The Benefits of Literacy In Germany and The United States of America Germany and the United States of America (USA) share common thoughts on the significance of a well rounded literacy education. Their approaches toward students’ gaining a literacy education are singular. Both countries are discovering the importance of the relationships between an early childhood education and a literacy education. Struggles are happening within each countries education system with the rise in population of Immigrants and poverty. Learning literacy skills to read symbols, numbers, alphabets, and words are necessary for individuals to live in any society. As you read further, you will learn of the importance and difficulties of attaining a literacy education for both Germany and the United States of America early childhood students. Every child that is born learns the first skills of literacy from their caregiver or parent. Children learn to speak by watching the adults around them. Miller (2007) believes these actions are part of cultural learning. (p. 18) Young infants are learning most of their behaviors unconsciously. Albert Bandura (cited in Boyd & Bee, 2006) defines the observation done by infants and children as observation learning or modeling. (p. 31) The first skills that are learned by children at home are the most important skills that help them become great students in the classroom. Literacy skills are not formed in the same manner as speaking. One does not learn to read by simply observing another person reading. Also, one parent does not have the same education level to teach a child as the next parent. Each child has learned a different level of skill based on their parent’s education level.
One specific problem is the lack of availability for books. Some parents and children do not have access to books to read to their child. Groups of parents that have the access to books to read to their child/children do not always have the time to teach reading skills. Supporting data from Jumpstart (2009, September, p. 3) found from infancy to the age of 5 is when the brain is undergoing the most growth and development. Early attention to an infant’s growth in literacy skills is crucial for future success. Lack of funds, availability, or parent’s attention to education makes for many difficulties in that child’s future. A German study found that 2 -3 month old infants were on their own for 40 percent of the time (Miller, 2007, p. 152). These infants are not around their caregivers for the amount of time that is needed to develop literacy skills. Infants need a consistent amount of attention to develop these skills. Immigration and poverty is one of the many reasons for individuals to be deficient in literacy skills. Germany and United States of America are also finding difficulties with language barriers. Immigrants that arrive in Germany and United States of America speak only in their native tongue and are lacking in education. Immigrant Mexican students in the United States of America speak English as their second language. The United States of America provides special schools and courses so that the Mexican students can learn English (Miller, 2007, p. 24). Lee y ser’as (2009, March, p. 62) is a developed scholastic foundation that helps young Latino youth to read. The site is available in both English and Spanish. Germany’s poor and immigrant families have a difficult time affording any form of education early on because of the lack of money. This in turn, forms a gap for multicultural children when entering the school system (Miller, 2007, p. 155). Immigrant student’s weakness with education is considered laziness by some teachers. The lack of an early on educational career and specialty schools in Germany causes discrimination.
Many German citizens complain and argue that the education standards make for an uncertain future. Students that leave school to pursue an apprenticeship for a year often do not return to further their education. Later on, in a German individual’s lifetime, they will be penalized for their lack of education (Buchel, Daly & Duncan, 2000). German and American children growing up in poverty stricken low income neighborhoods with high violence are not set up for success. In 1999, the U.S. Department of Education found children raised in distressed circumstances at home are at greater risk to succeed in continuing their educational career. The growing number of poor and immigrant families make for an increase of future drop outs. (p. 31)
Kindergarten classes have gained popularity in the United States of America because of the increased want and need for educating small children. Studies by Jumpstart (2009, p. 5) show children who do not achieve the basic skills of literacy while in Kindergarten are three to four times more likely to not continue their education. Children raised in working class families are more likely to excel at learning and applying learned literacy skills. Children in Germany and United States of America that are raised in low income households are more likely to test lower in literacy. Many students that live in the United States of America and come from low income homes only know two of the 26 letters of the alphabet upon entry into kindergarten, only half can write his/her own name, and cognitive scores are 60 percent lower than the children in the highest economical groups. These weaknesses will certainly follow each student into their high school career (Jumpstart, 2009, p. 8).
After the first 10 years of education in Germany, students go into apprenticeships for a year of work. Most of those students do not return back to school. Learning literacy skills is crucial for each child to progress from one grade to the next grade. Students that do not acquire literacy skills early on will have difficulties with learning other course studies. Studies show out of 50 children in the United States of America struggling to read in kindergarten, 44 of those students will continue to have difficulty in the third grade (Jumpstart, 2009, p. 6). The urgency to provide these young minds with a literacy education is prevailing. The United States Government has shown interest in providing assistance by giving grants to schools to fund Learning Differences Programs. These specific programs help by the advanced and struggling students. The downside is that the No Child Left Behind Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2005, January) promotes children that have not grasped the educational material in their current class onto the next class.
In Germany, the Government has very little to do with the education system. Each German state is in charge of their own academic program. Many German schools have a “lottery” students participate in. These lotteries allow surrounding Gymnasiums (schools) to pick which students attend and which do not. The theory to the lotteries is to separate the advanced students from the least likely to succeed group of students. The separation of the different education levels is to allow the more successful students achieve more. The Gymnasium system does not allow less fortunate students to succeed academically. German reporter Jan-Martin Wiarda (2009, September 21) says, “The German education system can be summed up in a sentence: it helps weak and strong pupils if they are sent to separate institutions after primary school” (¶ 3). Germany and The United States of America rank lower than many countries when testing on literacy. PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) (Lemke, Lippman, Baira, Calsyn, Kruger, Jocelyn, et al., 2000, p. 82) shows Germany’s literacy score of 488 and The United States of America’s score of 539.
Both Germany and The United States of America have weak spots within the education programs that are used today. German states decide on the academic policies and requirements. Each German state has different goals in place, which leaves the students on different paths of learning. Each state in America has accreditation agendas that are revised every 2 -4 years. Both countries have the tools to mandate programs like Preschool or Kindergarten, which in turn, would benefit young students. Kindergarten is offered in Germany and The United States of American, but not mandated in every state. Strickland and Riley Ayers (2006, p. 2) agree that children with few literacy experiences comprehend fewer words. Literacy skills that are learned before entering Elementary classes can be applied the first day. Early childhood programs hold great potential and prevent literacy failure (Swick, 2009, February 25). Teachers can also teach more and with less difficulty when the students understand the lessons. Another study performed by Jumpstart (2009, p. 6) tested 50 children having trouble with learning literacy skills, 44 of those children will continue to struggle reading in the third grade. Germany and The United States of America’s parents do not have the appropriate amounts of time and money to devote to the young minds. Therefore, young students will proceed through each school system without the necessary skills needed to survive in society. Learning literacy skills is not only beneficial to a successful education career; it is also beneficial to a future career in the workforce. The pressure and added stress is added to the job roles of teachers and other caregivers to keep young students up to speed with the rest of the world. Finding the time to avoid neglecting the beginnings of a child’s literacy education is not impossible if parents and teacher work together to help achieve this goal. Germany and The United States of America need to organize their school systems to engage each and every student.

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