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I never knew ‘literacy’ was such a complex term but, as with ‘information’, it is not as simple as it sounds. I definitely consider the term to be more of a concept (a sophisticated and complex idea) but one that was grounded in something tangible: knowing how to read and write. Of course, listening, speaking and viewing are also literacy skills; all five work together.

Literacy starts with the alphabet and phonics but is not just a recognition and understanding of visual symbols and the sounds they make; the semiotic system includes 5 key modes of communication: visual, linguistic, aural, gestural and spatial. We use all of these in order to construct meaning in our interactions, when we watch a game of footy, listen to music, ask someone for a favour.

Maryanne Wolf (2009) explains that we are not born to read but must create a ‘reading circuit’ from scratch; in turn, literacy reshapes our brains. It is a fascinating concept and a timely reminder to read Proust and the Squid, which I’ve had sitting on my shelf for over 10 years!

But the part of Wolf’s article that really resonated with me, and which makes clear the connection between literacy and inquiry learning, is where she explains the “sophisticated set of comprehension processes” that allow us not only to be literate at the most basic level, but to think beyond the text. This is ‘critical thinking’ and I share Wolf’s concern that new technologies (especially mobile devices) might be reshaping children’s brains in ways that impede their ability to think, if for no other reason than the fact that it does so much for us, quickly and efficiently, so that we do not need to develop that process in our own brains.

Wow. And, wow.

In that context, the integration of critical thinking and inquiry learning in schools can be seen to be even more important – it’s not just about what future employers want. Implied in all this is the risk that we could actually make ourselves, as a species, well, dumber. But the research isn’t there yet, it’s too soon to see the consequences and already people are conscious of a desire to ‘get back to basics’ for themselves and their families. Literacy is a complex term that encompasses a broad scope of contexts and modes, and while ‘Siri’ and other ‘helpful’ devices might have a longitudinal impact on the development of ‘comprehension processes’, it is also true that our world is more complex than ever and new demands are being made on our brains. Context shapes us just as we shape context. Our ability to make meaning from the world around us just got more interesting.

References

Wolf, Maryanne. (2009). Beyond decoding words in Does the brain like ebooks? New York Times [blog]  https://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/does-the-brain-like-e-books/?_r=0