Literacy & Numeracy Week is observed annually in August and September each year, and this year it took place from August 29 to September 4. It is an initiative that was started by the Australian government to encourage reading, writing, and numeracy in students as well as recognize their achievements and the work of teachers and parents in the fields.
HISTORY OF LITERACY & NUMERACY WEEK
All facets of education stem from the basics — numbers and letters. This is why numeracy and literacy are such important structures that need to be imbibed at a young age. These disciplines are the beginning and end of all forms of education, teaching the basics of mathematics, reading, and writing.
The history of both concepts is almost as old as time and has been intertwined since their inception. Writing originated with the Sumerians through scripts and cuneiform on clay tablets. These forms were established to keep track of trade and agricultural production, which also led to the need and creation of numeric signs through ideograms and proto-cuneiform.
Hieroglyphs emerged containing the first phonetic value system, however, functional literacy which we apply in our daily lives was widespread by the Old Babylonian period. These records were all before the invention of alphabets as we now know them today.
Archaeologists and historians have traced the origins of the alphabet back and forth between different cultures. Some have said the Ancient Greeks created consonants and vowels, others have said the people of Western Asia established the consonant structure prior, and others have found inscriptions tying the Canaanites to its discovery.
Whoever the originators were, we are sure of one thing, our lives are better off because of their discovery. Literacy and Numeracy have come to play such a vital role in our innovation and development as humans, and it’s no surprise that the Australian government recognizes this and dedicated an entire week to it.
Literacy & Numeracy Week was created to encourage the exploration of literacy and numeracy activities. Digital literacy has also become a major part of the observance, to encourage the importance of learning digital skills in this new age.
Why is it important for children to learn literacy and numeracy?
It is important to include the foundations of literacy and numeracy at an early age because they lay a foundation for everyday decision-making. This is why we are encouraged to include our students in all things related to both fields all through the week. It helps them understand that such skills are needed for daily interaction, and fosters early understanding.
WHY LITERACY & NUMERACY WEEK IS IMPORTANT
- It fosters education
- Any opportunity to learn something new, or build upon previous knowledge is one we fully support. Literacy & Numeracy Week is special in its own right because it encourages learning in all ages, particularly in children.
- It includes digital knowledge
- One fantastic thing about this week is that it now includes the learning of digital and technological concepts. This is very important in the age we are in as it gets students learning the skills they need to keep up with our fast-paced world at such a young age.
- It encourages creative learning
- The good thing about Literacy & Numeracy Week is that it encourages learning in the most interesting, simple, and creative ways. It is not the typical brick-and-mortar form of teaching, but rather pushes us outside the box.
5 FACTS ABOUT LITERACY
- It’s a stress reliever
- Reading for just six minutes a day is studied to reduce stress by a whole 68%.
- It takes a book a day
- If students read one book a day, students would have read approximately 1,825 books by the time they are five.
- It’s the best vocabulary builder
- Studies show that children learn 4,000 to 12,000 words per year through reading.
- It pays off
- Children who read up to a million words a year are in the top 2% of reading achievement.
- It doesn’t take a lot
- If you read just 20 minutes a day, you would have read over a million words by the end of the year.
Throughout the week staff and students in the Senior School engaged in Literacy and Numeracy focussed activities, to highlight the importance of Literacy and Numeracy. The following is a snapshot from the PDHPE faculty.
Ms Judith Tolomeo
Director of Teaching and Learning