Having A Literacy-Rich
Environment Is Important
Teachers in this
generation need to pay more attention to the students’ literacy environment.
The teacher needs to ensure that the students are in an environment that is
conducive for their learning. This should not only be for Literacy teachers but
also for teachers in the content area. Teachers tend not to spend time in
creating a literacy-rich environment for their students. Teachers often wonder
why students may not be enthused to read or take part in any other activities,
oblivious of the fact that this reason is as a result of the environment. This goes
to show how important the literacy environment is to both the teacher and the
students.
Visual Insights on a
Literacy–Rich Environment
A Literacy-Rich
Environment should be a place, or a surrounding that invites children or
perhaps any individual at all to want to indulge in various literacy
activities. When students in particular, enter this area they should be
immediately fascinated and enthused to take part or be a part of the various
literacy activities.
A Literacy-Rich
Environment should have creative charts plastered about the walls, books of
various genres neatly placed on shelves, labels with words and pictures,
student’s work and other literary work. This type of environment is suggested
on the basis that it would be one that is conducive for learning. All teachers
should strive to have such an environment to encourage students to be vivid
readers, writers, and listeners. All the material in this environment should be
structured in a manner that will enhance the literacy experiences of reluctant
readers.
While students
are engaged in their various activities the teacher should walk around ensuring
that students understand what they are reading, if it is that they are reading
a book. The teacher should assist students in choosing books to read. This
allows the teacher to find out if the students are progressing in their reading
abilities or if it is that they are facing difficulties. When the teacher
oversees the students’ activities she is better able to identify their
strengths and weaknesses, and will then be able to execute the necessary strategies
to help his/her students.
What Should the Literacy-Rich
Environment Sound Like?
This environment
should be quiet. If there is noise it should be constructive noise. It should
sound like students listening to sing-along, reading, or probably watching a
movie. The teacher should at all times monitor the noise level in this
environment so as to prevent confusion and distraction.
