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What is a Theory?
A theory is an idealized representation of reality that help us explain some natural
phenomena. It is an idea or thought pattern about a particular subject matter and
how it should be perceived. Campbell & Zazkis (2002) contended that theories are
like toothbrushes where everyone has their own and no one wants to use anyone
elses theory. Read the following theories or views or ideas from
http://www.public.asu.edu/~petergo/courses/eng556/556.html
There are other theories or views on what literacy is or should be and all these
depend on how individuals in different field view the concept of literacy.
6.3 Theories of Literacy Development
There are a number of theories associated with literacy development. These
theories are based on peoples ideas about early literacy development and how
children learn. In trying to discuss the subject matter, we explore by asking
ourselves a number of questions such how our ideas about early literacy have
developed. What researchers and educators have influenced the way reading and
writing are approached today? It is important for teachers who work with young
children and their families to be familiar with the history of early literacy as a
foundation for current practices (http://www.education.com/reference/article/earlyliteracy/).
through four related stages. In this way, what and how a child learns is determined
largely by the childs present stage of development. The Theory of Cognitive
Development was conceptualized by Jean Piaget in 1969 who is classified as both a
constructivist an a developmental theorist. It is one of the most famous theories
used to explain childrens overall cognitive development. It can be used by literacy
educators to understand the learning stages though which students progress as
they mature and their relationship to literacy achievement.
Jean Piagets theory of Cognitive Development describes the ways in which the
quality of childrens thinking changes over time based on their intellectual
development. According to Piaget, there are four factors that affect the quality of an
individuals thinking: biological maturation, activity, social experiences and
equilibration. All these factors are linked to Piagets Stages of Cognitive
Development as discussed by Godwin, Herb, Ricketts & Wymer (2013) namely:
1. Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years of age) Children use sensory
exploration of the world: They do not use or have language skills and are
dependent on their senses. Class activities for literacy development in this
stage include: (i) Board books with brightly colored pictures and (ii) Books
with sound, things to touch, or smell
2.
2. Preoperational stage (2 to 7 years of age) There is rapid language
development skills in this stage as children begin to categorize things with
words. Literacy activities include story book reading and discussing the story
3.
3. Concrete Operational (7 to 11 years of age) In this stage of development,
children use concrete objects to begin to think about abstract concepts.
Activities for Literacy development include Graphic Organizers {Venn
Diagrams, Flow Maps}and others.
4.
4. Formal Operational (11 years of age to adult) In this stage, children use
language in an abstract way. Activities for Literacy include the use of
metacognitive reading strategies helps students to think about their
thinking before and after they read. Examples: Making Inferences and
Summarizing information.
(i) reading instruction should not be implemented until students reached the age
of 6 1/2 years of age
(ii) Initial literacy activities that are given to children at home must be linked or
related to the level of childs intellectual development. Other studies
recommendations suggested that parents should not attempt to teach reading to
their children at home as educators would cause damage to childrens reading
ability if they attempted to teach reading to children who were too young.
(iii) Reading abilities are linked to Maturation Theory which believe learning to
read is viewed as a natural developmental occurrence. Furthermore, theorists
believed that learning to read begins in the home when children first see their
parents read and have stories read to them. In other ways, parents here are the
models for children and children strive to emulate what their parents do by all
means necessary. Emulation results in childrens first attempts at reading, which
are usually quite inaccurate and parents should reinforce childrens first
attempts at reading. As childrens attempts at reading are reinforced, their skills
develop, and children begin to read for real and this is linked to the theory of
Literacy Development which purport that the ways in which children approach
the task of reading qualitatively change as they mature (https://prezi.com/a4yxjrcptjs/theories-of-literacy-development/).
The site further reported that theorists believe that as childrens reading skills
develop, they increase both the number and type of strategies they can use
during reading experiences
in detail:
(i) Pre Alphabetic Stage {Logographic Stage}. This stage is associated with a number of
feature which include the following: (a) Visual cues are primary method of word identification
(b) One might memorize words by their shape or look (c) Use of environmental print and logos
(d) Word Identification is not yet related to letter sound knowledge. Class activities for Literacy
in this stage include collecting samples of Environmental Print to display in the classroom.
(ii) Partial Alphabetic Stage. This stage according to Godwin etal (2013) uses Phonetic Cue
Reading which further demand the use of some letter sound cues. First letter of the word and
then use just a letter or two as children develop.
(iii) Full Alphabetic Stage. In this stage students relies more on letter sound knowledge.
Student tries to process all the letters in a word and a child may become tied to letter-by-letter
reading which slows down the reading process. Class activities for Literacy here includes:
Puzzles, Word Card Games, Magnetic Letters, Alphabet Books. Magazine Search, Letter Bingo
and Word Sort: Beginning, Middle, and End Sounds
(iv) Consolidated Alphabetic Stage. Here there is automatic knowledge of sound letter
relationships. Students read letter patterns within words and they use word family knowledge to
aid the reading process. Activities for Literacy include word Wheels, Word Family Sorts, Poetry,
Flip Books (Godwin etal, 2013
6.3.5 Family Literacy Theory
Godwin etal, (2013) contended that family literacy refers to a series of ideas that researchers
share, including the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs to help facilitate literacy
development of family members; the relationship between family literacy and student
achievement; and the ways in which literacy is naturally used in the home. This theory stresses
the importance of family involvement on student achievement. The actions to encourage Family
Literacy include;
i. Create a two way street between parents and teachers in order to gain information about
literacy in the home.
ii. Teach parents about the school culture and necessary skills for a student to be successful.
iii. Help parents understand what they can do at home to help support and encourage their
childrens academic success. Many studies have been done on parent and child reading
interactions to support the importance of the connection between home and school.
iv. Parent Volunteers Reading in the Classroom
6.3.6 Emergent Literacy Theory
The Emergent Literacy Theory states that there are levels of literacy behaviours which children
acquire before they formally get into classroom which facilitates the acquisition of reading and
writing skills at a conventional level. Emergent literacy theorists believe that literacy
development starts in the maternity ward and is continuous and ongoing. This early literacy
development provides educators with instructional guidance to promote early literacy growth
among their students. Theorists believe that childrens development in the areas of listening,
speaking, reading, and writing are all interrelated (http://www.tikitoki.com/timeline/entry/92488/Theories-of-Literacy-Development/). In other ways, Emergent
Literacy Theorists believe that childrens listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills begin at
birth, it also emphasizes the importance of a literacy rich home environment. Components of a
literacy rich home environment include; having large number of books available in the home,
Newspapers and Magazines, Parents read a variety of materials and Reading is associated with
pleasure, Parents frequently read to children.
Marie Clays studies on emergent literacy indicated that children know a great deal about reading
and writing before they come to school, and they are able to experiment with and apply their
knowledge in various ways (Clay, 1975). Reading readiness seemed to be an inaccurate term,
since Clays research showed that there was not a specific sequence of skills children needed to
master prior to reading and writing. The children she studied seemed instead to emerge into
literacywith writing, reading, and oral language abilities developing together.
Emergent literacy was recently defined as the view that literacy learning begins at birth and is
encouraged through participation with adults in meaningful activities; these literacy behaviors
change and eventually become conventional over time (Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000,
p. 123). From a very young age, children who are exposed to oral and written language gradually
gain control over the forms of literacy. Print-related knowledge develops similarly to the way
children learn oral language (Morrow, 1997). When children are actively engaged with
interesting and meaningful reading and writing experiences, they develop literacy knowledge
early in their lives.
6.3.7 Everyday Theories
These are ideas which individual people have about certain things in the society and how they
impinge on peoples lives. Everybody makes theories almost every day about certain practices,
values and norm in the society. These theories are not known to many people and they are not
conventional in nature as they may be known to one person only (Barton, 2007).
6.3.8 Professional Theories
These are conventionally recognized theories worldwide such as those discussed above. In other
ways, examples of professional theories include Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development,
Maturation Theory, Theory of Literacy Development, Stage Models of Reading, Emergent
Literacy Theory, and Family Literacy Theory.
References
Aldridge, j. & R. L. Goldman (2007). Current Issues and Trends in Education. Boston:
Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Barton, D. (2007). Literacy: An introduction to the ecology of the written Language. 2nd Ed.
USA. Blackwell Publishing.
Campbell, S. R., & Zazkis, R. (2002). Toward number theory as a conceptual field. In S. R.
Campbell & R. Zazkis (Eds.) Learning and teaching number theory: Research in cognition and
instruction (pp. 1-14). Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
Godwin, E., Herb, B., Ricketts, A. & Wymer, S. (2013). Theories of Literacy Development 1930s
Present Day. Available at http//:hillerspires.wikispaces.com/file/view/Theories%
Lilly, E. & Green, C. (2004). Developing Partnerships with Families through Childrens
Literature. Boston: Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall
http://www.education.com/reference/article/early-literacy/
http//:hillerspires.wikispaces.com/file/view/Theories%2Bof%2BLiteracy%2BDevelopmentm