What is literacy, and why does it matter?

What is literacy?

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that allows us to communicate effectively and make sense of the world around us.

The importance of literacy

Literacy is a fundamental life skill. Without it, life would be very challenging. Literacy skills help you to develop and communicate, and they underpin most learning at school. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are integral to success and to day-to-day engagement with learning activities.

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

Why reading and writing in English can be hard

Learning to read and write in English involves more than knowing the alphabet. Letters and sounds do not always match in a simple way:

• One sound, different spellings: the same vowel sound appears in rain, day and cake.
• One spelling, different sounds: ea sounds different in head and team.
• Silent letters: we write the k in knight, but do not say it.

English has developed over centuries and borrowed words from many languages. Its spellings reflect that history. There are useful patterns to learn, but also words that need extra attention.

Reading means linking written letters to sounds and understanding the message. Spelling asks a child to work the other way: hear a word, identify its sounds and choose the letters to write. Knowing how to read a word does not always mean knowing how to spell it.

Writing adds further demands. A child has to organise ideas, form sentences, remember spellings, use punctuation and manage handwriting or typing. Someone may explain an idea clearly aloud yet struggle to put it on paper.

Dyslexia can make accurate, fluent reading and spelling more difficult. These difficulties are not a sign of laziness or low intelligence, and reading or spelling difficulties alone do not establish a diagnosis.

Clear, step-by-step teaching of sounds, spelling patterns and meaningful word parts can help. With practice at the right level and support matched to their needs, children can build skills and confidence.

Further reading: British Dyslexia Association: spelling and Department for Education: the writing framework.

Things to try at home

• Keep reading to your child, whatever their age. Hearing books read aloud builds vocabulary and keeps the enjoyment of stories going while reading itself is hard.
• Try an audiobook alongside the printed book, so they can follow the words while they listen.
• Keep practice short and often. Ten relaxed minutes does more than an hour of struggle.
• Praise effort and the strategies they use, not just right answers.
• Let them choose what to read, including comics, magazines and non-fiction.

Questions to ask school

• What have you noticed about my child's reading and spelling?
• What support is in place now, and how will we know if it is working?
• Would any assessment in school help us understand the difficulty?
• Who is the best person to talk to, for example the SENDCo?

For free, independent help with these conversations, see local SEND support.