Connections Literacy And Cultural Heritage

Traditional literacy, usually defined as the ability to read print materials, is but one component in a connected series. In an effort to facilitate the concept of connections, this book has been divided into four main sections: The many faces of literacy; the land and people of Iceland; the lessons from Iceland, an examination of the results of 57 interviews with fish factory workers, educators, librarians, community leaders, publishers, and students. The interviews sought the reasons for the remarkable nearly-100% print literacy in Iceland. Numerous tables summarize the interview data; and implications for the future.

Learn to promote academic and critical literacy development among all of your students; curricula and pedagogical strategies that are both inclusive and affirmative, yet empower students academically and critically; get what you need to help your students acquire and develop the academic and critical literacies they need to succeed in new century schools.

This edited volume highlights recent research related to how issues of diversity are addressed within literacy instruction for K-12 learners.

"In this unique contribution to the literature on parental involvement in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Flora Rodríguez-Brown offers a critique of family literacy programs that lack a clear design for literacy activities relevant to community goals, offering an alternative model that is grounded within an abiding respect for the parents’ role as the child’s first, and ultimately, most important teacher." Robert D. Milk, University of Texas, San Antonio The Project FLAME program used as context for this book is a comprehensive family literacy model, supported by a strong sociocultural framework based on current research on cultural ways of learning and theories of multiliteracies and discourse. The model highlights the relevance of parents’ knowledge, cultural ways, and discourses in sharing literacy knowledge with their children. A pressing need exists for models and programs that effectively serve the educational needs of the steadily increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students in U.S. public schools today. Addressing issues related to development, implementation, and effectiveness of a program model that fulfills this need, this book is an essential resource for educators, community workers, and researchers interested in the relevance of the home-school connection in relation to children’s school success.

This paper, written by a school administrator to parents, discusses parents' role in creating a positive educational environment, from providing a structured home life to volunteering in their child's classroom. The paper begins by asserting that a primary cause of behavior problems in the classroom is parent-child relationships in which the child, rather than the parent, is dominant, thereby creating students who believe they should be the center of attention. Society's focus on instant gratification and working parents' guilt are also mentioned as contributors to behavior problems. The paper recommends sure, firm, and consistent discipline, inside the classroom and at home, as a way to raise children who are well-adjusted members of society and who display respect and concern for others. The paper then offers suggestions for supporting children's academic success, such as talking to children about their goals and the necessary steps to achieve them, teaching children empathy for other people, promoting assertiveness rather than aggressiveness, and being a good role model. Finally, the paper discusses parent participation at school, recommending ways parents can approach teachers about volunteering and tasks parents can do for schools. The paper concludes by noting that teacher-parent contact not only promotes good will between the two, but in most cases promotes a positive attitude in the child. (EV)

"The ethnics are coming" --and the fear of many observers is that the quality of traditional disciplines will suffer as a result. Immigrant Voices: In Search of Pedagogical Reform is a new book which shows that such fear is unfounded. Ethnic scholars of international repute come together in this new collection of essays to meditate upon the single most important social phenomena in America today: Immigration. Due to the ever increasing ethnic diversity in today's school populations, the need to explore this issue has become more critical than ever. Giving voice to a broad range of complex experiences, contributors from China, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Slovakia provide insight into the numerous obstacles immigrants must overcome in order to succeed in both the academy and society at large. Offering broad theoretical perspectives, as well as powerful and unforgettable personal narratives, this book serves as a invaluable resource for continued efforts toward educational equity.

Christopher Okigbo (1932-1967) was one of Africa's foremost poets until his life was cut short by the Biafran civil war. This work analyses his poetry and considers its importance as prophecy in the light of the current concern about the direction of the Nigerian government.

What could happen if we viewed every read aloud as an invitation to learn more about literacy and ourselves? In Layers of Learning: Using Read Alouds to Connect Literacy and Caring Conversations , author JoEllen McCarthy explores read aloud strategies designed to enhance your reading and writing standards by capitalizing on the way literature can impact caring communities. Layers of Learning is structured around four key elements: Community, Agency, Respect, and Empowerment, or CARE. The book provides tools necessary to emphasize reading and writing connections, character education, and culturally responsive teaching, all while championing the power of read alouds. Inside you’ll find: Over 200 picture book suggestions introducing the Heartprint Framework , which demonstrates how you can layer literacy with life lessons 60 read aloud based connections that support caring classroom conversations, lesson planning, and extensions Instructional opportunities for nurturing readers and writers during workshop time, small-group gatherings, or individual conferring sessions Literacy Snapshot photo essays with ideas on how to adopt or adapt Continuing connections with additional resources and invitations for further learning Layers of Learning pulls together the ideas that the books we share not only serve an academic purpose, but also convey big, affective messages. This can lead to richer and more meaningful classroom conversations.