Language arts classes play a crucial role in the literacy development of elementary-aged children. By learning to read and write a child is able to grow intellectually in not only language arts classes but all other classes as well.
Communication is necessary to acquire knowledge on any subject and the more developed a child is in language arts the faster they will learn. There are multiple aspects of language arts that each play an important role in the growth of a students literacy. In this essay I will explain how the different facets of language arts, reading, writing, etc, affect the literacy development of elementary students.Learning to read is one of the most crucial aspects of a child's literacy development because it opens the doors to all sorts of valuable information.
Through reading a child is able to discover new things about the world and the people that inhabit it. This allows a child to grow as a person by relating the ideas found in books to their own lives. This helps to develop a child's personality by opening their eyes to the various settings and lessons learned in books. For elementary-aged children the process of learning to read first involves a teacher or parent simply explaining what certain words mean.It then evolves into the child learning to match certain words with a picture displaying its meaning. They also learn to pronounce simple words and learn to spell and place words in sentences.
Teachers use sight words to accomplish this as they are easy to remember and understand. As a child's reading skills begin to develop further they start to understand a plethora of new words and their meanings. This is very exciting for students as they are now able to use books to find answers to the various questions they have about things.Reading gives the students a feeling of independence because they are now able to learn things on their own. This leads to the development of a child's literacy in that they can now discover and learn new things in a variety of subjects all on their own.
Writing is also an important part of a elementary-aged child's language arts development. The use of writing allows children to express their thoughts and feelings which in turn allows for the growth of their personality and intelligence. A elementary student begins his or her journey in writing by first learning to write their name.This then develops into more advanced writing skills which they will need in pretty much every other class they will take.
Children will progress their writing skills to where they can express their thoughts and feelings independently which, similar to reading, is a very exciting premise. This progression is developed in a variety of teaching methods such as spelling instruction and learning to have better handwriting. The teacher should encourage students to write on their own as way to explore their interests and express their feelings.This will help a student master the art of writing which will aid them throughout their academic careers. Speaking, or communicating orally, is one of the first things a elementary-aged child can do without help when they begin school. Most are able to convey their wants and needs at an early age.
This is developed through the learning of new words and being able to apply those words to more accurately express themselves. Reading about new things and ideas add to a child's speaking development as they are able to take the words in various stories and books and begin to use them accordingly.Students in elementary school need to be encouraged to communicate early and often because it allows them to share their experiences with each other and learn from those experiences. The back and forth communication between students and teachers helps develop language arts skills by hearing and learning of new words and then applying them vocally to better express themselves. Basically everything a student reads, writes, or hears in school helps develop their communication skills.The more words and experiences a student is exposed to the better the student will be able to understand and apply them to what they have already learned.
Another important aspect of language arts that contributes to the development of elementary-aged students literacy is listening. This is ultimately interconnected with the development of a child's oral communication and begins at a very early age. Elementary-aged students need to be encouraged to practice proper listening because it will improve their speaking, reading, and writing.The development of a students language arts skills are continually increased through listening to books read aloud, conversing with peers and teachers, and many other classroom activities. As elementary-aged students begin to increase their listening skills they will also begin to be able to follow more complex instructions which ultimately accelerates their learning.
Viewing, watching, or seeing various visuals such as, plays, videos, and illustrations is also an important element in the literary development of elementary-aged students.By simply viewing certain educational materials students can not only gain important scholarly skills but social skills as well. It is important to teach students that the use of visuals can be a a great way to persuade and communicate ideas. The use of diagrams and videos are, in some cases, better at getting students attention, which will increase their learning of a topic. Lastly, elementary-aged students use visual representation as a way to develop their literacy and language arts skills.This is seen through the use of visual images such as maps, graphs, photos, diagrams, and videos.
Elementary-aged students can develop their language arts skills by using visuals as a form of communication. This is done by teaching students to better understand that pictures and other visual aids can help explain ideas. Often done with the aid of words and speech, visuals can be used by students to explain concepts or establish a position in a debate. Visuals can also be used to better represent a certain topic or better communicate an idea.
