Your child’s literacy is a human right
Every parent should know that 100 per cent literacy in Tasmania is achievable, so start the conversation with kindness — and keep asking.
I write to parents of Tasmanian schoolchildren. Especially those who are concerned about their children’s reading and writing. Literacy must be equitably available to every child. It is a human right.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins with the statement “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression”. Human rights are important. They are the internationally agreed legal norms and ethical standards that guide our dwelling here together peacefully, happily, and sustainably on this earth.
This shout-out is not about demanding rights, though. It is an effort to share thoughts and discussion that might help us all do for our children the best we can with the power we have.
To exercise the right in Article 19, children must first have the means by which to express opinion. If we do not give them the means, we have denied them the right before they even get started.
Acquiring the means to opinion and expression begins with the earliest development of communication skills. These skills grow through positive interactions and shared language. Warm interactions, enriched with language, are human treasure troves that underpin wellbeing, mental health, and physical health. They also underpin literacy. And literacy is then built on the stimulation of direct, systematic instruction.
When children can read and write, literacy becomes the tool they use to develop their language, knowledge, and social skills even further. Together these all create the means for opinion and expression. If we deny children their best opportunity for positive interactions and language, leading to literacy, we deny them Article 19. Straight up.
Children also have their own Rights document — the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It is written for the special needs that children have because they are more vulnerable and dependent. Article 28 states “Children have the right to an education”. Yes, yes! And that education must be effective at building every child’s language and literacy. Not just for some.
Positive interactions are essential for ongoing growth of language and literacy at any age. Because of this, children’s best education must include the wellbeing of families, school personnel, and other students. For these are the people our children will interact with to receive many of the enabling positive interactions with language.
Thus, positive interactions, language and literacy are the very roots of children’s rights. They are what makes it possible for humans to become the most clear-thinking and contributing citizens they can be.
Almost all people can learn to read and write. That’s why there’s a move for #100PercentLiteracy in Tasmania.
Only a tiny percentage of our people may not fully gain these skills, because of disability they did not ask for and cannot be blamed for. But it is possible to also support this small and important group of citizens to reach 100 per cent of their language and literacy potential.
High expectations that are kind, supported by knowledge, and warmly relational, become… inspirational!
As a community we can confidently have high expectations of our children and young people with disability — and of every single other student. Especially regarding language and literacy. We can be confident about achieving #100PercentLiteracy. To achieve this, we must raise our expectations and back them with evidence-based practices.
We are living at a time in which slowly increasing numbers of school teams are teaching reading and writing by methods informed by science. These practices are informed by the scientific literature about how humans learn to read. And the implementation of those practices follows scientific principles. These teams have increased their expectations. Of students and each other. They are getting stunning changes in their students’ literacy learning. These teams are exultant. They have really clear proven process to bring to students. This is deeply satisfying for them and effective for their students. They know to keep at it, measure, review, adjust, and keep at it. This is iterative, implementation science.
So, parents of Tasmanian schoolchildren, ask the principal at your school what they are doing to commence and keep improving the school’s delivery of the #ScienceOfReading. Or ask your child’s teacher.
Ask generously and kindly. Join the conversation. Get the details. Share information. Keep asking. Resources are being found in other places. They can be found in your corner too.
Congratulate and thank teachers and principals. Do this often. They are valued human beings. We must help their wellbeing. Education of our children depends upon school teams being happy and healthy.
ALMOST ALL PEOPLE CAN LEARN TO READ AND WRITE. ONLY A TINY PERCENTAGE MAY NOT FULLY GAIN THESE SKILLS, BECAUSE OF DISABILITY THEY DID NOT ASK FOR. BUT IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT THIS SMALL AND IMPORTANT GROUP TO REACH 100 PER CENT OF THEIR LANGUAGE AND LITERACY POTENTIAL.
Generously expand the conversation. Your voices will lift expectations. Which will demand the implementation of good science. Everyone can win from this.
There’s plenty of information around about the #ScienceOfReading. There’s a checklist on the Connect42 website, there’s the #100PercentLiteracy Alliance’s Roadmap to a Literate Tasmania, and information in scores of other places.
Flourishing, contributing, rights-assured citizenship is the realistic outcome of the realistic goal of #100PercentLiteracy.
Rosie Martin is a Hobart speech pathologist, criminologist and facilitator. She was 2017 Tasmanian Australian of the Year. This article was first published in The Mercury Newspaper, 9 July 2021.