Thinking of Literacy in a Social Manner

How do Children’s literacy skills affect them socially? How does literacy play a role in the social aspects of a classroom? When a child is removed from a group or an activity for extra help does this change the social dynamics of a class?

            Children observe and notice one another’s strengths and weaknesses. If a teacher is always putting down a student or correcting a student’s behavior that child’s classmates are taking note of these actions. Children see which students are leaving the room for extra help and they also notice the students that always have the correct answer. These actions can affect how students work together. Students may form groups according to their abilities that could exclude other children. Teachers might be forming these types of groups themselves without even realizing it. The classroom rules and routine itself may set up boundaries for certain children. These are situations teachers need to be aware of. Understanding the social aspects of your classroom can help you understand more about a child’s learning. When children of different abilities work together they can help each other learn, improving their skills. When a student teaches something to another student both children are learning. Teaching or helping another student out takes effort and reinforces concepts. Children need the time to work with other children in different groups. Creating groups where children never get to work with others makes social and learning problems. Teachers must look at the social interactions of their classroom, their daily schedule, and the classroom rules to create the best learning environment possible.