A Literacy Rx for EFA: What Every Teacher Needs to Know A Presentation for the Comparative International Education Society Baltimore, MD February 25, 2007

Education For All and Literacy High levels of literacy are quality indicators of primary education. High levels of literacy are the foundation for successful secondary education and an educated workforce. High levels of literacy are essential for lifelong learning and for supporting /promoting a culture of literacy

The Goals of a Literacy Program eradication of illiteracy mastery of basic skills application of problem solving strategies independent reading and writing reading and writing as effective learning tools reading and writing as valued cultural habits How we define success dictates our approach in the classroom

Three Models of Reading Text-based Bottom-Up Model Reader-based Top-Down Model Interactive Model

Text-based Bottom-Up Model READER UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE Semantic Analysis Syntactic Analysis Lexical Analysis Perceptual Analysis TEXT reading is a perceptual process meaning resides in the text processing proceeds from part to whole

Reader Based Top-Down Model READER UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE Semantic Analysis Syntactic Analysis Lexical Analysis Perceptual Analysis TEXT reading is a language process meaning resides in the reader processing proceeds from whole to part

READER UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE Interactive Model READER UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE Semantic Analysis Syntactic Analysis Lexical Analysis Perceptual Analysis TEXT perception of letters depends on surrounding letters perception of words depends on syntactic environment perception of words depends on semantic environment perception of syntax depends on the semantic context interpretation depends on the general context in which the text is encountered

Definition of Reading Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among the reader, the text, and the context of the reading situation.

Factors Contributing to Literacy READER TEXT Prior Knowledge Type/Organization Knowledge About Reading Linguistic Properties Attitudes & Motivation Structural Features CONTEXT Purpose/Task Instruction/Support Setting

Components of Literacy: What Students Should Learn Word Analysis Rate and Fluency Vocabulary Development Comprehension Studying Composition

Diagnostic Teaching in Tanzania Program Objectives To help teachers develop high-utility classroom assessment techniques for monitoring pupils’ literacy development To help teachers develop a more articulated understanding of literacy, literacy behaviors, and how literacy develops To help teachers develop a habit of linking classroom observations, monitoring, knowledge of the literacy process, and instruction.

Teacher Knowledge of Literacy Item Number No Answer Partial Correct Complete Correct Item #1 Decoding 10/4 10/5 10/20 Item #2 Fluency 15/9 9/5 6/15 Item #3 Vocabulary 7/0 5/10 18/19 Item #4 Comprehension 14/2 2/2 12/27 Item #5 Motivation 13/6 11/9 7/14

A Literacy Rx for EFA a developmental scope and sequence of literacy objectives informal and standardized assessments of literacy progress explicit teaching of strategies for reading, writing, listening, and discussion