Literacy+Connections

Making connections with your literacy programme
Literacy is not developed just in your writing and reading section of the day. It is developed throughout the learning programme and also contributes to all areas of learning.

When working in science it is important to develop the particular language and vocabulary of science, and so from early years it is important to use the correct terminology and develop the vocabulary that will assist in researching, hypothesising, dialoguing, debating and presenting. In science we should work like scientists, and scientists work in all of the above ways.

Literacy is important in being able to research to validate findings, or to conduct other forms of information gathering such as interviews and questionnaires. Junior class and special needs students can often struggle with this aspect of learning. However, the good news is that technology is helping to provide a way of accessing this material. For example, being able to read text can be facilitated using text read software. A Google search for text read software will find many free programmes that will do this with text on a computer screen. Natural Readers is one such and can be downloaded free at http://www.naturalreaders.com/index.htm Once downloaded and installed you click on the miniboard. Now any text you highlight will be read by the reader software. This provides a great support for struggling readers to "read along" with the software. Some voice are better than others so check out the range on the cog icon. If you like the way this supports your readers, but dislike the American accent, the paid version has other voice options.