a) Introduction:

Integrated Functional Literacy Approach is a strategy that the Government of Uganda, through the Directorate of Community Development, has adopted after piloting it in the 8 districts to be used in adult literacy programmes.

b) Objectives:

By the end of this topic, the participants should be able to:

 

• explain the background to Integrated Functional Adult Literacy Approach.
• explain the importance of integration and how it is being used in literacy work.
• describe how Integrated Functional Literacy has developed.
• explain the implications of the Functional Literacy Methodology.

c) Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

d) Learning Aids: Handouts, Blackboard, Newsprint, markers, Chalk.

e) Procedure and Learning Points:

1) [15 min.]. Ask participants to state what they know about Functional Literacy. Allow a short discussion and then summarise the background to Integrated Functional Literacy.

Learning Points:

 

- Integrated Functional Literacy borrows strengths from the other existing approaches already mentioned.

- It is called integrated because of its relationship and linkages with people’s daily activities.

- This strengthens and broadens literacy making it applicable to other spheres of life.

2) [30 min.] Involve participants to draw intersecting circles representing intersecting activities in life. Use this to discuss why literacy should be integrated with people’s daily activities.

Learning Points:

 

- Integration refers to bringing together different subject matters and different types of activities so that they can all be used to solve the problem which is being dealt with.

- Integration is important because in people’s lives one problem may arise from different things and it is not usually possible to solve a problem by looking at one aspect only.

3) [30 min.] Discuss the implications of integrating different literacy approaches.

Learning Points:

The approach adopted by Functional Adult Literacy takes the best from all the three approaches: traditional, functional and psycho-social. It does the following:

 

- enables learners acquire skills of reading, writing and numeracy (3Rs).

- helps people to be sensitised and aware of the true reasons for their situation and problems, and how their conditions can be improved.

- enables people to acquire practical knowledge and skills and the proper attitudes to use these to improve their living conditions. For that reason, literacy instructors must:

 

i) have a good awareness of the situation, the problems and how they can be dealt with. They should also have an open mind to discuss with and learn from the participants who already know a lot of things.

ii) be ready to consult other people and even arrange for them to help with teaching when handling topics they themselves may not be sure of e.g. Agriculture, Health, Law, and so on.

iii) keep in mind that people should leave this programme when they know how to read, count and write and how to make these useful in their lives. This demands that they teach literacy properly and make it practical.

iv) make careful use of the teacher’s guide which has been written in detail to help them.

(f) [15 min.] Assessment:

Ask 2 or 3 participants to state the importance of integration in FAL.

(g) Follow-up Exercise:

Read the hand-out on Integrated Functional Adult Literacy, how it has developed and its implications.