Kapawe’no First Nation – Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak, listen and understand information effectively.
Literacy is us making sense of or understanding the world around us. It is essentially the foundational building blocks for all learning. What is unique about our own definition of Literacy at Kapawe’no First Nation Collegiate is our understanding that culturally and historically, literacy is part of who we are as a First Nation. Our Literacy Program enhances our understanding and recognizes the value of the Nehiyawak Pimachimowin and Nehiyawewin that shape our nation. The heart of our Nehiyawak Literacy is storytelling- the telling and listening of stories that teach us about life all around us and connect us to our history and ancestors. These stories help us make decisions and connections to others.
Before we become competent readers and writers, even before we can talk, we tell stories and are storytellers. Our stories become who we are as a nation. Storytelling is part of our Oral Language. Once we are in school, our oral language understands and uses receptive and expressive language, linked to background knowledge (vocabulary) and is foundational to print-based text instruction. When we are steeped in two languages and cultures, it will enhance and expand our background knowledge. Building content and vocabulary is an essential component of reading comprehension for all learning.
Literacy is very complex. There are no specific programs or sequential steps for teaching literacy. No two children develop literacy skills in the same way or the same sequence. In other words, there are as many students as there are ways to teach literacy. However, we know the essential foundational skills children must learn to be competent readers by the end of grade three. For pre-readers, an essential component for parents and primary teachers is the Alphabetic Principle and Concept of Print. The alphabetic principle is naming the lower- and upper-case letters, producing letter sounds, making a word beginning with the letter/sound, and finding the letter in text. Concept of Print has students learning what print is and that letters are used to make words, which carry meaning in reading and writing. The left-to-right sweep as you read is also important, as we read from left to right.
The Science of Reading is currently the newest trend in Literacy with six essential foundational skills that includes the need for strong phonemic awareness, phonics, sight words, vocabulary building (word study in upper grades), fluency, and comprehension strategies. Identifying these skills early and supporting those who need them (especially before grade 4) has the greatest impact on reading development. A student’s level of phonological awareness by the end of K5 is one of the strongest predictors of future reading success.
Important Tip:
Using all six components is important as we need to support different learning styles and teach reading and writing within a balanced literacy framework. Centring on just one or two components, such as Phonics, is a disservice to those students who learn and interact differently from their mainstream peers.Storytelling is also part of the writing process. It is part of First Nation culture that passes on oral tradition and history; shares information and concepts; teaches lessons; builds relationships; entertains; creates experiences and advances language development through vocabulary, grammar and rhythm within the context of experiences. We are all storytellers. Sharing culture and family experience shapes who we are and has become part of our stories. Storytelling builds on the relationships between the storyteller and the listener, just as the reader builds on the relationship between the reader and the author. Storytelling is a tool that anyone can use anywhere and anytime.
It is a tool every teacher can use to make connections to previous knowledge, expand the knowledge and make student stories come to life. But there is more than one genre in writing. Writing is part of our daily lives. Daily, we tell stories (narrative), we write a list or make a chart (non-fiction), or we read a newspaper and write a letter with our point of view, or we need to write a report for school or work. As K5 to grade 12 teachers, we must provide our students with dedicated instructional time to learn the skills and strategies necessary to become effective writers. We must deliver writing activities and authentic opportunities for our students to become better writers. Students must learn to be effective writers across the curriculum and grade levels.
In Literacy Series- part three, we will explore in more detail the six components necessary to become competent readers with suggestions for parents to try at home.
Last modified: May 11, 2025
