Literacy Expanded

I’ve been thinking a lot about the word literacy lately because it is paramount to the vision and mission of Moontree Books and because I tend to perseverate on word usage, not to mention this is a frequent professional discussion among educators. Most recently I have had cause to spend literally hours contemplating just exactly what Moontree books means when we use the word literacy in our structural base. My speculation over the essence of the word inspired me to research what others mean by literacy. I set out looking for clarity and found choice.

It was interesting to learn the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) considers literacy to include two elements: task and skill (https://nces.ed.gov/naal/fr_definition.asp). Tasks would be the duties involved in reading and writing while skills make up what one must possess in order to complete those tasks. This makes sense, as every ability can be broken down into smaller aptitudes that culminate into overall performance skills. However, even this expanded definition of literacy felt inadequate to me.

As a school counselor I am frequently focused on “soft skills,” those relationship and life-abilities people must possess in order to obtain and maintain adequate employment. In my opinion, “soft-skills” are the “hard-skills” that make or break us in the workforce and beyond. When I speak of literacy I cannot help but envision the skills involved in managing time, relationships, and health of both our personal and professional lives.

I was validated to read the West Virginia Department of Education’s take on literacy, as they had apparent struggle to define the word in equal measure to my own: “One of our difficulties in determining exactly what we mean when we use the term literacy is that our definition of literacy is always changing. People who were once considered literate by a previous yardstick may today suddenly find themselves considered to be lacking in literacy skills. In fact, our attempt to define literacy has been compared to walking toward the horizon; it forever seems just about the same distance in front of you (https://wvde.state.wv.us/abe/definingstatus.htm).” Yes it does, WVDE. Yes it does! That is, in part, what makes the work of Moontree Books so exhilarating. It also makes the work broad and overarching, which gives us a lot of growing room.

West Virginia Department of Education goes on to explain a common definition of literacy to include speaking, solving problems, and computing “at levels necessary to function on the job and in society, achieve one's goals, and develop one's knowledge and potential (https://wvde.state.wv.us/abe/definingstatus.htm).” To synthesize this research with my professional and personal experiences and opinions, for now, Moontree Books will define literacy as follows: the ability to read, write, speak, compute, interact, create, and problem-solve at competency levels compulsory to attaining one’s highest personal and profession goals & potential. We will produce stories addressing issues that would promote any part of the aforementioned description of literacy, especially those “soft” skills including communication, self-esteem, conflict resolution, compassion, team-work, and health.

We are getting closer to the first Moontree Book publication, I Spy the Mighty Moon, which will address the emotional coping skills necessary for children living in non-traditional, two-home situations. We are thankful to be promoting acceptance and putting a positive spin on a challenging situation so many children face through the literary tool of books!