Many ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Chinese, the Babylonians and the Greeks, had different legends as to how they first learnt to read and write. These legends vary in the way that they narrate the origins of reading and writing; however, the majority describe the ability to read and write as a precious gift from the gods. Such legends testify to the immense value that these ancient civilizations placed on reading and writing. In more recent times, the ability to read and write constituted the means by which a person could access humankind’s cumulative knowledge and experiences. Today, this same ability has become a prerequisite for sharing in the basic resources needed to survive. There no longer appears to be a need for arguments justifying the importance of literacy now that the advantages of being able to read and write determine people’s opportunities for growth and personal development.
Download: La Alfabetización y la mente: los contextos y las consecuencias cognitivas de la práctica de la alfabetización (Literacy and the Mind: The Contexts and Cognitive Consequences of Literacy Practice) (PDF 330 KB)
- Author/Editor: Bernardo; Allan B.I.
- Literacy and the Mind: The Contexts and Cognitive Consequences of Literacy Practice
- UIE, 1997
- ISBN 978-92-820-1087-7
- Available in: English, French, Spanish
