What is literacy and why is it important?

Literacy encompasses more than just reading and writing; it extends to understanding and interpreting language. It’s a foundational skill that empowers individuals to communicate, comprehend, and engage in society effectively. This includes access to knowledge, economic prospects, social connections, and participation in democratic processes. It is beyond being able to decode written words; it involves critical thinking, interpretation and the ability to analyse and evaluate information.

Navigating the complexities of the education system can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to identifying the most effective approach to literacy. Fortunately, ongoing research in the field of literacy provides us with valuable insights, significantly enhancing our understanding of how best to teach reading and writing. Then why are there so many inconsistencies?

What are the main approaches to teaching literacy in Australia?

Within the realm of literacy education, several approaches have gained prominence, including the Whole Language Approach (WLA), Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP), and Balanced Literacy (BL), each with its nuances and derived methodologies. There has been a shift in the recent years from a Whole Language Approach (WLA) approach to a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) and Balanced Literacy (BL) approach. In this article we will be discussing these main approaches for teaching literacy specifically rather than language learning.

1. Whole Language Approach ( WLA )

The Whole Language Approach (WLA) promotes the concept that language should be viewed as a complete system. It emphasises teaching children to recognise whole words by sight and using context rather than relying on phonics for decoding.

Emerging in the 1800s and coming into prominence in the 1980s, largely due to the efforts of politician Horace Mann, Whole Language Approach (WLA) advocates for learning language in context. It encourages students to understand texts by applying their existing knowledge and using cues from their surroundings, instead of focusing on phonics or breaking down learning into smaller segments.

The approach prioritizes practical applications and immerses students in environments rich in literature. Mann also cautioned against the practice of teaching children to phonetically sound out words, arguing that it could divert their attention away from understanding the meaning of the words.

2. Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP)

Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP), on the other hand, offers a structured literacy teaching approach that teaches children to break down words into smaller phonetic components. It emphasises the explicit instruction of the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) whilst incorporating phonological awareness activities like blending and segmenting sounds in a systematic format. Recognised for its evidence-based foundation, Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) addresses the cognitive processes essential for reading. You may have heard of programs like MultiLit, Minilit, Sounds Write, and Little Learners Love Literacy that are based off an Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) approach.

3. Balanced Literacy (BL)

Balanced Literacy (BL) attempts to merge the philosophies of Whole Language Approach (WLA) and Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP), aiming for a middle ground. This means using Whole Language Approach (WLA) approaches and embedding phonics into their teaching. However, defining this ‘balance’ can be challenging, and critics argue that, in practice, it often leans more towards ‘whole language’ principles. The concern lies in whether children’s foundational literacy skills are sufficiently developed; without a solid base, students may struggle to advance.

4. Reading Recovery (RR)

Reading Recovery (RR) is a literacy intervention approach that was developed to aid struggling readers in their early schooling years. It employs individualised instruction, with each student receiving personalised 1:1 lessons from a trained Reading Recovery (RR) teacher, lasting 30 minutes per day for 12-20 weeks. During these sessions, students engage in reading familiar books with the slow introduction of new books, as well as writing tasks such as assisted story construction.

They also listen to new books and attempt to read them. There is some emphasis on letter identification, sound segmentation (breaking the sounds up in words), and phonemic awareness (identifying individual sounds in words) tasks. However, there is limited targeted intervention on phonological awareness skills, which are fundamental pre-literacy skills.

Other shortcomings noted include the use of repetitive and familiar books, leading to children memorising specific words instead of employing their phonological awareness skills. Additionally, selected books offer visual cues, allowing children to guess the correct word rather than utilising their phonological awareness abilities. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence supporting the long-term effectiveness of Reading Recovery (RR), thus has become less and less popular.

5. Other literacy approaches

Other approaches include:

Multimodal literacy, which utilises digital technologies and multimedia platforms to improve literacy skills, such as websites, videos, social media posts, advertisements, and interactive digital media.
Literacy across the curriculum, where literacy skills and strategies are integrated into all subject areas, not solely English classes. This method entails embedding explicit instruction in literacy skills and strategies within subject-specific lessons.

Additionally, it’s crucial to acknowledge that schools might incorporate multiple approaches to literacy. For instance, a school could offer instruction in ‘sight words’ while primarily adopting a Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) approach for teaching literacy. The rationale behind integrating ‘sight words’ could be to enhance orthographic abilities (identifying patterns of specific letters as words such as diagraphs ‘sh’) and overall reading fluency.

Understanding Literacy Approaches in Our Education System: A Guide (Part 1)