Literacy

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.

Sub categories = Listening, writing, reading, communication

We need literacy in order to engage with the written word in everyday life.

Think of how often you use your own reading skills every day.  It is not just webpages like this one that require literacy, but signs, labels, and the messages on your phone too.

But beyond the functional level, literacy plays a vital role in transforming young people into socially engaged citizens.  Being able to read and write means being able to keep up with current events, communicate effectively, and understand the issues that are shaping our world.

We need literacy in order to engage with the written word in everyday life.

Think of how often you use your own reading skills in everyday life. It’s not just webpages like this one that require literacy, but signs, labels, and the messages on your phone, too.

But beyond the functional level, literacy plays a vital role in transforming pupils into socially engaged citizens. Being able to read and write means being able to keep up with current events, communicate effectively, and understand the issues that are shaping our world.

Everyday uses of literacy include:

• discussing your ideas with others

• listening to other people

• writing and reading emails/texts

• reading signs, bus timetables, news articles, books etc 

• reading instructions on medicines 

• filling out forms, such as driver license applications

You can develop your literacy skills at both home and school.  Here are a few things you can do:

1. Make time for reading.  Try to read a wide variety of different genres, such as newspapers, novels, comics, magazines, films, reference materials, and websites.

2. Discuss what you have been reading with someone else, such as a teacher, parent or friends; and try to think of what the text made you think and feel.

3.  Make use of the library.  Immersing yourself in a huge range of texts encourages you to dive in and explore.  There is no better place to do this than the school or community library.

4. Play games like Scrabble.  This will help you to focus on different words and help expand your vocabulary as you learn new words.  

5. Start writing a diary.  Even writing a few lines each day will help you develop your literacy skills.

6. Games like  Wordle are great at building literacy skills daily. 

You can develop your literacy skills at both home and school. Here are a few things you can do to develop your literacy skills: 

5) Start writing a diary. Even writing a few lines each day will help you develop your literacy skills.

Read aloud to younger siblings or family members

Create a podcast, vlog or blog

Join a drama or theatre group

Literacy skills are used in every job, even when it is not noticeabloe. This could be from reading instructions to communicating with customers.

Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care

Farmers will need literacy skills to help sell their crops and communicate with supplies or people buying their stock.

Art, Media and Publishing

Literacy will needed to produce many art projects and publications. 

Business, Administration and Law

Lawyers will need literacy skills to help build up their clients case.

Construction and Planning

Literacy will be needed for construction workers to interpret plans for their projects and determine what will need to be done. 

Education and Training

Teachers need to have literacy in order to teach people, and so that they can incorporate literacy into lessons.

Health, Public Services and Care

Literacy skills will be needed to figure out what needs improved in public services and how health systems can be improved. 

Information Technology

People working in this sector will need literacy skills to understand how to do coding and use online coding systems.

Manufacturing and Production

Literacy skills will be used to manufacture products and read how they should be made and shipped. 

Sales, Hospitality and Services

Workers in this sector will use literacy to help gather information about how successful sales are and what they could improve on.

Science, Engineering and Mathematics

Literacy skills will be used to help follow instructions and to write follow-ups after experiments, describing what went well and what didn't. 

Transportation and Warehousing

Transport workers will use literacy skils to interpret where things need to go and when they need to be there. Warehousing will also require literacy to understand where things are supposed to be kept. 

Further information

If you would like to find out more about your career options and growth sectors in Aberdeen and Scotland, click here: https://abzworks.co.uk/career-options/

Use the links below to find out more about which careers might be right for you:

North East Scotland College (NESCol)

University of Aberdeen (UOA)

Robert Gordon University (RGU)

Scotland's Rural College (SRUC)

Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS)

Literacy is a vital skill for most jobs. Most jobs require us to communicate with other people, whether they are our colleagues or customers. 

Even applying for a job requires our literacy skills, e.g.

• Reading - to read the job description 

• Writing - to complete our application and CV

• Listening - listening to the interviewer's questions

• Communication - to communicate why they should pick you for the job

Here are just some examples of jobs which require literacy:

• Mechanics need literacy skills to order the correct parts needed and to produce invoices

• Doctors need to read/write reports on patients and communicate with them and colleagues

• Teachers have to be effective communicators to ensure that pupils progress with their learning

• Hairdressers need to schedule their client bookings, read instructions on labels on different hair products/dyes and communicate with clients to see what they want

• Chefs need to read meal orders quickly and be in constant communication with the other kitchen staff and waiting staff