Page 3 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

Introduction

This book is for everyone who comes into contact with literacy – teachers, education managers,

special education teachers, librarians. The book is also for parents since they are the first to
support children’s literacy and create a learning environment.

Every one requires literacy: to communicate with the family, to study, research and store

information, present their opinions, defend the truth and justice. Estonian people have valued

the written word and education and been proud of their overall level of education for a long
time. However, an international study in 2011-2012 revealed that 13% of the Estonian

population only reach the first level or less in functional literacy, in other words, they are not
able to read or write at the level required to successfully cope with life. The international

research results show that people, who do not read in their free time, do not understand texts
as well as those who voluntarily engage in reading.

Estonian schools allocate large amounts of time for teaching literature and grammar but many
youngsters and adults do not like reading nor want to read. So where does the enjoyment of

reading begin from? What does hating reading derive from? Both are rooted in earlier
experience, gained at home, kindergarten and school. When people are asked to recall their

first encounters with reading, these are always colourful – like a bubbling stream, green light

shining through foliage and a stack of firewood smelling of resin. Or a cosy kitchen scene with
the fire in the cooking range, granny’s voice and an apple cake baking in the oven. Negative

experiences also have colour and taste – dusty classroom, smell of chalk and a task of writing
a misspelt word over and over again. Or a fear of fast reading, sweaty palms and the teacher’s

glare.

This book approaches literacy in a holistic manner by looking at the technicalities of literacy

– connection between sounds and letters, writing of syllables, words and texts as well as what
could be achieved through literacy. According to emergent literacy theory even very young

children use written text primarily for communication – marking their own items, agreeing on

rules, learning, playing, creating.