People often tend to keep the status quo even if there are proven ways to improve their skills or knowledge. Literacy is definitely one area many individuals can work on, particularly if you know that it represents a fundamental asset in the 21st century.
Despite the steady rise in literacy rates over the past 50 years, there are still 773 million illiterate adults around the world. It’s a staggering figure that reminds us of how important it is to keep learning and continuously improve our knowledge.
Literacy is known to stimulate economic growth, strengthen democracy, minimize poverty, prevent illnesses, encourage cultural diversity, and much more. But literacy can also boost your self-confidence, make you a more knowledgeable individual, help you build a better career, and turn you into a happier person. You can help your children develop strong literacy skills and set them up for success, regardless of your own skills.
The big question is how to enhance writing and reading proficiency without wasting time on irrelevant techniques. Keep reading to see five time-tested ways to boost literacy skills.
1. Read Aloud
The very first thing you should remember is to read aloud often. Of course, we are not talking about just newspapers and magazines, but also, literature that relies on a very rich vocabulary and traditional grammar rules.
Why is it useful to read aloud?
Jake Gardner, one of the best dissertation writers at a college paper writing service, explains the logic behind this tip: “When you read aloud, you take that much-needed distance to objectively analyze the meaning of every word, phrase, punctuation mark, and so on. Besides that, it’s not your everyday language and you will get the opportunity to enrich your vocabulary.”
This basically means that you will not only be reading the text, but also exploring it technically and grammatically. It’s a great way to improve literacy while learning how the masters of written word deal with their prose.
2. Write as Often as Possible
Writing is the other element of the literacy equation, so you should try and practice it as often as possible. The point is to relax, eliminate your fear of writing, and enjoy the process while making the necessary corrections along the way.
We encourage you to write everything from your thoughts, creative ideas, letters, new words, and everything else that comes to your mind.
You are much more likely to remember a written word. Secondly, writing forces you to think about the text and apply all the spelling and grammar rules you might have learned so far.
3. Use the CUPS Proofreading Technique
Another valuable literacy tip is to proofread textual content – yours or someone else’s. In order to do that accurately, we recommend the CUPS technique:
- C for Capitals: Beware of capital letters and let it be the first detail you’ll check in a given document.
- U for Usage and Grammar: Check every word to see if it’s being used correctly.
- P for Punctuation: Punctuation marks make the text clear and easy to comprehend, so make it the next task in the CUPS proofreading project.
- S for Spelling: Finally, you should double-check the spelling of each word individually.
4. Take Advantage of Digital Tools
The year is 2020 and you should not forget to utilize at least some digital platforms to improve your literacy skills. There are plenty of choices on the Internet – including the likes of college paper.org reviews and writing services – but our favorite tools are:
- Duolingo: Although primarily designed for ESL learners, Duolingo is a superior app for users trying to enhance their reading and writing proficiency.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary: To find out the meaning of a new word quickly, use this online dictionary.
- Thesaurus: No matter how educated, every person should use online platforms like Thesaurus to look for synonyms, antonyms, related words, etc.
5. Exercise Text Comprehension
As soon as you become fully literate, you should start working even harder and focus on text comprehension. After all, literacy is not only about learning how to read but also about interpreting the text and discovering its true meaning.
Comprehension demands concentration, which means that you should find a quiet place to read. Write down the most important paragraphs and don’t skip unusual statements before figuring out what it’s all about. At the same time, you should keep notes and write down what you think about a given novel or paper. It may not seem like much at first, but you will get better as you keep exercising.
The Bottom Line
Literacy is a quintessential aspect of education that you cannot afford to neglect. If you don’t feel confident about your reading and writing proficiency, we encourage you to use the five techniques discussed above. If your kids see you engaging in reading and writing, they’re more likely to want to do it, too.
Have you ever tried any of these tactics before? Do you have experience with other interesting literacy techniques? Feel free to write a comment and let us know what you think about this topic!
AUTHOR BIO
Isabell Gaylord is an assignment help writer at the custom essay service. As a member of professional writing services, Isabell covers a broad scope of topics like literature, education, lifestyle, and self-improvement. She is a passionate traveler and a dedicated yoga practitioner.
