Thursday, June 26, 2014
Blog Post- Prompt 1
Literacy can be defined as the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write. To be literate, you have the ability to not only read and write, but to think between the lines and words on a piece of paper. Having the ability to read is a great power to have because not everyone can do it. Writing is a great way of communication between the writer and the reader. Literacy is a way to communicate between someone who can write and someone who can read the writing. Without literacy, we wouldn’t be able to communicate at all. Being a literate person means that you can communicate and think effectively. To become literate, one must practice. You don’t become literate by a magical word or a good night’s rest. You must read and write over and over again. Read classic stories, poetry, and different forms of writing to allow your thoughts to be covered in the words of the greatest authors. You can learn from the writer. Write down revisions of stories, write the purpose of the story. Write, write, write. A literate person is able to know how to read properly. They can pick out symbolism and patterns. While reading, you can think of real reasoning behind what the author writes. Novels are puzzles, and by becoming a literate person, you can piece a masterpiece together. Writing is so much more than just combining words. It is taking your emotions and forcing the audience to make a decision about what they have read. In literacy, you can’t read and know how to properly write. It’s impossible to have one without the other. To be literate you must practice the art of literacy-- the ability to read and write.
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I love what you said about literature being a puzzle and only those who are literate being able to piece together the masterpiece. Most people think being literate means you just have to be able to read and write, but you were correct when you said you also have to be able to understand what you are reading. A sixth grader could read Hamlet, but they would not understand it, and it would not affect their life except it being that super hard book they did not understand. If they practiced reading Shakespeare and understanding what phrases mean what, like you said, they would begin to understand Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteVery good points; understanding is key. Good reading skills enable greater ease of understanding written text. As Foster states, “...you must refrain from getting too bogged down with details,” that it inhibits you from grasping main ideas. I also believe that the more a person accrues skills associated with written text, they tend to analyze and think more about the work. That in turn, can lead someone to ponder about concepts and beliefs that they wouldn’t have otherwise thought about. Which could result to self discovery. Literacy is equally important for bases of communication. Communication and speech is a fine tuned skill. Good speakers are valued for their ability to communicate thoughts effectively to others. As technology advances and society changes, the expanding need for increased communication skills and literacy is paramount.
ReplyDeleteI like your point about writing being a part of being literate. Many would assume literacy just pertains to the reading aspect of things, but in reality, writing analytical writing about the story, or writing in general, plays a massive part in being literate. Literacy is not only the ability to read or write, but also the ability to grasp meanings and symbols and understand what the author is saying - and not saying - with the works they create. And your analogy of puzzle is a very good way to look at it. I like it, as when I thought about it, I realized it was very true. Reading many different works by various authors will give a person many different pieces of a puzzle, and a masterpiece can be created as the reader becomes more literate with every piece gained from a reading.
ReplyDeleteI love how you mentioned literacy as an art. Many people do not understand that literature along with literacy is something that takes practice, as you said. A lot of people seem to believe either you understand or you do not, either you enjoy reading or you could care less. Literacy is an art because it takes such discipline and will to become literate. I also agree that while anyone can read a novel or a text, only those who are literate will pick up in the symbolism and the things you pick up through reading between the lines and digging deeper into the story. It adds a level of connection between the reader and the author only truly literate people can experience.
ReplyDeleteLilly,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the ideas which you brought up concerning literacy being something which is only attainable through practice and repetition. You stated, "You must read and write over and over again." After reading this statement, I pondered it for a few minutes and I wondered how it could apply to myself. It forced me to contemplate all those long days which I spent at school in Kindergarten and First Grade writing the same letters repeatedly until I could master the alphabet. Practice is how one can obtain literacy, and I am blessed to have been able to live in a country where literacy is something all people have the opportunity to enjoy. Reading and writing (literacy) are talents which many individuals in our world fail to have, so we must never take them for granted.
I like the idea that true literacy takes a continuous effort, and that being literate is more than just having the ability to read the alphabet and string together words. Literacy is understanding. Like anything, practice is key in becoming an intellectually literate thinker. To have the ability to read a text for what it is, understanding the author, and adding ones own thoughts and ideas to the process is literacy of the best kind. Sometimes people will criticize others for "thinking too far into things", but I think that that is a great thing to be found guilty of when it comes to literature! Think into the text, scour over meaning. Find meaning in the ordinary. Literacy is a combination of reading and thinking!
ReplyDeleteLily, I agree with the claims in your post. You express not only literacy as the ability to read and write, but also as the ability to delve deeper into literature in order to uncover hidden messages and meanings. You also explain the need for practicing literacy with reading and writing. In my post, I stated similar claims; therefore, I could not agree with this more. You included a great choice of words when you stated, “…practice the art of literacy -- the ability to read and write.” Your intense stressing for practicing with reading and writing effectively strengthened your post as well as greatly supported your claims.
ReplyDelete