A critique of the national literacy framework and the hour - Essay Example

Anuja Chandramouli Review of unit 2 09 May 2006 A CRITIQUE OF THE NATIONAL LITERACY FRAMEWORK AND THE HOUR The objective of the National Literacy Framework is to promote literacy by providing guidelines for teachers on the teaching of reading from reception to year 6. This document serves as a reference point for teachers and leads them to understand what to expect of their charges and to better facilitate the reading process. The literacy hour is a means of implementing the objectives designed by the Framework. In this one hour teachers devote themselves entirely to making literates of their students. The National Literacy Framework and the training it provides are based on the National Literacy Project. Its aim is laudable and it has shown a degree of success in improving literacy standards. However it has been condemned on a number of counts and many teachers are up in arms against it. Therefore it is imperative for a teacher to subject the Framework and the literacy hour to intense scrutiny and analyze its positive and negative features with respect to the subject of teaching of reading. This examination with its salient features and results are outlined below. HOW CHILDREN BEGIN TO READ In the words of Jeanne S.Chall and Steven Stahl, reading is an "activity characterized by the translation of symbols, or letters, into words and sentences that have meaning to the individual". From their earliest years, children acquire the skills needed for learning to read. According to Chall and Stahl children as they become acclimatized to the sounds in their environment, "learn that spoken words are composed of separate sounds and that letters can represent these sounds." Itzhoff (1996:20) also stresses the importance of language proficiency in reading proficiency. Therefore parents can help children on their journey to fluent reading by diligently reading bedtime stories, having conversations and indulging in language play. Children having equipped themselves with these skills are now ready to learn reading. The National Literacy Framework has outlined three levels of work that children have to master in order to become literate; 1. Word-level work that includes phonics, proficiency in spelling and an improving vocabulary. 2. Sentence-level work pertaining to grammatical and punctuation rules. 3. Text-level work with regard to comprehension and composition skills. Wray et al. (2001:2) state that, "Each of these three levels was seen as essential to effective reading and writing and there is a close interrelationship between them." It now remains for the teacher to impart knowledge to the students about these skills as they constitute the entire foundation of their future proficiency in reading and writing. EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND METHODS OF TEACHING "Success in literacy is measured not by what children know about texts, print etc. but by what they can do with them."(Wray et al. 2001:6) this statement captures the essence of what literacy is meant to do. The prerequisites for effective teachers and methods of teaching given below are derived from the research done by Wray, Medwell, Poulson and Fox. Effective teachers have a clear idea of what they are going to teach and how they are going to go about it. They are systematic in their teaching methods. Teaching is done using "shared" texts, where the teacher and students pool their resources to negotiate their way through the obscure and sometimes treacherous terrain of grammar, punctuation and other literacy essentials. The many aspects of reading and writing are taught not as so many isolated shards of information but as part of a larger, comprehensive whole. Good teachers have well-developed system for monitoring every individual student's progress and catering to their needs accordingly. Effective methods of teaching include careful attention to the teaching of pronunciation, word features like syllables and inflections, synonyms, punctuations, grammatical constructions etc. A suitable "literate environment" must be constructed bearing in mind a child's need for motivation and enthusiasm, to learn. The importance of literacy for all future endeavours must be enlarged upon. The environment must be interactive and challenging. Praise and constructive criticism must be used judiciously to ensure success and correct errors. Tasks must be constructed with a view of capturing the student's attention. ELEMENTS OF THE LITERACY HOUR As per the tenets of the National Literacy Framework (Dfes: 1998), the elements of the hour are as follows; 1. Fifteen minutes of shared reading and writing for the whole class: it aims to improve reading skills particularly for the less able students. 2. Fifteen minutes of focused word-level work and word and sentence-level work in key stage 1 and 2 respectively for the whole class: it attempts to hone students' basic phonic and decoding skills. 3. Twenty minutes of guided group and independent work: it enables the teacher to teach at least one group differentiated by ability, while allowing the other groups to work independently. 4. Final ten minutes involves reviewing what has been achieved, while clarifying key issues and reiterating crucial points of study. The Literacy Hour is a method of instruction. It attempts to meet the needs of every student in the class without neglecting one or the other. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE FEATURES OF THE LITERACY HOUR The Literacy Hour provides continuity and consistency in the methodology used for teaching. It is interactive, well-paced and ambitious. The National Literacy Project has shown this to be of great advantage in building confidence. The literary practices done on a daily basis, by sheer repetition become second nature to the children and they have a solid foundation of reading skills which helps them make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Teachers find that they have whole new support- system thanks to the common structure used. That being said, it must be mentioned that the Literacy hour has been lambasted by a number of researchers and teachers and with good reason. The best method to proliferate literacy has been the subject of intense and controversial debate. One way out of this morass is to keep an open mind, adopting the merits of various methods and adapting them as per the need. From this perspective, the enforced use of the literacy hour would be tantamount to academic zealotry. According to the Bullock Report (1975), "there is no one method, medium, approach, device or philosophy that holds the key to the process of reading."(Qtd. in Anderson and Styles) Further having been imposed on all teachers and students, it cramps individual style and creativity. Moreover in the words of Styles (2000:3), it may result in "boredom, disaffection and underachievement for average and above-average pupils." The stress on teaching explicit rules of grammar, punctuation and other "technicalities" may be counterproductive as it takes away the joy of natural reading, and leaves most children associating books and reading with drudgery. APPROACHES TO READING INSTRUCTION Garcia and Pearson (1991) divided the various approaches to reading instruction into four general approaches (from Hayes & Stahl), which are outlined below; Direct Instruction: It aims to improve the ability to read by breaking down reading skills into a number of subskills, which are then taught to the last detail in isolation. The teaching method to be used while using this method is also prescribed. This "teacher proofing" results in teachers resisting the programming, "either subverting the program by their actions or abandoning the program", according to Shannon (Qtd. in Hayes & Stahl). Explicit Explanation: Here different reading strategies are taught. Initially the teacher has the reins of control as she elaborates on and demonstrates the strategies to be used, but her focus is on handing over the reins to the students, thus giving them the responsibility to execute the strategies. It is a recent approach and there is little evidence to support it, but it does show promise. Cognitive Apprenticeship: Here the teacher's role is to support the student as he attempts to master the skills for reading and to withdraw the support at the right time. This is also a recent phenomenon and it has not been fully evaluated. However Rosenshine and Meister (1991) found it was most effective combined with direct teaching of cognitive strategies. (Qtd. in Hayes & Stahl) Whole Language: This is child-centered learning, as it encourages children to direct their own reading. The teacher uses text in its entirety to impart knowledge. "It is not a method or 'collection' of activity but a philosophy" (Hayes & Stahl, 1997:7). BASIC PINCIPLES ON TEACHING READING Linda Miller Cleary's article on the principles of reading instruction supports my own beliefs in the process which I have summarized as I am inclined to view them. Reading is a journey of discovery and there must be active involvement of teachers or parents at every level. Motivation should be enhanced by merging areas of interest with the study materials. Every individual learns at his own pace and this individuality must be respected not threatened. A supportive yet challenging environment must be created. A child's natural must be harnessed to facilitate reading. Quality as well as quantity must be emphasized. THE IMPORTANCE OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE The aim of the teacher is to open the child's eyes to fascinating world of reading, which is bound to allow them access into the captivating realms of knowledge and information. Exposure to children's literature is one way of realizing this aim. According to Seung-Yoeun Yoo (1997:127), this "develops in young children social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and physical skills." Chomsky (1972) states that "children who are exposed to literature at a young age tend to develop sophisticated language structures, including vocabulary and syntax". (Qtd. in Marrow) Thus the facts and evidence speak for themselves. Having discovered what an illuminating and enchanting process reading is, children are likely to become accomplished readers. As bona-fide literates they may look forward to a prosperous and rewarding future. CONCLUSION The National Literacy Framework and the Literacy Hour, despite several shortcomings have done a lot in promoting literacy and increasing awareness. But as Eve Bearne so aptly puts it, "raising standards of reading and writing means setting up an environment in which learning can be most effective rather than adhering to particular methods or materials..."(from Styles) REFERENCE: ANDERSON, H. & STYLES, M. (eds.). 2000. Promoting Literacy through Popular and Literacy Texts in the Primary Classroom. London: Routledge. CHALL, J.S. & STAHL, S.A. 2003. Reading. Microsoft Encarta Reference Library. CLEARY, L.M. 1992. Principles of Reading Instruction. [Online]. Available:http://www.d.umn.edu/lmillerc/TeachingEnglishHomePage/Portfolios/LMC-Sample-ReadingPrinciples.htm/. [8 May 2006]. HAYES, D.A. & STAHL, S.A. (eds). 1997. Instructional Models in Reading. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ITZHOFF, Seymour W. 1996. Children Learning to Read: a guide for parents and teachers. Westport CT: Praeger Publications. MARROW, L.M. 1992. The Impact of a Literature Based Program on Literacy Achievement, Use of Literature, and Attitudes of Children from Minority Backgrounds. Reading Research Quarterly, 27(3): 250-275. NLS FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING. [Online] 1998. Available:http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls-frmework/.[9 May 2006] SEUNG, Y.Y. 1997. Children's Literature for Developing Good Readers and Writers in Kindergarten. Education, 118 (1): 123+ WRAY, D., MEDWELL, J., POULSON, L. & FOX, R. 2001. Teaching Literacy Effectively in the Primary School. New York: Routledge Falmer. Read More