PBW1043 Critical Reading: Introduction to Literacy & Reading

Definition and Significance of Literacy

• Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, and listen effectively to communicate and make sense of the world.
• It is a means of identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in a digital, text-mediated, and information-rich world.
• Literacy is beyond basic reading and writing skills, it encompasses financial, health, digital, and visual literacy.

Evolution of Literacy

• The first known writing system was the cuneiform script, invented in southern Mesopotamia circa 3000 BCE.
• The invention of the printing press in the 1450s made books more accessible to the masses.
• The evolution of literacy has transformed from clay tablets to digital media.

Importance of Literacy and Reading

• Literacy gives individuals skills and competence to function effectively in society.
• It encourages social contribution, empowers and liberates individuals, reducing poverty and social inequality.
• Literacy has a positive impact on health, sustainable development, and access to better job opportunities.
• Women empowered by literacy have a ripple effect on development, leading to improved health and education outcomes.
• Reading enables individuals to engage with their communities, promoting critical thinking, empathy, and cultural preservation.

Reading Process

• Reading is a complex cognitive process involving interdependent cognitive skills.
• It links cognitive, linguistic, and sociocultural dimensions, requiring the ability to make sense of texts and connect to prior knowledge.
• The reading process involves decoding, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and higher-order thinking skills.
• Building blocks of reading include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Challenges in Reading

• Challenges arise from the interplay between linguistic, cognitive, and socio-cultural factors.
• Linguistic factors include language proficiency, language variation, and multilingualism.
• Cognitive factors include decoding skills, vocabulary, knowledge, and background knowledge.
• Socio-cultural factors include cultural background, social identity, literacy practices, and knowledge.

Reading Models

• Reading models are ways educators instruct and teach reading, each based on a belief or philosophy on how children learn to read.
• The three main reading models are top-down, bottom-up, and interactive.

This quiz introduces students to the concept of literacy and reading, covering the definition and significance of literacy and understanding the reading process.