The Connection between Literacy and Learning
By Wendy Díaz
Maryland
At the end of 2019, in the middle of my son’s fifth-grade year, I visited his classroom for a parent/teacher open house. He was attending public school at the time and one of my concerns was the heavy use of county-assigned laptops in the classroom. Not only were students completing classwork assignments on the devices, but also spending their recess and other free time surfing the web and playing computer games.
As his English and Language Arts (ELA) teacher was explaining their daily routine, she mentioned “read-aloud time.” I was relieved to learn that there was still a focus on literacy, so I wanted to know more. I asked the teacher how read-aloud was conducted, and her answer took me aback. I expected her to tell me the kids were taking turns reading aloud since it was read-aloud time. However, she said that she would simply play an audio for them. That was not so bad, although I would prefer that she and the students be reading themselves. So, I asked if the students were following along with their books. Her response was, “No, they don’t have any books. They sit quietly at their desks.”
Naturally, my next question was, then how do you know they are paying attention? How could this activity even be called “read aloud” when there was no reading happening at all?
I had other questions about how often the children were reading actual books and whether they were being taught new vocabulary words. At this point, the teacher was visibly annoyed and gave me the “I’ve been teaching for these many years” speech. She blew off my questions and went on about her presentation. I understood from the few answers she had given that there was almost no attention given to literature in her class. Children were only to listen to instructions from their computers and complete assignments like robots. This was not the case in other classrooms in the same school; every teacher’s approach to ELA is dependent on their own background, training, and personal education philosophy. My son, however, had been placed with a teacher who I felt did not value literacy. Eventually, I had to pull my son from public school and start homeschooling. I added weekly vocabulary, spelling, and journaling to his curriculum.
In recent years, educators like my son’s former teacher in both public and private schools are relying heavily on electronic devices for their instruction and promoting their use in the classroom. As a result, students are not learning traditional note-taking skills, journaling, penmanship, spelling, or vocabulary. There seems to be an emphasis on digital literacy over conventional literacy skills. Although technology is important for students to learn, reading and writing are critical pathways to knowledge acquisition. Sadly, literacy rates among school-age children have suffered tremendously in the past few years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 34% of US students lack a basic reading level in the fourth grade. Their reports say that around 27% of eighth-grade students and 4% of fourth-grade students are below the basic reading level. 1, 2
Parents also Play a Role
Of course, teachers are not solely to blame. Many parents do not know the extent of their children’s struggles with reading and writing, and the importance of reading to their children from an early age. In an article published on the BBC called “Why You Should Read This Aloud,” writer Sophie Hardach mentions Dr Colin MacLeod, a psychologist at the University of Waterloo in Canada, and his research on the impact of reading aloud on memory. He and his team of researchers have found that people consistently remember words and texts better if they read them aloud than if they read them silently. He calls it the “production effect” because producing written words or reading them out loud “improves our memory of them.” 3
Dr MacLeod’s findings are revolutionizing the way we people think about education in the 21st century, but it should not come as a surprise to Muslims. Our oral traditions of Qur’an recitation and hadith narration are integral parts of the preservation of our faith. The very first word revealed in the Qur’an was “ Iqra” (Surah Al-Alaq, 96:1). Astonishingly, the word iqra has a double meaning – to read and to recite. The Qur’an is a revelation which is both recited out loud and read in silence. Allah affirms in the text:
“And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?” (Surah Al-Qamar, 54:17)
Dr MacLeod claims that reading aloud boosts memory, especially in children, but that “it is beneficial throughout the age range.” These conclusions confirm what has already been stated in the Qur’an. Reciting the Qur’an aloud is one of the reasons it is easy to memorize and remember – so easy in fact, that even children as young as toddlers are able to recite whole chapters.
I have school-age children, currently ranging from Kindergarten to a senior in high school, and I can see the difference between my eldest, who had more literature-focused educational opportunities and less reliance on electronic devices, and the younger ones who are growing up in a more digital world and are struggling to read. While every child is different and reads at his/her own pace, as parents we must also be aware that every teacher’s approach to literacy is different, and they may be failing to meet the needs of their students and our children. Similarly, parents should foster ELA skills at home through a variety of ways like providing writing tools and toys, as well as an adequate supply of reading materials. For my son’s situation, I was fortunate to have the option to homeschool, however, not all parents have the same opportunity.
Nevertheless, there are ways parents can advocate for their children to make sure they are getting the reading and writing instruction they deserve:
Get to know your child’s teacher. Ask him or her about how many years they have been teaching, their experience, and their teaching style. Also, get to know how they approach literature and writing, and what types of assignments are assigned to develop both.
Inform the teacher about your child’s learning style. No one knows your child more than you, so be vocal about their needs, abilities, and your expectations regarding ELA. Also, ask about how you can support literacy at home, so your child’s teacher knows that you want to work as a team.
Demand to know details about the ELA curriculum used in your child’s school. Ask about what books or stories your child is being introduced to, how much reading the teacher expects from the students throughout the year, and what his or her personal philosophy is regarding the use of technology in the classroom.
Request that your child only uses a school-issued device when necessary. Ask that the device be taken or put away for recess, lunch, and free time, so your child can utilize his or her time engaged in other activities like reading, playing, or exercising. To be fair, also set limits for screen time at home and encourage your children to read. Regular library and bookstore visits can provide your child with opportunities to explore a variety of books.
Inquire about the most important ideas your child needs to understand by the end of the year and how assessments are designed to promote learning and not just to measure progress. Are lessons and assessments personalized or cookie-cutter? Help your child prepare and read over their notes and written assignments. Check their work and provide suggestions, but never do their homework for them. When they have assigned reading, challenge their critical thinking skills by asking open-ended questions like “What message do you think the author is trying to convey through this text?” and “Can you summarize the story in just two or three sentences?”
From an educator’s perspective, regular written assignments can be tedious to assign, collect, and grade. However, there are ways to encourage regular writing across subjects without the hassle of grading page by page.
- Assignments that promote writing
For example, teachers can encourage students to take notes, create learning logs for different topics, and write journal entries daily as a simple five-to-ten-minute warm-up. Students’ journaling can free up some time for teachers to take attendance, collect homework, or work one-on-one with children who need extra help. Copywork is also an excellent method of boosting penmanship, spelling, and vocabulary.
- Activities that promote reading
Promoting reading can be as easy as filling a bookshelf in every classroom and asking students to read a book or a chapter a day and filling out a log to record their progress. Diversifying the array of literature available to students is optimal so that children can find books that interest them and see themselves in them. Some may prefer chapter books; others enjoy comics and graphic novels. Teachers must survey their preferences and nurture a love of reading early. In addition, it is vital to have them read aloud and follow along as their peers read to take full advantage of the benefits of reading material out loud. The key is limiting student access to electronic devices, so they practice their penmanship and read actual books rather than screens.
- Benefits of note-taking and journaling
All students should keep logs and journals, as well as engage in other traditional writing assignments like essays and research papers that they can produce digitally. It may be helpful to have them write their outlines and rough drafts by hand and read them to a partner for constructive feedback. These writing assignments help students gather important information they have learned in class and from their homework. It teaches them organizational skills, note-taking strategies, and gives them a chance to express their own ideas on any topic. While some writings are not graded, they can be used as a learning tool in addition to the students’ textbooks, handouts, and tech-based assignments.
When I was a teacher, I always checked to make sure that my students were writing notes and I often encouraged students to share their thoughts and ideas during class discussions. If students were familiar with the lesson, shared insight with the class, and asked relevant questions that demonstrated their critical thinking skills, I knew they were doing their work. On the other hand, writing assignments like research papers, essays, and short answer questions were graded for accuracy in grammar, punctuation, application, etc. Journals and logs are more to help students while they learn. As a matter of fact, I kept a journal as a teacher for my class discussions and lectures. I jotted down notes on what I covered in class and on students’ reactions to the material. These notes helped me with future lesson planning and provided guidelines for what I needed to focus on most to help my students. I still keep a journal for my personal writing, and this just proves how what we do in the classroom can set the stage for lifelong habits.
In my content area, Spanish, the effects of writing on learning are extremely significant. Because students are being introduced to a whole new language altogether, they need to feel motivated to express themselves in their new language. If I gave my students a reading assignment for homework, I asked them to write in their journals what words they did not understand and their reactions to the material. When students came to class, they already knew what they wanted to discuss, often asking the meanings of particular words, their pronunciation, and how to use these words in sentences. We also discussed their reactions to the reading and what they liked or disliked about their assignment. The key to foreign language learning is helping students feel comfortable using the new language and this can be achieved through regular reading and writing. Once students feel comfortable, they express themselves almost effortlessly both on paper and in conversation. The same can be applied to all areas of study.
Literature is essentially what ties all content areas together. When students begin their education, teachers must focus on literacy because without reading and writing there is no possibility of achievement in any subject. The fact of the matter is that we have been using literature across disciplines for years. It is only recently that we have entered a new era in education where we are hyper-focused on integrating technology into the classroom. Although innovation in education can be good, we should not dismiss tried and true methods of success. As Muslims, parents, and educators by extension, we should emphasize the use of literature in all classrooms to promote a more effective educational setting for our youth.
Endnotes
1 National Report Card 2022, National Center for Education Statistics
https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
2 Literacy Statistics In The US For 2022 Data & Facts https://www.prosperityforamerica.org/literacy-statistics/#:~:text=In%20the%20US%2C%20only%2035,without%20proficiency%20in%20grade%20levels
3 The Surprising Power of Reading Aloud By Sophie Hardach, 17th September 2020. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200917-the-surprising-power-of-reading-aloud#:~:text=Colin%20MacLeod%2C%20a%20psychologist%20at,if%20they%20read%20them%20silently
(Wendy Díaz is a Puerto Rican Muslim writer, award-winning poet, translator, and mother of six. She is the co-founder of Hablamos Islam, a non-profit organization that produces educational resources about Islam in Spanish. She has written, illustrated, and published over a dozen children’s books and currently lives with her family in Maryland. Follow Wendy Díaz on social media @authorwendydiaz and @hablamosislam)
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