Preparing a primer for the literacy and social awareness instructional program

There are two basic primers for the Literacy and social awareness instructional program. Primer I teaches the basics of literacy necessary for the learner to become an independent reader and develops critical reading habits. Primer II deals more consistently with fluency and further development of critical thinking. Only Primer I will be covered in this module. All references are taken from Literacy and lifelong learning for women.

One of the main objectives of this instructional program is to encourage the learner's quick confidence and early success. You should design the primer to accomplish this through small but steady achievements.

Here are some prerequisites for the literacy and social awareness primer:

• You need to develop the necessary language data.

  See:	Developing an instructional program

• You need to have a thorough understanding of the philosophy on which the literacy and social awareness instructional program is based.

  See:	Planning and organizing programs for women

• You need to determine what the community sees as its needs.

  See:	Fact finding at community level--the first priority

• You need to choose a team to work together in drafting the literacy materials.

  See:	Motivation: Management and materials

• You need to have the materials that will be used in the motivational (preliteracy) phase of the program.

  See:	Motivation: Management and materials

• Determine the themes and topics to be used in the primer.
• Choose (reproduce) a photograph on which discussion will be based.
• Choose one or two core words to go under the picture.
• Prepare drills.
  • Break the words into their syllables
  • Isolate the vowels in each word for review.
  • Build new syllables (except for lesson one, which doesn't have anything on which to build).
  • Build new words from the learned syllables.
• Build short sentences from the words.

  This will gradually increase, and may include questions as early as possible. You should include writing conventions, such as paragraphs, capitals, quotes, etc. in the second half of the primer.

• Prepare a writing lesson to reinforce what was taught in the reading lesson.
• Prepare a numeracy lesson if needed.
• Test the primer material.

Here are some sample primer pages from the literacy and social awareness instructional program:

Literacy and social awareness primer page sample

• Current instructional programs

Halvorson 1992

• Task module: Preparing a primer for the literacy and social awa...
• In task module: Developing primers, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In task module: Developing materials to teach reading and writing
• In task module: Developing instructional materials, by Trudy K. Stewart, Leah B. Walter (contributor), and Trudi C. Hunt (contributor)
• In task module: Developing an instructional program, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Patricia M. Davis (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 22 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International