Teaching literacy skills can be challenging, even for the most ardent literacy specialist! Even students who like reading can become confused as there are so many rules to learn and follow, and so many distractions.
What can we do when we know literacy is a key skill for our students to succeed in life?
Our Literacy Specialists have outlined the following key tips:
Repetition
Repeating concepts is a surefire way to increase literacy ability. The act of repetition is so important when teaching that it helps ensure concepts are embedded into long-term memory.
High interest topics
The topics you decide on matter – aim to choose high interest topics when setting lesson content or homework. You will find higher levels of engagement when you employ this tactic.
Summarising
Summarising learned content is a good way to improve reading ability. Have your students highlight key words and statements when reading and then make notes at the end of each chapter. This is the most powerful strategy.
Speaking and listening skills
Develop strong oral skills by having students read aloud and participate in group work. This type of participation will help students develop their literacy skills by encouraging them to articulate what they are reading.
Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension is also a big indicator of literacy ability. Use techniques such as prediction (students predicting what might happen in a text), questioning (students creating their own questions) and clarifying (students seeking information to clarify unknown words or phrases) to improve their understanding. With understanding comes real progress.
