The process of learning to read and write is known as literacy. Reading implies the comprehension of a text and writing supposes the production of a message with a certain purpose. It is, therefore, actions with common aspects but that require some different skills.
Most children feel like starting to read and write because this means entering the world of adults. However, we adults do not always know how to accompany this process so that it is satisfactory and occurs properly.
At what point to start?
In a social context like ours, it is common for children to see reading and writing experiences in everyday actions and to relate in one way or another to the written code. Looking carefully at the pages of a book, imitating the act of reading or writing, listening to adults reading aloud, making deductions or hypotheses about what will happen in a story, or reflecting on what to write in a message are all aspects that, without having to master the written code, are already part of this learning.
These types of activities are very relevant and, in many cases, make a big difference between those who have enjoyed them with their family and those who have not had this opportunity. The school should take this into account and offer situations that generate an affective bond with this learning.
However, the acquisition of the mechanism of reading and writing independently occurs between the ages of four and eight and arose from the maturity of the child. To start reading and writing it is necessary to have developed skills such as: having control of movement (of the body and of the hand); coordination and visual agility (to discriminate the letters and correctly follow the line); good orality (articulation of sounds, rich vocabulary, correct structure of speech) and attention, concentration and listening skills.
Thus, to begin reading and writing, it is essential to recognize that there are prior needs that must be addressed, that each child has different rhythms and interests, and that the process must be accompanied without pressure that can be counterproductive.
Accompany in the process
In learning to read and write, it is key to combine systematization with creativity and spontaneity, always starting from the child’s experiences and their need to explore, play and share.
A characteristic of children is their connection with words: they like to play with sounds, make rhymes, etc. These activities are important in this process, since they allow them to develop phonological awareness, that is, the ability to recognize the elements that make up language (words, syllables and phonemes) and reflect on them. This is a relevant ability to learn written code.
To guide the acquisition of reading and writing, it is pertinent to recover and renew the contributions of leading educators such as M. Montessori or C. Freinet. Authors who offer us materials, experiences and a way of understanding the child’s learning and its nature that, together with more recent contributions in the field of psychology or neuroeducation, give us the possibility of accompanying this process taking into account the peculiarity of each child.
materials that help
In this sense, it is necessary to have materials so that each child, autonomously, can develop different skills, and with degrees of difficulty. We are referring, for example, to using sandpaper letters, individual blackboards on which to draw letters or mobile alphabets; materials that, ordered and used in an appropriate way, serve to know the code (associating sound and spelling) in a sensory way, helping to make this abstract language visible.
Whenever possible, it is better to offer self-correcting materials that allow the child to check aspects such as whether he has composed the word correctly. It is about providing learning opportunities, promoting autonomy and preventing the evaluating gaze of the adult from constantly weighing on the student.
Facilitate understanding and expression
As for reading, it is necessary to start reading known words and associate them with drawings or actions. We must make sure that the reader will be able to make sense of what has been read from the beginning of the process and that they will have different materials nearby to read (posters, words with pictures, etc.), without forgetting literary works with variety and textual richness so that they can explore the reading .
The writing should emerge from the child’s living phrases, from his desire to express himself. For this reason, there must be space for free writing, linked to drawing and oral expression. In line with what Freinet stated, the child can write about what he wants and when he wants, expressing his desires or experiences in a sentence or text.
First they can be written by the adult next to the child and later they can be done alone. For this to be possible, it is necessary for the child to have spaces and materials to write without an adult’s prescription, to scribble and test his writing or have a notebook to make notes in outer space, at times of play, etc.
