The Importance of an Early Development of Children's Literacy Skills

"America is awakening to the tragedy and threat of illiteracy, the fact that tens of millions of it's adults lack the essential literacy skills needed to survive and prosper in our increasingly complex society" (Darling 3).

Where do we begin to fix our nation's illiteracy problems? When children are born in this society, they learn to develop values, attitudes and beliefs about the world and all the things in it (Wray 37). How our children develop reflects on the rest of their life. Adults must show encouragement, cultural values, and educational support, so children can advance in society. Educational support can simply mean reading to a child each night and having them follow along. Also, creating conditions, which maximize the child's changes of becoming a fluent language user, helps give support and encouragement (Wray 39). An early development of a child's literacy skills can reflect on their education. Children with a better understanding of reading and writing skills have a better opportunity to advance. Reading skills that are developed through home and school help children to become literate adults. Yet, when parents lack the skills, knowledge, and awareness needed to support their children's educational development, parents must rely on educational programs (Darling 2). In many cases schools are not enough, because children need an early start at home: "To fully understand what impairs children's ability to learn, it must be recognized that schools are not the only system to impact on the growth and development of the child" (Zigler 3). One may say that cultural literacy is another main factor of a child's development. Different cultures in America have different dialects, beliefs, and customs. "Language and literacy are two things within the world, but just as culture influences language and literacy, so language and literacy in turn influence culture" (Wray 37). This paper will limit the discussion to children's early home and school life, by discussing the obstacles encountered in showing possible solutions to help fix early illiteracy problems.

"Parents play many roles in their child's education" (Mulhern 1). The way a child will achieve an early start depends on the parents. Parents provide children with physical and emotional needs and assure their attendance at school (Mulhern 1). How do parents give support to their children that they need? Responses from adults not only answer questions, they initiate activities that promote literacy (Morrow 65). While dressing, diapering, and feeding an infant, a parent can talk, sing, recite nursery rhymes, and tell stories. The baby responds by smiling, cooing and moving, encouraging the parent to continue, and a cycle of mutual responsiveness develops (Morrow 65). Parents show encouragement through many ways, such as using drawings or writing to share ideas; composing notes or letters to communicate messages; keeping records; making lists; following written directions; or sharing storied and ideas through conversation, reading, and writing (Morrow 54). All of these attributes are a form of family literacy.

"Family literacy encompasses the ways parents, children, and extended family members use literacy at home and in their community activities that also reflect racial, or cultural heritage of the families involved" (Morrow 54).

Children must not have to worry about home and family problems while trying to learn in school, because it creates a problem in the child's ability to learn. "Nearly nine out of ten beginning teachers believe that many of their pupils are too overwhelmed by family and other outside problems to succeed in class" (Ellsworth 4). While children are still toddlers, a mother may be the most important part of their future. A mother's level of educational attainment is a crucial component of the life chances and possibilities of their offspring (Darling 4). Mothers need to read, pay attention, talk to, and answer questions for young children. The number of pre-school children whose mothers were in the labor force rose to fifty percent in 1990 (Zigler 4). When more mothers work, the time they can spend with their child is limited. Mothers now rely on pre-schools to give children close and personal attention. In America there are numerous amounts of pre-schools and day care centers. Many of these arrangements are entirely unregulated (Zigler 5), and no personal attention is given to the children. Zigler states, "Clearly, inadequate child care settings are not characterized by the kind of individual attention in literacy activities children need to develop language skills and to become school ready" (5). Not all families can afford adequate day care schools for their children. Sometimes, children are in care so poor that it seriously jeopardizes their growth and development (Zigler 5). Parents need to spend more time focusing on their children's needs. Adults must give the enriching conversation that forges family bonds and builds language skills (Zigler 6). A report sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for Achievement of Teaching stated that today's children are suffering from inattentive or overworked parents, scarce childcare and pre-school opportunities, and isolation from adults (Zigler 4). This report surveyed 7,000 kindergarten teachers, who revealed that thirty five percent of their students entered school unprepared to learn (Zigler 4).

The teachings and philosophies of Marie Montessori are taught at many Montessori based pre-schools throughout the country. According to Shirin Bhaloo, a directress at Ahwatukee Montessori in Phoenix, AZ, Montessori schools produce extremely literate and loved children (Bhaloo). Montessori children are taught that they have control over their own destiny, and can initiate their learning experiences. They are taught to explore, investigate and control their environments (Bhaloo). At Ahwatukee Montessori, the directress's and teachers involve the parents in the child's learning, and integrate the home environment with the school environment. These children enter kindergarten with the reading level of most second or third graders, and with the desire and confidence to continue their scholastic exploration (Bhaloo). The belief of the Montessori school that each child is his own best teacher helps to instill a lifelong commitment to learning.

High level pre-schools such as Montessori based schools, are not inexpensive. Not all families can afford pre-schools that give children such attention. The children of parents that received good education, have well paying jobs, and who can afford specialized pre-schools, are encouraged to learn, and want to learn. ERIC Clearing House on Urban Education says that in a young child's future:

"Students from poor, often minority, neighborhoods, however, whose parents did not themselves have a college education, and whose public schooling was inadequate, may find their preparation too meager for the precarious transition to higher education, and years of boredom and failure in public schools may take the prospect of college level work frightening or unappealing" (School 1).

Parents from poor minority neighborhoods need to rise above their surroundings and give their children the support they need to be well educated.

When children enter school, they must be prepared. While a child is growing up, the parents must act as teachers, either directly, by teaching their children to count or write, or indirectly, by reading and talking to their children (Mullhern 1). Each parent teaches their children differently, due to the parents education and cultural background. If a child develops a different dialect, that youngster might suffer throughout his/her school years. Lloyd Ollila says that "upon entering school, young children encounter a language environment that differs dramatically from that of the home" (50). These different environments cause miscommunication and mistrust between teachers and students. In John Ogbu's article, "Literacy and Schooling in Subordinate Cultures: The Case of Black Americans," he paints out a hypothesis from the 1970's that "teachers and minority students who come from different cultures have different communicative strategies and interpretations of situated meanings that lead to miscommunication during reading activities" (137). Mistrust (from black Americans) comes from history, that whites and their institutions cannot be trusted to benefit blacks equably (Ogbu 144). Blacks do not feel that public schools are the place for black education (Ogbu 144). The teachings of other cultures and dialects are not bad, they just won't help to succeed in most of today's society. Different cultures should not receive different education. All cultures within America's borders should be taught the same basic education, and speak a common language in public schools. Once this basic education is achieved, a child can later move on to private institutions and learn specialized education if they choose. A cultural dialect is one aspect of a child's education that for the most part cannot be changed. Children spend most time at home, where they are inducted into values, attitudes, and beliefs of their culture (Wray 37).

Clearly, parents and schools must rethink their children's needs, opposed to the parents and schools wants. Parents and schools must work together. Parents need to act as early teachers, and schools need to give personal attention to children, acting as parents. Schools should suggest reading and writing materials to parents, that they should bring into the homes to create a better educational environment. Applebee et al. say that "Children and young adults whose parents have more education and those with access to more reading materials in the home read, write, and reason more proficiently than those from homes with less-well-educated parents and fewer reading materials" (12). Children who live in homes which provide rich literacy environments that include reading and writing materials develop the ability to read and write naturally (Morrow 59). Aside from schools suggesting skills for parents, adults need to make suggestions to schools. By being involved with a child's education, adults do not only express their opinions and ideas, but teachers get a better idea of each child's home environment. When there is a better understanding of a child's background, educators can help to increase children's literacy skills who haven't had the opportunity and encouragement at home.

WORKS CITED

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