Factors that Influence Literacy Acquisition and Reading Achievement

Abstract Literacy acquisition and learning among young children is an important part of child development milestones. However, the rates at which children acquire literacy vary significantly depending on whether such learning is offered at home or at school for the first time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Factors that Influence Literacy Acquisition and Reading Achievement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although environmental factors can influence learning, parents and close family members play the greatest role in a child’s literacy acquisition. Various researches have established that parent-child interactions encourage children to master language cues early in life, thus contributing significantly to subsequent learning ability during formal education. This paper will discuss how the interaction between children and parents influences literacy acquisition during pre-school years and later in life. M oreover, the paper will highlight some alternative factors that contribute to literacy acquisition, including environment and community in which a child grows. Finally, the paper will highlight some contrary arguments that tend to downplay the role of parents in children’s learning at home and at school. How do parent-child interactions support children’s acquisition before formal school? Literacy acquisition starts early in life and it is highly influenced by the interaction between children and immediate family, especially parents. The extent of exposure to language and literacy is usually a significant contributor to achievements at school. When an ideal learning environment is created, it is likely to enhance learning and reading ability. Factors that may predict success in reading and accomplishment in school include verbal language, coding of alphabets and mastery of print.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More This success also requires setting clear standards to monitor the outcome, as well as developing relevant curriculum and teaching preparedness to factor the needs of early learners (Strickland Riley-Ayers, 2006). Effective provision of pre-school education study shows the importance of caregivers’ role in learning needs of children, which are influenced by their socio-economic status; this has an effect on development of language and literacy, as it expands children’s minds (Stone, Silliman, Ehren, Apel, 2006). When parents take an active role in determining a child’s literacy acquisition, there is likelihood of a greater success, since most of learning takes place before the formal schooling begins (Verhoeven Snow, 2001). Zygouris-Coe (2001) points to the need of literacy intervention in the early years of life. This is further supported by findings of other literature on behavior, which point to the diversity and the role of parents in language acquisition. Evidence shows that the mother-child bond created every year would enhance communication skills. This is likely to be shaped by the home environment that babies and toddlers are exposed to during their first two years, thus influencing their performance when they start formal schooling. This environment is influenced by social factors within the family. Nevertheless, families that are not financially endowed are likely to have minimum opportunities for language advancement. Therefore, the report recommends the need for recognizing the influence of home and communication environment in shaping acquisition of language and literacy (Hamer, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Factors that Influence Literacy Acquisition and Reading Achievement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first and the second language mastery requires an interactive environment that supports langua ge development. This will depend on the frequency of parents’ communication with children, which plays a vital role in expansion of language acquisition. Therefore, children should be given a chance to communicate their needs and interact freely at all times. Nevertheless, pre-school learning should help in shaping the experience of knowledge in real life situations. Gains in early literacy are closely linked to children learning from their association with family members. The relationship formed becomes the basis for deciphering meaning from activities learnt during pre-school years. Children would always want to interact with the rest of the family by communicating their interests (Lynch, 2007). Moreover, evidence shows that good reading skills are developed by constructing facts that are related to learners’ experience at home. When difficulties are encountered in the course of learning, they are likely to contribute to reading deficiency. Indeed, learning at school tends to follow from child’s early experiences before entering the formal schooling. Children who had memorable learning experiences from early years are known to have a good grasp of vocabularies, thus demonstrating that early reading experiences shape the success of children in reading. Nevertheless, there are arguments that when efforts are not made to engage children early in life, they might be at risk of reading problems (Lylon, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Verhoeven Snow (2001), students’ abilities to read depend on the extent of parents’ involvement during pre-school ages. When this collaboration is delayed, children are unlikely to gain benefits anymore. The authors recommend parents to exercise attention in children during initial years of language acquisition with the view of promoting competency in reading. Moreover, there is need to recognize the role that outside learning plays in aiding reading development. Efforts should be made to reinforce verbal cues and recognize finer details that help communication to influence the outcome of learning (Manzo, Manzo, Albee, 2003). In addition, children should be helped to make connection between what they learn in class and other textual information learnt in early years. Children need a conducive learning environment that suits different kinds of their needs. Measures that promote learning at home may be important in determining risks that learners may face. For instance, a shallow background may play a role in hindering learning so that children who are not exposed to print work may face difficulty in reading printed materials. The environment in which learning takes place influences literacy acquisition, especially when learning aids are available and accessible. All in all, families and environment play a crucial role in helping children to acquire skills that help them in early education (Douglas, 2010). Communities also tend to promote learning by adopting certain measures such as promoting collaboration between schools, society, and families through volunteering and mentorship (Spedding, Harkins, Makin, Whiteman, 2007). They also encourage language support development for underprivileged families to aid in literacy development. Other measures include policy issues to promote development of early childhood education targeting population of children who are disadvantaged to acquire reading skills by fostering an enabling learning environment. Research in learning needs of pre-scholars is important in order to establish different knowledge and skills requirements; this would subsequently promote conceptual learning that enhances mastery of vocabulary and comprehension. In conclusion, parents and families play a great role in promoting language acquisition among children before they join formal education. The relationship between parents and children creates an enabling environment for children to master vocabulary of their native and the second language. However, the environment which the child is exposed to plays a role in literacy acquisition. Therefore, it is important to ensure the right learning aids are present, in addition to enhancing community interaction to facilitate learning process. References Douglas, E. (2010). Innovations in Child and Family Policy: Multidisciplinary Research and Perspectives on Strengthening Children and Their Families. Plymouth, England: Lexington Books. Hamer, C. (2012). NC T Research overview: Parent-child communication is important from birth. Web. Lylon, G. (2000). Why some children have difficulties learning to Read. Web. Lynch, J. (2007). Learning about Literacy: Social factors and reading Acquisition. Web. Manzo, A., Manzo, U., Albee, J. (2003). Reading Assessment for Diagnostic-Prescriptive Teaching. NY, USA: WADSWORTH Incorporated FULFILLMENT. Spedding, S., Harkins, J., Makin, L., Whiteman, P. (2007). Investigating early Literacy learning in family and Community centre. Adelaide, SA: Office of Early Childhood and Statewide Services. Stone, C., Silliman, E., Ehren, B., Apel, K. (2006). Handbook of Language and Literacy: Development and Disorders. NY, USA: Guilford Press. Strickland, D., Riley-Ayers, S. (2006). Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the preschool Years. Web. Verhoeven, L., Snow, C. (2001). Literacy and Motivation: Reading Engagement in Individuals and Groups. London, England: Routledge. Zygouris-Coe, V. (2001). Emergent Lite racy. Florida Literacy and Reading Excellence (flare) Centre. Web. This essay on Factors that Influence Literacy Acquisition and Reading Achievement was written and submitted by user Leonard Nash to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Homeschool If You Work Outside the Home

How to Homeschool If You Work Outside the Home If you and your spouse both work full- or part-time outside the home, you may think homeschooling is out of the question. Although having both parents working outside the home does make homeschooling trickier, with efficient planning and creative scheduling, it can be done. Here are some practical tips for successfully homeschooling while working outside the home. Alternate Shifts With Your Spouse Perhaps the most difficult aspect of homeschooling when both parents work is figuring out the logistics. This can be especially tricky  when young children are involved. One of the easiest ways to ensure that there is always a parent at home with the children is to alternate work shifts with your spouse. Alternating shifts also helps with school. One parent can work with the student on a few subjects while he or she is home, leaving the remaining subjects for  the other parent. Maybe Dad is the math and science guy while Mom excels at history and English. Splitting up the schoolwork allows each parent to contribute and to work to his or her strengths. Enlist the Help of Relatives or Hire Reliable Childcare If you  are a single parent of young children, or you and your spouse are unable or unwilling to alternate shifts (because that can  put a strain  on both the marriage and family), consider your childcare options. You may want to enlist the help of relatives or consider hiring reliable childcare. Parents of teens may decide that their kids can stay home alone during the parents’ working hours. Maturity level and security concerns should  be taken into serious consideration, but it is often a viable option for a mature, self-motivated teen. Extended family may be able to provide childcare and oversee schoolwork that your child can do with minimal help and supervision. You might also consider hiring an older homeschooled teen or college student to provide childcare if there are only a few overlapping hours in the working parents’ schedules. You may even consider exchanging child care for rent if you have extra space available. Use Curriculum That Your Students Can Do Independently If you and your spouse are both working  full-time, you’ll probably want to consider homeschool curriculum that your children on their own, such as textbooks, computer-based curriculum, or online classes. You might also consider mixing independent work that your children can do during your work shifts with more activity-based lessons you can do in the evenings or on weekends. Consider a Co-Op or Homeschool Classes In addition to the curriculum that your kids can complete on their own, you might also consider homeschool classes and co-ops. Many co-ops do require that the parents of the kids enrolled to take an active role, but others do not. In addition to regular co-ops, many areas offer group classes for homeschoolers. Most classes meet two or three days per week. Students enroll in and pay for the classes that meet their needs. Either of these options can meet the scheduling needs of working parents and provide in-person teachers for core classes and/or desired electives. Create a Flexible Homeschool Schedule Whatever you decide to do as far as curriculum and classes go, take advantage of the flexibility that homeschooling offers. For example,  homeschooling doesnt have to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can do school in the mornings before going to work, in the evenings after work, and on the weekends. Use historical fiction, literature, and engaging biographies as your family’s bedtime stories. Science experiments can make exciting family activities in the evenings or on the weekend. Weekends are also the perfect time for a family field trip. Get Creative Working homeschool families encourage thinking creatively about activities with educational value. If your kids are on sports teams or take a class such as gymnastics, karate, or archery, count that as their P.E. time. Use dinner prep and household chores to teach them home economics skills. If they teach themselves a skill such as sewing, playing an instrument, or drawing during their free time, give them credit for the time invested. Be aware  of the educational opportunities in the everyday aspects of your lives. Split up or Hire Help for Household Chores If both parents are working outside the home, it is vital  that everyone either pitch in to help or that you seek outside help for maintaining your home. Mom (or Dad) can’t be expected to do it all. Invest time to teach your children the life skills necessary to help with the laundry, housekeeping, and meals. (Remember, it’s home ec class, too!) If theres still too much for everyone, consider what you may be able to hire out. Perhaps just having someone clean your bathrooms once a week would lighten the load or maybe you need to hire someone to maintain the lawn. Homeschooling while working outside the home can be challenging, but with planning, flexibility, and teamwork, it can be done, and the rewards will be worth the effort.

Economics of UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Economics of UAE - Essay Example In the middle of 1980s, formation of major organizations began that came to force the growth of the Dubai tourism group. During 1985, the state developed Emirates Airlines, using Dubai airport like its major center. During 1989, the Dubai Tourism Board remained established thus focusing on worldwide advertisings and posing Dubai like not only a business center but also an alternative objective. It was during 1997 when it changed to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) (Baumgarten, 2010:98). The DTCM being the owner of the tourism industry, together with the aid of several major institutions and organizations of the group, conducted the initial yearly Dubai shopping celebration in 1996. During 1997, Jumeirah Group remained developed like a hotel organization industry. The industry currently has a portfolio of the great end hotels in the whole globe. These organizations fastened their development of the group, and by 2000, 3.4 million tourists’ remains visitin g Dubai every calendar. Towards the start of the millennium, Dubai’s tourism group started developing at an almost quicker speed. Not at all witnessed previously ideal estate schemes introduced Dubai international awareness. The Burj-Al-Arab, that started operation during 1999 was the initial 7 star hotel in the globe. The Palm Island schemes, commenced in 2002, remained the initial of that type. Foreign currency remained received in Dubai as rich tourists visited to live at its classic hotels, or to buy a few of its worthy waterfront assets. Between 2006 and 2010, the figure of hotel beds increased at a yearly proportion of near to 10%. Improving distribution caused hotel renting to shift from 82.2% in 2007 to 66.8% in 2009. The size of Dubai’s Global Airport remained expanded during this time. Analysis Size, ownership and employees The tourism industry owned by the DTCM is expected to develop with almost a 15% of the nation’s GDP in the next ten years and have a value of Dh 277.8 billion (US$75.62bn) yearly. However, the 2007-2009 financial disaster remained specifically a shock on Dubai’s tourism group, as its concern on great destination expatriate tourists left it at risk when international demand declined. Accommodation in hotels reduced to 19% from 2007-2009 and income for each accessible cube reduced from $235 in 2007 for a night to $163 for a night in 2009. During 2010, nevertheless, the group started reestablishing; renting increased by 3%, and income for each accessible cube went up by $35 for a night. Ideal GDP increase for travel and tourism economy was -17.8% in 2010. Despite the previous changes, the now scheme path will witness Dubai developing its hotel cube size by higher than any other town in the globe (Scott, 2010:76). The tourism industry in Dubai has shown increased growth in the number of people employed each year with the figure rising from 166,000 people to 173,000 people, and its expected to grow up to 236 ,000 people in a year in the coming ten tears. Currently 98 million people have employed in the industry. Structure of the industry The tourism industry in UAE constitutes a very competitive market structure with very many airlines in the nation. The competition leads to creativity and innovation in a bid to compete in the market for long. During 2010, Dubai’s hotels had the greatest income for each accessible cube in the globe costing $198 and Dubai attained position 10th in the globe considering the renting rate of 78.6%. During 2008, Dubai remained recognized like

Evaluating an international human resource strategy Essay

Evaluating an international human resource strategy - Essay Example The balanced score card of Tesco indicates areas like customer perspective, motivation and community service which needs to be stressed even more to enhance customer shopping experience. Tesco should look at improving customer experience through proper innovation, reducing carbon emission and improved training and development. Each of the above factors presents an opportunity for Tesco at improving their customer service. The strategy map of Tesco indicates areas where it can improve the communication lines between the factors for effective implementation of strategy. For Tesco to continue to be the leader in UK retail and grocery segment, it needs to invest in the above areas and proper up gradation of all their objectives with change in time. Tesco plc is a general merchandise and multinational grocery retailer based in England, United Kingdom. Presently it is the second largest retailer in the world in terms of profits after Walmart and third largest in the world with respect to revenues after Walmart and Carrefour. The core purpose of Tesco is that they make what matters better together. Tesco has a team of over 5, 30,000 people in 12 markets which are dedicated in bringing the best choice, value and service to their millions of customer each week. Despite being in a highly competitive market they have established strategies which reflect their priorities as the business grows and the needs of the customers change. Tesco uses their balanced scorecard, the Steering Wheel, to manage and measure their business performance. This report will discuss about the balanced scorecard and Strategy map of Tesco. Tesco has clearly defined Vision which helps them to guide their business direction. Their business guides their direction and the decisions they take as an organisation. The company is centred on colleagues and customers

Supply Chain Management under Porters Five Forces Model Research Paper

Supply Chain Management under Porters Five Forces Model - Research Paper Example This paper declares there is a system in inventory control referred to as the two-bin system, consisting of a bin for producing materials and a back-up containing these same materials. By adopting a just-in-time methodology, when the main production bin becomes depleted, it is quickly replaced by the back-up. It is at this point when materials are reordered to replenish the main bin. What this will do is reduce the carrying costs of raw inventories, moving from a monthly replenishment system to a daily system that would streamline ordering of raw materials and subsequently allow for better predictive procurement. Implementation of an appropriate BRP system, such as SAP, would automatically calculate movement of materials for production, thus offering a model for procurement based on tangible, quantitative inventory usages. BRP as it relates to the two-bin system would provide the flexible feedback mechanism required for accurate inventory control. HMC should also work on developing r elationships with the supplier corporate culture through transverse coordination innovation. This is a relationship marketing concept designed to remove communication barriers between up-stream suppliers and down-stream buyers with a focus on more coordination and partnership. HMC needs to establish mutually-beneficial alliance functions and negotiations throughout the supplier network to provide production/operations training to other corporate cultures and work together to develop a more responsive supply chain and supporting contract negotiation. The four drivers of supply chain management The four drivers of SCM include outsourcing, globalization, supply and demand risk, and product life cycle in the sales market. With new automotive contracts, the product life cycle is limited due to model changes and new structural best practices for automotive products. Thus, assembly will require a continuous adjustment methodology to existing assembly lines and machinery standards. This wil l somewhat limit the ability to consider long-term procurement and maximize production space and efficiency. This should be recognized when conducting quantitative quality planning, procurement models and predictions, and process controls. From this study it is clear that HMC is not in control of these customer-driven aspects and must be flexible and adaptable to changing production design. However, globalization provides new opportunities for reducing pricing in the supply chain by considering supply alternatives and negotiating contracts with foreign manufacturers for non-automotive production (since these are guided by ISO or QS9000 standards). HMC is in a position to outsource assembly. For non-automotive parts, HMC could consider researching assembly partnerships for semi-finished assembly that can occur in foreign countries with lower labor standards and lower fair wage practices. This would reduce a percentage of labor costs, procurement costs, and allow for production space maximization in certain assembly areas.

Analysis of CAN Architecture

Analysis of CAN Architecture In 2016 there were 261.8 million cars registered as they are a pivotal part of the economy and peoples everyday lives. Cars were once all mechanically made with carburetors but after development of technologies cars are now running off of fuel injection. The difference between the two is that a carburetor controls fuel flow with mechanical bits that allow a certain amount of fuel to mix with air to go to the cylinders and fuel injectors use a pressurized rail system controlled by a computer with carious camshaft and crankshaft sensors. In the 1980s cars started using computers called the Engine Control Unit( ECUs), which control basic main engine functions such as airflow, fuel and spark. There are ECUs in every car on the road today because with a computer and a set of sensors, the ECU can dynamically tune the car live, increasing performance and lowering emissions. Cars do this with various sensors including Mass Airflow Sensors, temperature sensors, O2 sensors pre and post catalytic converter. The problematic issue arises from the fact that we went from computerizing basic components to computerizing everything. To understand the issue, look at the diagram below to go over some of the things that a typical ECU has control over. Further increasing risk, cars now come with embedded GPS and cellular chipsets connecting the car to the outside world. With everything interconnected, it would not be hard for a hacker to gain access to the whole system through one point in in the system. The way these components communicate is through the CAN bus. The CAN bus is a really bad system when it comes to security because everything is broadcasted on the CAN, requested or not. This is so when a component needs information from another, it doesnt not need to request it, it is always broadcasting so its efficient. Can you guess why thats a security issue? I will now analyze the CAN architecture explaining its design flaws. The CAN protocol was developed because before it was released, every computer component had to be connected with wires to each other, but with CAN bus, everything connected to that central bus and it reduced the wiring complexity saving weight and money. Another reason for its development was for emissions control, and because data is always broadcasted on the CAN bus, the car can dynamically adjust fuel/air ratios to get the cleanest burn with the least emissions. The CAN bus is really good at what it is designed for, but it was never designed for security. The main security flaws that need to be addressed first are unencrypted traffic on the bus, lack of decoupling and segmentation and no authentication of devices. The major security flaw is the lack of encryption, but it was designed purposely like this. It was meant to be lightweight and encrypting data would go against that, especially in the 80s when computing power was very slow. Today this is a critical flaw because the data can be sniffed. This would allow the hacker to sniff data packets, modify the CAN message and inject it back into the system. Another major flaw is the lack of decoupling and segmenting the CAN network. Since everything in the bus os connected to each other, it is possible to gain access to the whole system through something like the infotainment system. This could be devastating because new cars have electronic driven steering and ECU controlled brakes. The last main flaw is that the CAN interface has no authentication method for attached devices, meaning that a hacker can spoof messages and other parts of the ECU will react. For instance, if a hacker can spoof and broadcast a brake signal on the CAN bus, the brakes will activate without the drivers knowledge. These are just some of the concerns I came across during my analysis, but has anyone exploited the CAN bus yet? The answer is yes and its been done multiple times by various research groups. In 2010 researchers from the Center for Automotive Embedded Systems Security published a paper entitled Experimental Security Analysis of a Modern Automobile. They exploited vulnerabilities and discovered that it was possible to change a vehicles functions by injecting spoofed commands onto the CAN bus. They showed that an attacker could disable the brakes, the engine, and change the speedometer values (Koscher et al., 2010). This research was dismissed by many because its very unlikely that someone would have a wired connection to the CAN bus. The team responded with a follow up analysis in 2011 with the diagram below. The electric bolts represent possible points of entry into the CAN bus system. Then put emphasis on Telematics as those are ways to gain access wirelessly, dismissing the media and automakers claims that a connection isnt possible to a car without a wire. more recently in 2015, Charlie Miller successfully exploited a Jeep Cherokee remotely and injected spoofed CAN commands, without making any physical contact with the car. This was groundbreaking as it showed cars could be hacked from anywhere with an internet connection. This was the first time an automaker had to take action, as the Fiat Chrysler Automotive group had to recall more than 1.3 million vehicles. Essentially what Miller did was that he exploited the vehicles infotainment system which governs media and cellular functions of the car. The cellular functions is what caught Millers attention because it gave him a remote way into the car. From there he discovered that the communications system had a microcontroller connected to the CAN bus! This was his point of entry, using this door he got access to everything connected to the CAN bus, which we now know controls the entire car since everything in computerized. To access the car though, Miller had to exploit the vehicles cell ular microcontroller, which was supplied by sprint. All he had to do was port scan and find an open service port. According to sprint shortly after they patched this bug, any sprint device capable of 3g had access to this service port. Normally this port is entirely internal, but sprint did not make its scope private. Because of this bug, he used a 3G sprint device connected to his laptop to remotely gain access to the microcontroller and then the CAN bus. Just as we discussed in class, there is no perfect system and there is no single security solution. The recommended solution, although it might take a while to implement, would have to be encrypted data transmission, hardware backed or not; Device authorization protocols so outside devices cant spoof CAN bus commands; And decoupling/segmentation of the CAN bus network. As professor Kathleen Fisher said, the CAN bus is hopelessly insecure. it was developed decades before cars were connected to the Internet and lacks features to blo ck malware programs or reject commands from unauthorized intruders.

Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter, Bartleby, and Daisy Miller Essay exam

     Ã‚   In today's society, it is infrequent that you turn on the television and are not bombarded with images of sex, violence, or other content that the Puritans would have viewed as being the work of Old Deluder (the name given to Satan in the time period). Yes, it is true; the society in which we dwell in today is no more remarkable than that of barbaric times. The only difference might be that we no longer kill out of primal instinct; we do it out of fear, or malice, or patriotism, or even pleasure. Thus, we are faced with the question of whether or not today's society would experience benefits if a conversion to Puritanism was made or drown in its waters. Because Puritanism conformed to such austere guidelines and beliefs that almost completely obliterated the individual's role in the social unit and because the foundation of the religion is to essentially "kill" freedom and liberty in order to create a social purity that is virtually impossible for humans to achi eve, I believe that Puritanism would only add to the degradation of society today. The books The Scarlet Letter, Bartleby, and Daisy Miller exemplify this theory. Puritanism's ultimate goal was to essentially establish a religiously pure and socialistic community in which everyone would work for the good of one another. However, Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter contradicts the belief that a society of this sort can ever exist. Rather, he theorizes that the suppression of this sinful behavior only leads to personal agony and social isolation. Hester, for example, who committed the sin of adultery, which society today frowns upon but does not punish for, became alienated enduring "three hours on the platform pillory, and then and thereafter, for... ...the realities of the "exemplary religion" known as Puritanism. It conflicts with both the natural rights of man in his existence (as the French philosophe Locke reasoned) and virtually denies men of his freedoms stated in the Constitution of the United States. Puritanism undermines the role of an individual in society and suppresses intellectuality. Puritanism destroys more than just ideas; it destroys people.    Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Maypole of Merry Mount". (1836). Honors American Literature. Period 8. 1999. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. (1850) New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1994. James, Henry. Daisy Miller. (1878) New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1995. Melville, Herman. Bartleby. (1856) New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990. Updike, John. "A&P". Honors American Literature. Period 8. 1999.