The learning of the literacy processes is one of the most important things in somebody’s life, because it opens the gates for many other learning, knowledge and development areas. But at the same time it is one of the most complicated, as learning how to read and write is not an easy task.
The learning of these mechanisms include the understanding of arbitrary rules that associate each letter with its phoneme (sound). Each sound of a language has a corresponding fixed letter, and different combinations of letters result in new sounds. This is the main difficulty: knowing what each letter sounds like and what graphical symbol is associated with each, is not the learning of any rules, but rather mere chance.
Despite this difficulty, all the people have the capacity to learn how to read and write. By learning this, we open the gates to a world of knowledge, we develop our language and our way of thinking.
The process gets more complicated when we need to understand the rules of simple and complex syntactic structures. We start by learning the letters and the way they associate in order to form words. Once we master this skill, we need to acquire a new challenge: how to combine adjective words in order to obtain clear, meaningful messages.
How do children learn to read and write?
The learning of reading and writing is tightly connected to the development and learning of language. Before starting these processes, little boys and girls need to have acquired and be able to use spoken language.
Children are curious to know the symbols of writing, to know what is written in the texts they see.
When can they learn to read and write?
Usually, from the age of 3 or 4 we can start teaching them the processes of reading and writing. This age is approximate, as it depends on the development of each child. In this step they must practise pre-reading skills in order to facilitate the later command of learning. The real mechanism of literacy is acquired around the age of 5 or 6. It is important to start practising the skills before the age of 3 and pay special attention to the moment of acquisition, between 5 and 6 years old. This process will continue for years, until the child gets command of the skill; this depends on the maturative development of the children.
Pre-skills for the learning of reading and writing
- Spatial orientation. This ability is crucial for writing. It is the key for putting the letters in order, writing from left to right, top to bottom.
- Definite laterality[1]. Before they start writing, children must have determined their laterality.
- Fine motor skills. The skill of writing requires a good hand control, for holding the pen and applying the right pressure for the letter strokes.
- Eye-hand coordination. Children must control the coordination between what they see and the movements they make. The hand movements, the strokes have to respond to what the eyes perceive.
- Discernment and auditory memory. It is essential that the children remember the sounds they hear, so that they can convert them into the right letters.
- Phonological awareness and acuity. Little ones must be aware of the fact that each sound has a corresponding graphical image, and they must also be able to make the distinction between different sounds.
- Language. Control of spoken language is absolutely essential for the learning of written language.
Skills for the learning of reading and writing.
- Phonological awareness and acuity. Little ones must be aware of the fact that each sound has a corresponsing graphical image, and they must also be able to make the distinction between different sounds.
- Language. Control of spoken language is absolutely essential for the learning of written language.
- Understanding of sintactical rules and structures. For the learning of these processes, children must possess the ability to understand the rules of putting letters and words together. The same letters, ordered distinctly form a different word, or no word at all. And, in order to convey a meaningful message, the words must be in a particular order.
- Understanding of what is read. It is not enough to just know the different sounds and recognize the word that we see written. It is important to also understand a message that is read.
- Planning of the writing. Before beginning to write, the difficulty of how to order the ideas is common. We have to train the little ones to have the ability to plan what they want to put into writing before starting expressing themselves.
- Reading and processing speed. Once literacy is acquired, we must start exercising with the little ones, because for them it is essential to practise their processing speed, which will result in quick and fluid reading and writing.
[1] Laterality (in this case): the use of the right or the left hand in writing.
August 1, 2014