What is literacy & numeracy? – To me, to children

What is literacy & numeracy? – To me, to children

How literate and numerate are we? And how have we seen children engaging in literate or
numerate behaviour? What makes something a literate or numerate experience?

Literacy is shown in a number of different ways.  It includes reading, writing, singing, listening to music and drama.  Children learn by listening, modelling and watching the behaviours of those around them.  Especially young and very young children are finely attuned to the many and varied events that occur around them, on a daily basis.  It is during the first five years of life, that children's development is formed, being a foundation for them that stays with them throughout the remainder of their lives.  Numeracy is learned also in a different number of ways.  This includes signage that has numbers relating to different services and articles of interest.  Symbolism is shown in many ways, being available to children and to adults to read.  It can be as simple as the numbers written at the front of a bus, letter box numbers, car plate numbers and signage that indicates the room numbers in certain public buildings.

Children then engage in literate and numerate behaviour according to what they have witnessed.  It may be their parents or an early childhood educator, teaching them to wait until the count of ten, for example, before crossing a road that is no longer busy.  Waiting for traffic lights to change colour, teaches young children the literacy skills of various colours, connected with road safety.  Reading books out aloud, or repeating stories out aloud, singing songs, dancing, drama and listening to music are all various skills of literacy that young and older children engage in.  When children learn to recognise the simplest of numbers, they are practising mathematical skills.  This can be as simple as counting out two bananas bought at a shop, that are being divided between a couple of children.  It includes reading aisle numbers in a supermarket, learning to read the hands of a clock, as well as observing the attention that their parents apply to road rule signs.

Events become a literate or numerate experience in relation as to wheher the exercise involves words and sounds or numbers and counting.  Literacy is the former type of learning that children experience and numeracy is the latter. For myself, literacy and numeracy is the same as for children, except that the skills that I obtain are at a higher level of understanding, simply because I have had more lifetime experiences