Why Literacy Matter?

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Author Charles William Zulu

Literacy broadly can be understood as the ability to read, write and count in real life. It is developed by acquiring important competencies such as phonic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

Literacy plays a key role in individual, national and international development. For example, literacy helps citizens to make good decisions. In democratic governance, literacy assists citizens to make sound choices on who to be their leader. Literacy also empowers individuals by enabling them to become economically productive and independent.

Society usually leaves the responsibility of developing literacy in the hands of the teacher. We all know that the teacher is the game-changer, but the game requires teamwork.

What is the role of parents in literacy development? It is expected that apart from buying uniforms, soap, and exercise books parents have the duty to assist learners on how to count, read and write. They need to buy reading materials and appropriate technologies that support learning at home. They need to help children with homework; need to create home libraries or learning corners.

They need to feed children with food that boosts the brain such as salmon which is packed with omega-3 fatty acids which are crucial for brain performance. Avocado also boosts brain performance as it has monounsaturated fatty acids, keeping the nerve cells in the brain healthy.

Further, nuts have vitamin E which helps to protect against some aspects of age-related cognitive decline. Spinach, broccoli, and other leafy greens also increase brain performance.

Also, the berries, red wine, beans, dark chocolate, and cayenne pepper help improve learners’ brain performance and they break through to literacy with fewer difficulties. Educational toys, games, and apps also enhance brain performance.

Low literacy levels promote school dropouts. Children who are unable to read, write and count dislike school. They also feel shy in class hence they don’t participate in learning actively. It limits the ability to obtain and understand essential information.

Some of the causes of low literacy levels include: undiagnosed learning disabilities, hearing or vision loss, lack of role models in the home or at school, poverty, violence in the home, broken families affects learner performance, hunger, absenteeism, and lack of exposure to technology such as television, computers, smartphones, tablets, and radios.

The effects of low literacy levels are immeasurable and include: unemployment, lower-income, reduced access to lifelong learning and professional development, low self-esteem, and leaves someone in a precarious financial position.

It is evident that little value is given to education by some parents; we need to change this status quo as it lowers community involvement, and civic participation, promotes theft, makes government incurs huge taxpayer costs through welfare payments to mention but a few.

To sum it all, ‘Being literate is a human right.’

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