Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Basic skills
• Method 2 of 4: Teaching small children and teens
• Method 3 of 4: Teaching Teens
• Method 4 of 4: Teach adults
• Tips

Literacy, or the ability to read and write, is one of the greatest gifts you can give to a person. While the skills are many and take time and practice to master, they will open up countless possibilities. These opportunities can then improve the lives of the next generation, greatly impacting and improving communities. Reading and writing also bring joy to many people. If you want to encourage literacy skills in the lives of those around you, here are some helpful ideas.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Basic skills

1. Learn letters. Learning the fundamentals of letters (what a letter is, what each letter is called, and how it sounds) is where you should start if you want to teach literacy effectively. Regardless of age or language, literacy must start with a good understanding of letters. If you're teaching a language with a non-Romanesque alphabet, the same principle applies: learn the characters first.
   • Teach your students how to recognize the different shapes of the letters. They will need to be able to easily differentiate between letters that look the same or letters that sound the same.
   • Size variation is an important part of learning how to write letters. Teach your students about uppercase and lowercase letters and when to use them. If you are learning a non-Romanesque alphabet, this is less of a problem.
   • Direction is another important skill. Your students need to know which direction letters are placed and how to properly place them next to each other. For Roman letters, this is from right to left and horizontal. For other languages ​​it can also be left to right or vertical depending on the region.
   • Space is also an important skill. Teach your students how to put space between words, sentences, paragraphs, etc.
2. Learn phonetics. Phonetics is about learning what sound letters make, how to identify those sounds and how to work with them. Developing your students' phonetic understanding is key to teaching them to read and write.
   • Teach your students to "hear". They must be able to listen to speech and recognize that those words are composed of individual sounds.
   • Once they understand the concept of those sounds, they learn to "identify" the sounds. For example, your students should be able to hear an "aaaaahhhh" sound and know that it is written with an "a".
   • Once they are familiar with identifying sounds, you will also need to teach them how to "manipulate" sounds in words. They must be able to recognize when words rhyme or when one word in a set begins or ends with a different sound than the other. They should also be able to come up with their own examples.
   • Teach them composite sounds too. You have to explain that the sound of letters changes when certain letters appear at the same time. For example, "th" or "sh" in English, "ll" in Spanish, and "ch" or "eu" in German.
3. Learn the formation of words. Once your students have a firm grasp of letters and their sounds, you can continue using those letters and sounds to form words. Read them regularly during this phase and also write many examples to look at. This gives them opportunities to see how words are formed.
   • An important part of learning word formation is teaching your students the difference between vowels and consonants. Teach them which letters they are and explain the need for vowels in a word. Learn the basics as to where in a word vowels can go. For example, it is rare for the only vowel in a word to be at the very end of the word, but it is quite common for the second letter or word to be a vowel.
4. Understand sentence structure. Your students will need to learn and understand sentence structure once they have mastered shaping. Sentence structure is the order in which words or parts of speech are used, the sequences in which they are used. Understanding sentence structure is necessary if they are to form written sentences that sound correct. Often people will have trouble writing this way, even if they speak correctly.
   • Your students should learn to identify nouns. Teach them what a noun is and where it usually occurs in a sentence. The easiest way to explain it is probably the tried-and-true "person, place, thing, or idea."
   • Your students should also be able to identify verbs. Teach them about "action words" and give them many examples. You can have them act out different verbs to solidify the concept in their minds. Explain where verbs go in a sentence.
   • Your students should also be able to identify adjectives. Explain that adjectives describe other words. Teach them where these words go in a sentence and how they bond with other words.
5. Learn the correct grammar. Teaching proper grammar will be absolutely essential for teaching your students to write sentences that sound understandable and natural.
   • Using parts of speech together is an important concept in grammar. Your students should get an idea of ​​how nouns, verbs and adjectives interact and how they fit together. Where these words go in a sentence and when they should be preceded or followed by another is also important to understand.
   • Conjugating verbs is essential for understanding how to form good sentences. Your students should practice making sentences that take place in the past, present and future. This will teach them how to change words to indicate the time. This is a complex skill and will not be really mastered until much later.
   • Conjugation and declination are other important skills. Conjugation is how verbs change depending on how they relate to the other words in the sentence. For example, in Dutch we say "I jump" but we also say "she jump". Nouns can go through a similar process called declination, but it doesn't exist in Dutch.
   • Although it has been largely removed from Dutch, many other languages ​​have case systems that your students should understand if they are learning one of those languages. cases denote the different functions that nouns and pronouns can serve in a sentence and, at least in those languages ​​with a case, how the case changes the noun (usually with a shift in the suffix).
6. Don't forget punctuation. A difficult skill to master, using the correct punctuation is essential for creating well-constructed sentences. Later in life, correct punctuation is often seen as a sign of intelligence and education, so building your students' skills in this area will be very important to give them opportunities in the future.

Method 2 of 4: Teaching small children and teens

1. Focus on the basic skills. When teaching literacy to kids and teens, it's important to focus on building the simplest skills first. Emphasize the fundamental building blocks discussed above, as a thorough understanding of these concepts and skills will give your students a solid foundation on which to build future reading and writing skills.
   • For elementary school children, literacy skills focus more on spelling, while for pre-teens it is more on grammar.
2. Introduce the types of writing. There are many different writing styles that your students should learn about. Knowing how to recognize and reproduce different styles for different contexts will be very important later in life.
   • Teach your students to recognize narrative writing. This is writing that conveys a story and is the form that is usually read for pleasure. It is often used as an exercise to improve literacy. Examples of narrative writing are novels, biographies, history and newspaper articles. It is easily recognized by the format: "This happened and then this happened and then this happened." and so on.
   • Teach your students to recognize persuasive writing. This is writing that gives up logical reasoning. Examples of persuasive writing can be seen in job applications, editorial articles and academic papers.
   • Teach your students to recognize explanatory script. This is writing that explains, informs or describes something. What you are reading right now is an excellent example of expository writing. Newspaper articles can also fall into this category along with encyclopedias and reports.
3. Learn the elements of storytelling. Children in this age group should learn the basics of storytelling. This gives them the tools they need later in life to analyze the things they read.
   • Elements of story telling are beginning, middle and end, crisis or climax, and character. These are easiest taught to children when done at the same time as reading a book over the course of a few weeks. This gives you the opportunity to discuss and analyze the text so they can see how these ideas work in practice. Reinforce these skills by letting them write their own stories.
4. Introduce the Five Paragraph Essay. The Five Paragraph Essay contains an introduction, three body paragraphs (usually argumentative in some way) and a conclusion. This usual spelling will be used throughout their lives and should be implemented as early as possible.
   • Introductory assignments could include a review of their favorite toy or game, a compelling essay on why they should eat more candy, or a biography of their favorite family member.
5. Learn the use of voice. Voice refers to who "speaks" in a text. Vote can be mixed in a text, but this would generally be not should. Being able to identify and manipulate voice will be important for your students to learn as it will help them analyze the things they read.
   • Common voices are: first person (heavy use of "me / me"), second person (heavy use of "you"), and third person (heavy use of names and "they"). Times can also be applied to any of these voices, changing how it sounds and reads.
   • First person example (past tense): "I went for a walk today. My dog, Spike, came with me. Spike likes to go on walks with me."
   • Second person example: "You went for a walk today. Your dog, Spike, came with you. Spike likes to go for a walk with you."
   • Example of a third person: "Sarah went for a walk today. Her dog, Spike, went with her. Spike likes to take her for a walk."
6. Avoid setting limits. Try to keep as many doors open as possible in exercises and assignments, especially with primary school children. Children at this age are very creative (a trait that will be very useful later on) and it is better for them if this creativity is not discouraged or downplayed.
   • Children will also learn better by having to think for themselves, so you will help them significantly by giving them opportunities to do that (by completing open-ended assignments and exercises).
7. Keep it as fun as possible. Make learning fun. Children are easily distracted if they feel that their work is too boring or unattractive. By fusing learning and playing, you ensure that your students are engaged and absorb information.
   • For example, you can have teens create a game and then write rules for it. This will be fun, but it will also force them to think about writing a specific language that is also easy to follow.
   • Let elementary school-age children write, edit, and illustrate their own books. This will work on developing their understanding of story and character, while at the same time improving their ability to form correct sentences with the correct spelling.
8. Learn skills before and after writing the process. It is important for children to learn that there is more to writing than putting words on a page. Learning skills before and after writing can help children learn to write and work on building their language skills.
   • Outlines are an example of a pre-writing skill. By outlining what they plan to write, students can go through logical processes. It will also teach them to think of elements of writing (different paragraphs or subtopics) as a unified whole, rather than pieces simply placed side by side.
   • Editing is an example of a post-writing skill. Editing their own work and the work of others builds language skills. This makes your students skilled writers, but also improves their confidence in their writing. If they know how to find and correct mistakes, they will be less hesitant because of fear of failure.

Method 3 of 4: Teaching Teens

1. Build on previous skills. Just because your students should have learned basic grammar or spelling when they were younger doesn't mean those skills should be neglected now. Continue to work on skills such as grammar, spelling, parts of speech, voice, time and writing style. This keeps their skills sharp and also helps any students who did not get along well.
2. Encourage creativity. At this older stage, many people will have decreased creativity. However, creative thinking makes people better problem solvers and innovators, so such skills should be promoted in every way possible. Writing is one of the best opportunities for students to bring creativity into their academics. Encourage them to take new approaches to assignments and reading methods.
3. Emphasize critical thinking. During this time in their lives, children must develop the skills necessary to prepare them for higher education. This ensures that they have the most opportunities. An absolutely necessary skill for higher education, as well as a vital life skill, is critical thinking. Encourage your students to really think about the things they read and write. This will prepare them to do everything from analyzing news stories to fully participating in the political process.
   • Have your students ask questions about what they are reading. Who wrote this book? Why did they write it? Who did they write it for? What impact did the environment around them have on the text? There are many questions like these that can serve to illuminate information hidden in the things they read.
   • Have your students ask questions about their own writing. Why did I choose this voice? Why do I have the opinion that I have expressed? Why is this something I care about? What would I rather write? These types of questions can lead your students to learn a lot about themselves, but it will also help them make more conscious decisions about the things they write.
4. Prepare for real, academic writing. If you want your students to have a real chance to get a higher education, they must be able to do the more complex writing forms common in colleges, universities and training programs. This means using argumentative skills, expressing oneself clearly, using logic and following the correct formats. Give them the opportunity to practice these skills while pursuing topics that interest them.
5. Encourage reading. We often become better writers by reading excellent examples of the trade. Make sure your teens read well-written, classic literature. Give them books in very different styles so they can see differences in voice, description and word choice. They should get older works that remain classical to see why certain techniques are timeless and have great appeal. They should also read newer material so that they have solid models to build on for their own writing.
   • This has the added benefit of often expanding a student's vocabulary. Encourage them to look up every word they don't know. This will help give them the adult vocabulary, which is often a sign of a good education, which will help them exponentially in further academic and professional settings.
6. Pay attention to careful choice of words. Many inexperienced writers will often use many more or fewer words than necessary. Lead them until they learn to balance description, dialogue, details and information. This is a very difficult skill to learn and will take both time and practice.
   • Make sure that overly comprehensive writers learn what to include and what is just unnecessary. This will often be a wealth of adjectives or repetitive sentences. Show them how to cut out unnecessary words and get their sentences back to basics.
   • A smaller proportion of writers will have a hard time getting descriptive and specific enough. Teach them to step back and approach their writing with a list of requirements. Could this be understood by someone completely new to the topic? Can someone come to and follow a specific page? Give them exercises, such as writing a whole page describing an apple, to improve their skills.
7. Develop handwriting skills. An important skill for teen development is adult-level handwriting. While rounded, uneven characters with childish shapes are acceptable to beginning students, teens want to develop a more "grown-up" look on their handwriting if they are to be taken seriously in future academic and professional endeavors.
   • Give teens the opportunity to practice their handwriting. Most assignments these days are typed and this takes away a student's chance to improve their handwriting. Require shorter assignments to be handwritten or find other ways to spend time improving their skills.
   • Encourage readability, even letters and clean lines. The writing doesn't have to be in italics to look mature and professional, it just needs to be precise. When teens excel at this, reward them. When they struggle, show them what needs to be improved and give them a chance to fix mistakes.
   • Give handwriting exercises extra points. Repeated lines of the same letter will provide students with good practice and allow them to easily see improvements and be introduced to appropriate gestures.

Method 4 of 4: Teach adults

1. Make it simple. Adults need to learn literacy in many of the same ways a child would. These are basic building blocks and should not be skipped just because they are simplistic. Streamline the learning process by giving your students the most basic skills so they are prepared for the more complex ones.
2. Build trust. Because there is so much social stigma attached to adult illiteracy, you absolutely must develop trust with your students. Don't judge them, make them feel dumb, criticize them for mistakes, and be patient at all times.
   • Above all, show them that you also make mistakes. Show them if you don't know things. Show them a word in a dictionary to find out its spelling or meaning. Show them that you ask for help when you need it, such as if you are unsure of the grammar of a sentence. Modeling behavior in this way will show your students that not knowing something is not a sign of stupidity or character weakness.
3. Build confidence. Build their confidence. Illiterates are often ashamed of themselves for not knowing how to read or write. Building their confidence will encourage them to take risks without fear of mistakes or rejection. Doing is essential to the learning process. When your students are doing well, tell them so. When your student makes a mistake, emphasize in any way that he was right or acted logically before showing them how to do it correctly.
4. Promote passion. People who love something will always put in more work for it and do it better than those who do something they don't love. Give your students a reason to love what they do. Men like to be able to read sports stories or game descriptions, while women like to read about beauty tips or make their own clothes and accessories.
5. Build skills for appropriate levels. Move slowly from the basic skills to the higher levels as described in the teen section. Over time, they will reach a skill level appropriate to their age. This will significantly improve their job prospects and confidence.

Tips

• When teaching letters, try to break it down in terms of contour lines. Use the concept of headline, beltline, and footline to learn when to anchor letters, as well as where to end short letters and end tall letters.
• Teach workshop style writing. This creates the best opportunity for your students to learn. Model the skill you are trying to teach and let them try it for themselves. When they are done, go back to coach them on what they have done well and how they can improve.
• Learning to better evaluate writing skills can also prove to be a valuable skill for better assessing student progress.