What is literacy? And why do we value it? Until two centuries ago, to be literate meant being rich enough to have leisure to learn to read and to acquire books. This traditional view of literacy has been changed not only but universal and compulsory school attendance - where reading and writing are still regarded as vital skills - but by the developments in micro technology which mean that some children today and more familiar with the workings of the computer than the construction of the sentence. Now that the word processor has become a symbol of modern literacy, while the different forms of print confronting us increase every day, Margaret Meek has written this book with the intention of reassuring every parent worried about a child's literacy and its importance in a changing society. Margaret Meek (Mrs Margaret Spencer) is a teacher, critic and reviewer of Children's books. In 1970 she received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for her services to children and books. She has written Learning to Read, a book which brought encouragement and support to thousands of parents when explaining what happens when a child is being taught to read. Margaret Meek recently returned form her position as Reader in Education at the University of London Institute of Education but plans to continue researching, teaching and advising in the filed of education and literacy.
On Being Literate