By: Esperanza Marchand, observer from Wiese Foundation
The teaching of reading and writing is one of the transcendental aspects of a basic education. The success of this process allows definitively to link the person to the world of knowledge in an effective manner, even more than that, according to Paulo Freire: “Learning to read, becoming literate, is, first of all, learning to read the world, to understand its context; it is a dynamic relationship that connects language and reality” (1). It means giving a tool of great power to one who becomes involved with the process of deciphering the words, and being able to use them. As citizens, it means knowing that we have rights, duties and the possibility of citizen action.
The pandemic challenged education in many ways. The “how to do it” suggestions soon emerged and, among them, those that referred to learning to read and write. Is it possible that by the end of 2020 the boys and girls in first grade will learn to read and write? What factors, strategies and teacher performances have made it possible?
We will try to present this learning process through the experience of a teacher who, on the WhatsApp chat, developed many strategies to enable her students to reach December reading and writing during the lesson period of 2020 in distance education.
Our teacher heightened the teacher-student relationship, where the trust, the closeness and the affection that was being gained favored and facilitated the acceptance, the will and courage of the students in the face of the challenge of mastering reading and writing. Encouraging from a distance boys and girls that one does not know implies much availability to show affection, not only toward the pupils, but also closeness and good treatment toward the parents, who became the allies of the teacher.
Another aspect on which the teacher worked with much tenacity was the relationship with the families, guiding, orienting and encouraging them to not give up on the proposed challenge, since it was the families who had to organize the space at home so that their children may study, the materials, the reviewing and guidance of what the teacher was preparing and presenting to the families and the pupils, who remained with the task of exercising them in the appropriation of the new word and its lexical combination, as well as mastering it. In addition to this, there was the collaboration in the venues where the teacher and pupils would meet, whether on a group video conference call or a personal one, when the teacher had to appreciate the writing of the new combinations that the boys and girls were discovering.
It is important to point out that this new situation has allowed to reinforce the ties between the school and the home. Without the constant presence of the families as caretakers and providers of emotional support, and containment of the pupils, the teaching and learning processes that were conducted in the year 2020 would not have been possible.
The teacher used various pedagogical strategies for working on reading and writing, such as the preparation of learning cards and the collection of readings related to the lexical combinations. Words or texts that she was going to present during the remote sessions, which she developed aside from the sessions on the “Aprendo en Casa” (“I learn at home”) platform. This implied agreeing with the families on special times for developing this work with her pupils.
A very valuable element that has allowed the advancement of the learnings in 2020 has been the development of the formative evaluation, which allowed the pupils guided by their teachers to learn how to observe, value and, above all, identify how to improve their cognitive processes, as well as the organization strategies for the achievement of their learnings. Our teacher developed reviewing strategies together with her pupils and their families, which helped in learning how to observe, analyze, identify and propose ways to improve their learnings.
For her connection with her pupils, different connecting means were used, which responded to the possibilities of the families. The teacher had encounters through the Zoom platform, WhatsApp, group and individual video calls, including simple telephone calls; adapting herself to the reality of each family. It is important to draw attention to the fact that, aside from this situation, there was the issue of the working hours: the teacher was unable to have very rigid working hours, as she had to consider the possibilities of the families, because the boys and girls could not have access to the connection on their own. It was the parents, or an adult family member, who would set up the access, aside from the fact that the teachers need the presence of a family member who can then accompany the development of the asynchronous learnings that the pupils must perform.
Another element that had an influence was how the teacher constantly reinforced the learning achievements of the boys and girls and always showed high expectations for the capabilities of the pupils regarding this challenge. It was a joy to appreciate on the remote accompaniment connections the teachers listening to the children reading the answers they had written, with effort, but with much seriousness and commitment.
We can appreciate that since the advent of distance education and virtual connections it is possible to develop the learnings of reading and writing. Yes, it has become necessary for the teachers to sharpen their observations and their analyses, as well as to develop strategies that allow for closeness and the creation of close and affective ties with the first-grade pupils (who are often new in the schools), which can favor the listening, trust and ability to ask on the part of the pupils. They must choose an active method that allows the pupils to advance according to their capabilities, without feeling that they are pressured to compete with others; and they must also be aware of the reality of each pupil regarding their connectivity, in order to offer them the ways in which they can get connected, so they may advance in the development of their reading and writing skills.
This learning experience has been very significant, as it reflects the drive and commitment of the families, teachers, pupils and school management to continue to learn.
(1) Paulo Freire: LITERACY, A PROCESS THAT LIBERATES. Systematization of the Comprehensive Literacy Program for youngsters and adults.
