By wlf2019
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Learning to read is something most people in the U.S. don’t remember well. While many people take for granted their ability to skim through a magazine in the checkout line, others struggle to put their thoughts to paper or to interpret articles, books, and other media. For adults and young people living with a Specified Learning Disability (SLD), literacy is a challenge that doesn’t begin and end in the classroom.
Why does literacy matter? It’s a terribly simple question but the answer is not obvious to everyone. Literacy provides people with the freedom to find employment, positively engage in society and intellectually free themselves from the shackles of illiteracy.
Imagine you’ve slumped down in your chair for the new term. Your classmates are buzzing around you as the bell signals a new period. A figure walks through the door and you hastily grab your brand-new textbooks out of your bag.
Computers and the internet have become powerful tools for improving the way we do almost everything, from communication to entertainment and, perhaps most importantly, education.
Imagine you're stood in front of a class of 40+ primary school children. None of them speaks English and you don't speak a word of their native language. You have one textbook, a blackboard and two pieces of chalk. Now, teach!
What does inclusion in education mean? We do think children all over the world deserve an education. We must tailor the way we provide education to encompass children of varying abilities.
If your work relates to literacy and you believe reading changes lives, we encourage you to submit a paper with the view of presenting at the World Literacy Summit next April 5-8, 2020 at Oxford in the UK.
UNESCO reports that literacy is also a driver for improved health and nutrition, poverty reduction, and greater life opportunities for communities.
Knowledge is power? Not anymore. Skills, not knowledge, stand at the forefront of learning in our quickly evolving world. Having skills in literacy, and being able to generalize those skills, is no longer an ideal – it is a necessity.
