CHAPTER 3: NEW LITERCIES,

FUNCTIONAL LITERACY AND

MULTILITERACY

RECHELYN G. SALEM-MAGBANUA, MAED-MATH

Course Instructor
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this chapter, you must have:

1. Discussed new literacies and their impact on the
teaching-learning process
2. Described a multiliterate teacher
3. Cited how functional literacy and new literacies can
be integrated in the curriculum and practiced in the
classroom
 Seven New Literacies in the 21st Century Curriculum

1. Multicultural Literacy- is about understanding ethnic

groups that comprise the population and focuses on
complex issues of identity, diversity and citizenship.
2. Social Literacy- is the development of social skills,
knowledge and positive values in human beings to act
positively and responsibly in sophisticated complex social
settings.
 Seven New Literacies in the 21st Century Curriculum

3. Media Literacy- is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate,

and create media.
4. Financial Literacy- is the ability to make informed
judgments and make effective decisions regarding the use
and management of money.
5. Digital Literacy- is the ability to effectively use digital
devices for purposes of communication, expression,
collaboration and advocacy in a knowledge-based society.
 Seven New Literacies in the 21st Century Curriculum

6. Ecological Literacy- is understanding the principles of

ecosystems toward sustainability.

7. Creative Literacy- is the ability to make original ideas that

have value, and the ability to see the world in new ways.
 Functional Literacy
The term functional literacy was initially defined by
UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization) though William S. Gray in his
Teaching of Reading and Writing (1956) as adult training
to meet independently by reading and writing demands
placed on them. It stresses the acquisition of appropriate
verbal, cognitive and computational skills to accomplish
practical results in specific cultural settings dubbed as
survival literacy and reductionist literacy.
 Referring to Functional Literacy, UNESCO states the ff:
1. Literacy programs should be integrated to and correlated
with economic and social development plans.
2. The eradication of illiteracy should begin with population
sectors, which are highly motivated and need literacy for
their own and their country’s benefit.
3. Literacy programs should be linked with economic
priorities and carried out in areas undergoing rapid
economic expansion.
 Referring to Functional Literacy, UNESCO states the ff:
4. Literacy programs must impart not only reading and
writing but also professional and technical knowledge
leading to greater participation of adults in economic and
civic life.
5. Literacy must be an integral part of the over-all
educational system and plan of each country.
6. The financial need for functional literacy should be met
with various resources, as well as be provided for
economic investments.
Referring to Functional Literacy, UNESCO states the ff:

7. The literacy programs should aid in achieving main

economic objectives (i.e. increase in labor productivity,
food production, industrialization, social and professional
mobility, creation of new manpower and diversification of
the economy).
 The Education for All Global Monitoring report
(UNESCO, 2006)
Functional literacy means the ability to make
significant use of activities involving reading and writing
skills that include using information, communicating with
others, and following a path of lifelong learning necessary
for the ability to express him/herself in daily life.
 The Education for All Global Monitoring report
(UNESCO, 2006)
Functional literacy includes those skills essential for both
official and unofficial participation, as well as those which are
necessary for national change and development that can be
used to aid an individual in contributing to his/her own
development and that of his/her family and the society. The
National Statistics Authority defines functional literacy as the
level of literacy that includes reading, writing and numeracy
skills that help people cope with the daily demands of life.
 The Multiliterate Learner
Students would desire for: (1) teachers who use ICTs
skillfully for teaching and learning; (2) peers use ICTs
responsibly and who share their knowledge; (3) a literacy
curriculum that offers opportunities for collaboration with peers
around the world; (4) instruction that embeds critical and
culturally sensitive thinking into practice, standards and
assessments that include new literacies; (5) leaders and
policymakers who are committed advocates of ICTs for
teaching and learning; and (6) equal access to ICTs for all
classrooms and students.
 Impact of new literacies on instruction
Additional changes are taking place in literacy instruction
(Grisham and Wolsey, 2009). Henry (2008) restated that
engagement in literacy activities is being transformed today
like at no other time in history. As students turn to the Internet
ad other information communication technologies (ICTs) at
increasing rates to read, write and interact with texts, they
must develop new skills and strategies, or new literacies, to be
successful in these multimodal, intertextual and interactive
environments. The Internet has become the defining
technology for today’s youth and may be the most important
ICT for students to learn how to manipulate successfully.
 Multiliteracies in the Education Reform
In a broader essence, the concept of 21st century
skills is motivated by the belief that teaching students the
most relevant, useful, in-demand, and universally
applicable skills should be prioritized in today’s school. As
such, students need to be taught different skills that
should reflect the specific demands of a complex,
competitive, knowledge-based, information-age,
technology-driven economy and society.
 Assessment of multiliteracies

Assessment moves from usual memorization of facts

and disconnected processes to demonstration of
understanding through application in a variety of contexts.
Real-world audiences are important part of the
assessment process, including self-assessment.
 Preparing teachers for multiliteracies
New London Group (1996) underscored multi-
literacies as multimodal ways of communication that
include communications between and among other
languages using diverse channels within cultures and an
ability to understand technology and multimedia. As such,
applying multiliteracies to teaching offers a new
classroom pedagogy that extends and helps manage
classrooms.
 Four Components of Multiliteracies in teaching
Newman, (2002) in Biswas, (2004)
1. Situated practice- leads students towards meaningful
learning by integrating primary knowledge.
2. Overt instruction- guides students to the systematic
practice of learning process with tools and techniques.
3. Critical framing- teaches students how to question
diverse perceptions for better learning experiences.
4. Transformed action- teaches students to apply the
lessons they learn to solve real-life problems.
THE END!