Domains of Literacy Part 1

1. Attitude towards Language, Literacy, and Literature.

This is the only domain which cannot be taught. Teachers can develop a positive attitude by
providing a print rich environment. By exposing children to many different types of texts, you
can help them develop their own reading tastes, as well as realize that reading is not only
something for school. It can also be done for pleasure!

2. Oral Language

Literacy development is dependent on oral language development. A child’s success in reading

and writing in a language is dependent on an understanding of the spoken language. You can
read aloud to your students every day. Expose them to a variety of storybooks, poems, and
informational materials. Provide supportive conversations and activities before, during, and after
reading. Repeated reading of favorite books builds familiarity, increasing the likelihood that
children will attempt to read these books on their own.

3. Phonological Awareness

Before children learn to read print, they need to become aware of how the sounds in words work.
Phonological awareness is an encompassing term involving work with words, syllables, onsets,
rimes, and phonemes. You can use syllable clapping. Give a word to a child and ask him or her
clap the number of syllables. You can also try rhymes. Give a word to the students and have
them think of rhyming words. Remember to make these activities fun and enjoyable for the
pupils.

4. Book and Print Knowledge

Learning how to use books is an important building block for early literacy. Book and print
knowledge includes skills in the following:

• Identifying the parts of a book which are the front and back cover, and its pages
• Knowing that a book has an author and illustrator
• Holding the book right side up
 • Flipping the pages of the book sequentially, one page at a time
• Knowing where a story begins

Read to children often as it will model to them how to properly handle the book. Bring your
pupils to events such as meet and greet authors and illustrators.

5. Alphabet Knowledge

Children who know many letter names tend to have easier time learning to read than ones who
have not learned these skills yet. Alphabet knowledge is a strong predictor of later reading
success. Teach about the alphabet. Show ABC books and flash cards to your pupils. You may
also use clay, flour, and sand for writing the letters.

6. Writing and Composition

It is formulating ideas into sentences or longer texts and representing them in the conventional
orthographic of written language. Composing is different from copying. When the teacher writes
something on the board and asks the pupils to copy, that is not composing. It's merely copying.
To develop writing and composing, kids need many opportunities to practice their writing.

7. Phonics and Word Recognition

Children’s reading development is dependent on their understanding of the alphabetic principle -

the idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language. Learning that
there are predictable relationships between sounds and letters allows children to apply these
relationships to both familiar and unfamiliar words, and to begin to read with fluency.