Early Literacy is NOT just – 1. Phonemic awareness & Phonics 2. Grammar 3. Vocabulary 4. Comprehension
Is your child subjected to the ‘busy syndrome’ in Preschools / Schools?
(Important – The phrase ‘Busy Syndrome’ and ‘Busy Scheduling’ the child with respect to Preschools / Schools is coined by Rewati Raman Vishewar; It would be ethical and lawful to refer his name, if you use these phrase in your writing)
Both “oversimplification” and “over-intellectualization” is equally dangerous.
Time and again ECE Professionals have been putting it quite simply that only below mentioned things are needed for Early Literacy –
1. Phonemic awareness & Phonics
2. Grammar
3. Vocabulary
4. Comprehension
However things are rather complex when it comes to fluency of above mentioned four things, doing it on daily basis and practicing it daily in our Pre-Primary and Primary Curriculum.
But what happens when ‘Early Literacy’ is reduced to above mentioned four things in much simplified manner?
There are preschools / schools where you will find children busy (and not “loitering” around) in doing ‘activities’, doing ‘worksheets’, listening ‘stories’.
The children are quite busy.
When ‘Early Literacy’ is reduced to above mentioned things in much simplified manner, what we get is a “busy” child, but not progressing on the goals of ‘Early Literacy’.
Doing works to keep child ‘busy’ is NOT the same thing to help children towards progressing on the goals of ‘Early Literacy’.
Developing the curriculum with ‘busy scheduling’ (Vishewar) the child may not help us in achieving the goals of ‘Early Literacy’. Overlooking of principles of ‘Early Literacy’ is costing us heavily.
Socio-economic background of the child, cultural and traditional practices, family background, availability of time and other resources will shape our approach towards ‘early literacy’.
Few important elements that would require special emphasis while developing curriculum with respect to ‘Early Literacy’ are as follows –
1. Multilingualism,
2. Writing,
3. Oral Language development,
4. Instructional practices and instructional routine for teaching ‘early literacy’,
5. Type of literature and books
6. Understanding of socio-political ‘agenda’ by the teachers (Krishna Kumar)
7. Discourse
Do you want your teachers, curriculum developers, academic coordinators to be trained over ‘Early Literacy’ (Pre-Primary & Primary Grades)? Or, if you want your curriculum to follow the best principles of ‘early literacy’ (Pre-Primary & Primary Grades), then please Contact ‘Rewati Raman Vishewar’ at his Mob . / WhatsApp No. +91 9910680423.
Rewati Raman Vishewar is Curriculum Developer & Teacher Educator and also Co-Founder at ‘The ZERO Curriculum™’.
