About literacy

Literacy Supporters and their Benefits

Literacy is described as the capacity to read and write. It is also the ability to comprehend, communicate, obtain useful knowledge, and use the ruling symbol systems of society through the use of language, figures, pictures, machines, and other rudimentary means. This article would examine literacy supporters and how they have benefited my literary traditions and identities. It would also look at the gaps between the socioeconomic and skill-based views on scholarship.

Literacy Benefactors

Literacy benefactors, or supporters, are government systems, individuals, or organizations that support children or young people in achieving or increasing their degree of literacy, whether for the sponsor’s benefit or not. These benefactors can be families, religions, workplaces, computers, tools, resources among others. However, sponsors are not always supportive and can limit access to powerful knowledge, for example, some institutions of learning do not offer students with choices of their education or resources to work. Some teaching may not be esteemed, and some sponsors do not teach interests of the students. My literacy sponsors are my parents who have seen me through schooling since kindergarten up to campus and my tutors who have imparted in me the required knowledge all through my schooling (Smythe, 2017). My parents ensured that I never missed school due to issues of fees and they also made sure I had all the reading and writing materials needed. That aided me in studying even at home and improve more and more in academics (Barton, 2007). On the other hand, my teachers were always committed to making sure they deliver the correct information, and where I experienced difficulty in whatever subject, they still offered a helping hand. The knowledge acquired from school has enabled me to grow as an individual since I am well acquainted with information of different life concepts.

The Social View of Literacy

Learning as a social practice and more of what people do than what they learn defines the social view of literacy. It is more than just a collection of skills an individual has. It is a social action since persons using literacy practices form a social network in exchange of skills and knowledge that serves as a reserve for learning. Literacy here is about applying know-how in specific areas for the specific context of use. Contrary to this, skills view of knowledge has to do with critical rationale, analysis of ideas, writing and communication with understanding and intricacy (Brandit, 2003). Social literacy does not rank people but sees them as different cultured. Literacy skills, on the other hand, are seen as independent of culture, social position, environment, and identity. These skills are quantifiable and equivalent across different settings and are hieratical. The third difference between the two literacies is that; in socio-cultural methods, non-literate individuals in both skills-based and technology literacy take part in the practices of scholarship in their specific communities.

Contextualized Literacy Practices

There is no one form of literacy which is collectively applicable. Thus, there are various literacy practices and scholarships for some groups like occupational, different institutions and social contexts, and different activities like religion and education. Literacy in social practice view is always contextualized, situated within a specific socio-cultural background. In skill-based view literacy, knowledge and expert ice are required to solve problems in society. These skills taught through critical thinking which promotes creativity and self-reflection, and the focus is to develop independent readers and thinkers using reading, speaking and writing skills. Life skills are required to make viable choices for they help us improvise in the direction of daily circumstances and make proper decisions about more nonconcrete or long-term undertakings.

References

Smythe, S. (2017). What Is Literacy? Exploring Literacies In Everyday Life. Retrieved from Simon Fraser University EDUC341-C100 Canvas website: https://canvas.sfu.ca/courses/32980/pages/unit-1-what-is-literacy-exploring-literacies-in-everyday-life?module_item_id=766128

Barton, D. (2007).  The Social Basis of Literacy. In Literacy: An introduction to the ecology of written language (2nd ed., pp. 33-50). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Brandt, D. (2003). Changing Literacies. In Teachers College Record, 105(2), 245-260.