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Dr. Lesley Mandel Morrow, President-elect, International Reading Association – http://www.reading.org, and Professor, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University – http://www.gse.rutgers.edu
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| Dr. Lesley Mandel Morrow |
Recent policy implementations, such as "No Child Left Behind Legislation: Reading First," has contributed directly to increased availability of grant money for teacher training and classroom development, and inspired a host of research projects dedicated to determining the five elements imperative to literacy achievement: more time on task, classroom structure and routine, background knowledge, practice, and teacher feedback.
Building upon these critical elements, recent studies show that one of the most important factors for literacy success is the presence of an exemplary teacher, someone who among other things incorporates different strategies of learning into the classroom day, recognizes and addresses individual differences, is a superior manager and organizer, demonstrates excellent affective qualities, engages in regular professional development, and has high expectations for students. The importance of teacher-training and professional development cannot be over-emphasized.
A child’s family environment, too, plays a significant role in critical literacy development, studies show. Children must not only have persistent parents that understand the importance of education, but they must have access to school, a sufficient food supply, proper after-school supervision, and family-provided incentives for learning. Children with a strong family unit score higher across the board on standardized literacy exams.
Dr. Jones Kyazze, Director, UNESCO NY Liaison Office to the United Nations – http://www.unesco.org
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| Dr. Jones Kyazze |
How will this effort be different from previous ones? UNESCO is taking a lead role in coordination, research and statistics to track the progress of countries. The effort will be more inclusive, integrating projects with schools, youth education, adult education, minority languages and indigenous populations. It will deal with real life situations such as gender equality, health, and democracy, to make literacy more relevant. The goal is to reduce illiteracy in stages during the decade, and through periodic reports monitor the progress and success of what is being done.
Dr. Elaine Furniss, Senior Advisor, Education, Programme Division, UNICEF – http://www.unicef.org/teachers
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| Dr. Elaine Furniss |
Unfortunately, most literacy efforts internationally are text-based, concentrating on the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic. Not as prominently taught, but an equally important element of 'literacy,' is the ability to apply a critical perspective to the subject at hand. Furthermore, with the advance of technology, new forms of literacy tools emerge each year. As these new 'literacies' develop, so too should the 'literacies' we teach. Unfortunately, it is the most marginalized populations that have the least access to emerging technologies, contributing to an increasing gap between the political power that the 'haves' and the 'have nots' have over their quality of life.
To correct this, or at least to slow its development, it is imperative that three things occur: 1) intellectual engagement and the development of critical thinking skills need to be prioritized in the classroom; 2) the concept of 'literacy' must expand to incorporate the newest forms of communication and production. Similarly, these 'new literacies' must be taught to all populations, not just to the most advantaged; and 3) to encourage engagement and comprehension, literacy efforts must include materials rooted in the indigenous language, culture, and values of the learning population, and not in that of the population they serve.
