Literacy and Education as the Learning System - Essay Example

Literacy Introduction Literacy is defined as the ability to write and read certain information. Literacy can take two forms; it can be informal education or the formal type of education. Informal education is the schooling which is done outside the usual classrooms. Informal education can be self tutoring, on the job training, the youth education program or home education done by parents. Formal education is the learning system done in a learning institution by professional teachers using a specific syllabus to educate students (Kozol 195). Personal Experience Right after finishing weaning, the first institution to join was the kindergarten. Kindergarten is an informal program for children where they are taught basic and social skills. The kids are introduced to this program at the age of five to six years. The kids are normally taught the basic vowels, letters, writing, pronunciations as well as social skills. These key functions play the critical roles of a normal person (Kozol 193). Almost every successful person from lawyers, doctors, presidents must have passed through this vital elementary class. These valuable professionals in their daily lives are involved in reading, writing or giving formal speeches. All this glamour begins in the elementary education. In kindergarten, the kids are involved in these basic activities which are then molded and later transformed to be used in future advancements (Kozol 194). Through learning of vowels a kid is able to learn the different sounds and later how to make a syllable. Syllables are the basic units of words which are further joined with helping words to make a meaningful word or a sentence. Every literate person learned how to write or read through some formal or informal education. Informal institutions like the kindergartens and baby cares play a big part in the society regarding this matter (Holbek 7). At this period am proud to say my parents played a major role in what I am today. In class I never understood how to pronounce some vowels, finish my homework and majorly how to write my name. The latter, on many occasions made me skip writing my name on writing books or the quizzes we were frequently given. Pronunciation was a big burden in my kindergarten life, especially words that had two or three syllables (Kozol 194). Each day after school, my parents used to teach me these problems countless times before I slept, which was kind of a torture for me at some point. At times when I was stubborn, I was occasionally punished through spanking and some grounding. Through the frequent teachings and memorizations, I learned how to write my name and even learned some pronunciations beyond my level. Pronunciations and writing of my name is one practice that I believe would never end any time soon, because I still use them up to now (Kozol 199). Apart from the basic learning of writing and pronunciations, the kids are also given time to play. Playing sessions were another big events which constituted majorly in the children social skills. Through playing, the children learn how to effectively interact with each other and also discovering their other social abilities in this tender age. At this stage, the children hobbies and talents begin to show and the teachers and parents normally begin to nurture the kid at this time. Myself, i am a football diehard thanks to my early childhood love for the game. My folks frequently remind me of how I used to play football till late in the evening with my neighbors’. I used to like football due to the influence of my elder brother. Due to the love of football at my younger age, I am now a professional footballer at my local football club. I also play a lot of football at my free time in campus (Kozol 197). Lastly, in kindergarten education, children are taught courtesy, sharing and basic cleanliness. The kids are taught the basic greetings, how to show gratitude, how to approach elders which in deed play a special role in everybody’s life. Sharing is also highly instituted to impact morals on the kids. Birthday parties were highly advocated to be held in kindergartens so as others can follow suit (Kozol 193). In elementary education, through the periodical lessons at specific times of the day; it taught me time management. The teachers demanded time keeping which forced students to be time conscious. After a couple of punishments due to lateness, I later learned to be time conscious to avoid missing classes which greatly affected my academic grades. Through frequent class attendance, it made me create a stable background in academics and to secure a better school in junior high (Kozol 195). In my elementary education, I also some learned interpersonal skills through engagement in social- academic events like acting and public speaking clubs. I participated in major events like inter high schools and national competitions which improved my confidence and communication abilities. My communication skills have greatly been influenced by the frequent public speaking I usually attended. Acting assisted my abilities to meet and understand different people’s personalities. That is, through the role plays and partners we were given, it gave me a different perspective to adapt and engage with others (Kozol 196). After joining junior high school, I studied how to write formal and informal letters as well as resumes. The knowledge I gained have assisted me in maintaining my social relationships with my friends, relatives and parents too. I frequently get in touch with my friends through the use of social networks, and cell phone. In both services, I mostly use short messages to communicate with my peers who occasionally provide me with information or the mere friendship greetings (Kozol 197). The knowledge I have acquired has assisted me in writing formal job application letters and resumes, which I frequently secure part time jobs. Without this knowledge I believe I could have numerous challenges in my life. Furthermore, through the social skills like courtesy I was instilled back then in kindergarten and cultivated both in my elementary and junior high school, it secured me a scholarship for my campus. I hardly feel the high cost university fees because my tuition fees are channeled on my basic needs (Kozol 197). My communication skills have since improved with age and assisted me in various presentations including my class assignments presentations. It has continuously boosted my part-time job interviews presentations and confidence as well. My communication skills have also rebuilt my confidence solely through public speaking that I still engage in the campus. My literacy knowledge has also taught me to interpret the contract documents I usually sign during the jobs I get (Kozol 195). There is this one time I challenged my boss because of one of the terms and conditions he had included in the contract letter, but he was not committing on his part. The contract letter provided there was overtime allowance for any time exceeded beyond normal working time but he had never reciprocated his part. Through my literacy knowledge and persuasion skills, he agreed. In campus I have also learned not to be dependent on white collar employment only, but to exploit other avenues too like self employment and in return, employ others too (Kozol 197). I would like my children to follow the same trend though because I have witnessed the benefits of education. I have learned how to easily interact with people and also how to secure opportunities when they arise. During my elementary level, I would have wished my parents could have nurtured my football talent, so as not to pass the many challenges I have undergone to reach where I am. Conclusion Education is a vital component for any nation to achieve its economic goals. It through the education whether informal or formal, that the nation can realize its objectives. It is the individual personal objective to learn in order to escape the wrath of poverty and other social challenges that arise due to illiteracy. Works cited Kozol, Jonathan. “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” in Patterns of College Writing: a Rhetorical Reader and Guide. 7rd ed. Laurie Kirszner and S. Mandell, eds. New York. 1999. Print. Holbek, Bengt. What the Illiterate Think of Writing. 1989. Print Read More