It can never be too early to encourage a love for language and literacy in children, involving them in fun reading exercises, hearing stories, and other activities. As they grow older, they will become more adept at understanding language, comprehending complex passages, and easily sharing their thoughts and ideas with others.
While developing these skills in students may take time, it is still an achievable task that educators and parents take very seriously. So, as parents do their best to keep their children engaged in exciting learning-based activities at home, educators do the same and a lot more in the classroom.
The following are three critical ways in which educational institutions are helping students improve their vocabulary and overall literacy skills.
Engaging classroom writing activities
Extensive reports show that students must grasp the concept of language and writing to succeed in any field as adults. It suggests that the primary issue many face in their jobs is the need for more prowess in writing formal emails and other communication. Fortunately, schools can help children while they are still young by shaping their impressionable minds to understand language comprehension more effectively.
Many begin by assigning straightforward writing tasks, such as essays or informal letters, gradually moving on to more challenging areas like research papers, academic writing, etc. Educators can guide them through the tasks initially, helping pupils understand the rules of sentence formation, grammar, tone, and other vital aspects.
Discussing the papers in class will help them note the areas they need to improve and do better the next time. It is advisable to have one-on-one discussions with students who have difficulties comprehending simple tasks, determining the root cause of the problem, and planning training sessions accordingly.
Dedicated reading sessions
Reading is integral to acquiring knowledge and enhancing literacy skills in students and even ordinary folks. Pupils with inadequate speaking command will benefit immensely from read-aloud sessions in class or privately, enabling them to learn correct pronunciation, intonation, and pauses.
Moreover, they can add new words to their vocabulary, using them accurately while speaking or writing. Most educators start with simple storybooks for younger children and move on to complex novels and similar materials for older pupils.
Although a fun classroom activity, the exercises can be done in groups gradually once students are confident enough to practise reading aloud by themselves. Supervision by expert instructors should be enough to keep them going in the right direction.
Systematic assessments
Many educators find it convenient and crucial to assess student writing abilities via personalised online assessments that gauge their academic prowess accurately. These papers focus on the practical importance of classroom training, testing narrative, and persuasive forms of writing through a diverse range of questions, depending on the student’s academic level.
For example, years 3 to 12 are generally tested on their knowledge of textual grammar, punctuation, syntax, and genre types. Educators use the results from these assessments to modify their training techniques to help students focus on areas that need improvement. With each passing test, students will invariably get better marks, proving how invaluable these online exams are to boosting their literacy vastly.
Ultimately, these skills will stay with them as adults, helping them draft emails, CVs, texts, and other critical content in personal and professional scenarios.
I’m an American and Italian citizen currently residing in Taipei, Taiwan. I speak 5 languages fluently. With a fervent passion for language learning and cultural exchange, I am a dedicated multilingual educator.
