Literacy - Can you really read?

Basic Education and Literacy Trinidad & Tobago



Yes, I can read and write, but am I literate in the full sense of the word, in the literacies so important in navigating this complex digital world? Let’s see how literate we are and what we are doing to increase our preparedness to live fully and happily in this global society.
Traditional literacy, ABC, of Primary school involved our developing reading and writing skills, essential for understanding and producing written text. Some of us don’t like writing too much: we prefer the language of numbers, of Maths. Content literacy is thus important as the skills of understanding and creating Literature, Mathematics, Science and Philosophy are not exactly the same. The treatment by experts in various disciplines of reading and comprehending, writing and critical thinking abilities is specific to the different disciplines. Which is the discipline that you are an expert in and very literate? Congrats.
 

We are living in the digital age. Children under 5 years of age, seem totally at home with digital technology, communication tools, and networks. We on the other hand, we had to learn the new digital literacy skills including navigating the internet, using software applications, and understanding online safety. The ability to comprehend information online is more and more important in our careers and general communication. We do love the feel of the pages when we read a book, but literacy requires more in 2025.

 

Now, in accessing, analysing and creating, using available forms of information in the media, we have to include an ability to interpret emojis, understand underlying messages in online advertisements and even producing viral video content!

We seek to be fully engaged in our civic society, in our fast-changing and sometimes problematic society. It is for us to participate and effect change at local community level and internationally. What skills do we need to be able to do this? We are a multi-cultural society and need to keep on developing our ability to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences between the various customs, values and beliefs. This involves knowledge of cultural references, practices, and norms .What are we doing to develop these literacies? How confident are we in our ability to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information? Are we lifelong learners, continually learning, researching and developing our minds, towards informed decision-making and happy lives, using our civic, multi-cultural and information literacies?

We are of course financially literate. We budget, invest, and understanding credit. Or do we partially understand financial concepts and somehow manage personal finances in a kind! Let’s not be afraid of becoming wealthy, and access the information and online courses to conquer financial literacy.

Let us check our recreational literacy. We enjoy independent activities and cultivate positive attitudes, interests and literary habits. Importantly we engage with the community and real people, not only the virtual ones on social media and the hundreds who follow you!

Let us enjoy one another physically and virtually. Encourage the younger ones to put down their devices for a couple minutes to hold a conversation, so we can congratulate and encourage them in their further development in traditional, content, digital, media, civic, multi-cultural, information, financial, and recreational literacies.