Why Do Students Struggle With Literacy Deficit?

While it is important to provide appropriate interventions to address a student’s literacy deficits, it is equally important to assess instruction and assignments to ensure students are engaged and motivated. According to the National Literacy Act (1991), literacy is defined as one’s ability to read, write, speak, compute and solve problems, to function on a job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and develop one's knowledge and potential.
Often educators see students’ struggle with written expression as the underlying apprehension for their students’ literacy deficits. While many students possess these literacy deficits, there is often more explanation for why students’ struggle with literacy. It is possible that in addition to deficits, there is also a reluctance to participate in any form of literacy task.
A reluctant writer is anyone who does not show interest in written tasks. Students struggle with writing for a
In academic situations, students practice writing to learn an assortment of subject matter, to connect their understanding to teachers and classmates, and to express themselves. Numerous students experience language delays or impairments, which contribute to struggles in producing written language. Physical or sensory impairments, and limited access to needed assistive technologies, restrict learning opportunities for others (Wollak, 2011).
Nearly one-third of students who intend to enter higher education have not attained the readiness benchmarks for college-level English composition courses (ACT, 2005). If writing is imperative, then writing instruction must improve. The National Commission on Writing (2003) described four challenges to educators: (a) increase the amount of time that students spend writing, (b) improve the assessment of writing, (c) apply emerging writing technologies, and (d) provide professional development for all