction in mind. As an inclusion teacher that is a major conflict for me. All my lessons are designed with differentiated instruction in mind. I want to present a lesson that will benefit the entire class and allow time for questions. If the class does not understand the material at the end of the lesson I have failed them. The next day I must re-teach the lesson in a different manner. Teaching should never be viewed as a race against time. I want to make sure all of my students reach the finish line no matter how much time it takes each individual student. What will happen to our children if we race ahead of them?

It appears that history has indicated that religion played an intricate role in teaching individuals to read. In the past, cultures that held religion with importance had a larger population of individuals that could read. Has a decline in the importance of religion, lead to a decline in reading?

As districts decide what cookie cutter curriculums are best for our kids, we must find ways to work within the system to make sure they are receiving the best possible education we can provide.