16.3462, Review: Applied Ling/Literacy: McKeough et al. (2006)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-16-3462. Sun Dec 04 2005. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 16.3462, Review: Applied Ling/Literacy: McKeough et al. (2006)

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1)
Date: 03-Dec-2005
From: Sue Hasselbring < suehassel at juno.com >
Subject: Understanding Literacy Development: A Global View 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Sun, 04 Dec 2005 20:24:36
From: Sue Hasselbring < suehassel at juno.com >
Subject: Understanding Literacy Development: A Global View 
 

EDITORS: McKeough, Anne; Phillips, Linda M.; Timmons, Vianne; 
Lupart, Judy Lee
TITLE: Understanding Literacy Development
SUBTITLE: A Global View
PUBLISHER: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
YEAR: 2006
Announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/16/16-2737.html 

Sue A. Hasselbring, Department of Linguistics, University of South 
Africa, Pretoria.

INTRODUCTION

Understanding Literacy Development brings together ten articles 
focusing on how individuals, especially children, develop literacy skills 
both in and out of school.  The authors approach literacy from a 
variety of perspectives, but all maintain a positive focus on tools that 
help learners become literate, rather than on criticizing other 
methods.  The perspective is primarily educational, although the 
chapters by Lundberg, and Anderson and Li are approached from a 
solid linguistic base while Nicholson's touches on linguistic topics.  The 
chapters by Hamilton, and Gosse and Phillips approach reading from 
a sociological perspective.  According to the preface, the audience is 
university faculty and students, reading researchers, school 
administrators, teachers, school psychologists, government ministries, 
and academic societies.

SUMMARY

The first part of the book, consisting of four chapters, focuses on the 
literacy teaching in schools.  Lundberg emphasizes that in order to 
learn to read, children need both the decoding (phonological) and 
comprehension tracks of instruction.  He cites a wide range of relevant 
international research and provides clear summaries of significant 
findings.  He shows the importance in the comprehension track both of 
building children's vocabulary and providing a safe, nurturing 
environment.  

Nicholson begins by distinguishing between phonemics, phonetics and 
phonics before focusing on the teaching of phonemic awareness.  
Studies are cited which show the importance of phonemic awareness 
preceding literacy instruction, and which demonstrate that phonemic 
awareness can be taught.  Practical examples are given and some 
references provided for phonemic awareness methods for teaching 
and testing.  

Pressley and Hilden focus on strategies used by skilled readers which 
enhance comprehension.  They conclude that while a large number of 
strategies have been identified, students' literacy skills improve the 
most when a few strategies are taught with long-term reinforcement.  
Strategy instruction works best when accompanied by instruction in 
decoding, vocabulary and general knowledge of the world.

Anderson and Li compare learning to read English with learning to 
read Chinese while focusing on two types of metalinguistic awareness: 
phonological and morphological.  Similarities and differences between 
the languages, orthographies and the two types of awareness are 
emphasized.  They provisionally conclude that both phonological and 
morphological awareness are important for learning to read any 
language, but that the type of phonological awareness needed may 
vary.  English learners required more phonemic and onset awareness, 
while the Chinese learners required more syllable and rime awareness.

The second section, which consists of three chapters, focuses on 
literacy instruction outside of schools.  Alvermann suggests that 
struggling adolescent readers should be viewed not as culturally 
deprived, nor as culturally different but as individuals erroneously 
labeled by their culture whose primary need is an improved self-
image.  Four approaches to critical literacy are described: 1) teacher 
directed, 2) teacher guided 3) the ''all media is good'' approach, and 
4) learner established critique approach.  The use of the last 
approach in an after school media club for struggling readers is 
described.

Sample Gosse and Phillips explore issues related to family literacy 
programs.  The family's centrality in literacy is based on their being the 
basic kinship group in all societies and their being the primary 
interactors with pre-school children.  Individual families may face 
challenges in using literacy due to language and cultural 
backgrounds, lifestyles, and time limitations.  Two dominant 
philosophies are found in family literacy 1) that families should be 
taught the successful literacy behaviors of other classes or cultures 
and 2) that families should be assisted in more fully using the literacy 
activities inherent to their culture.  The authors recommend the 
integration of both philosophies into family literacy programs.  They 
call for further research on the best intensity and duration of 
programs, and on how family literacy impacts larger social networks of 
friends and school.

Hamilton presents literacy as a social practice which beyond knowing 
how to read, encompasses the use of reading to accomplish goals.  
Vernacular literacy is defined as purposeful literacy activities learned 
informally within the community.  She recommends that learners be 
involved in participatory research on the ways literacy is used in their 
communities.  While incorporating vernacular literacies into the 
classroom is recommended, doing so recontextualizes those literacies.

Part three focuses on the formation of teachers with a common theme 
that the teachers must be more than masters of methods, but 
continually be cognizant of their students' abilities, perceptions and 
needs.  Ng summarizes a number of issues that have dominated the 
field of literacy before turning to the teacher's role in improving 
instruction and redressing social inequities.  The chapter describes a 
project in three Asian countries which attempted to shift the teaching 
of English-to-Speakers-of-Other-Languages in formal schools from a 
didactic to an interactive approach.  The resituation of advisory visits 
as opportunities for cooperative growth rather than as assessments 
was instrumental.  Ng calls upon tertiary educators to use their 
research to implement educational reform.

Seda-Santana focuses on how both teachers and learners perceive 
literacy and how those perceptions impact literacy learning and 
teaching.  She suggests that learning to decode is learned in schools 
but becoming literate occurs in the community.  Results are presented 
from a study in Mexico which compared perceptions of third grade 
students about reading with the perceptions of third grade teachers.  
She notes several misunderstandings the students had of questions, 
but fails to note that differences in age and differences in roles 
between teachers and learners would also impact the responses.  She 
emphasizes the need for teachers to be aware of the students' 
perceptions.

Kibby and Dechert focus on how reading clinic experience contributes 
to the development of diagnostic teachers: teachers who continually 
assess learners, so they can adapt instruction to learners' needs even 
as they teach.  Ten qualities of diagnostic teachers are emphasized.  
During the instruction process, a diagnostic teacher must 
simultaneously observe the learner, the learning, and the teaching.  In 
reading clinics, supervisors guide teachers in developing the self-
questioning skills which are crucial for growth in assessing each 
session.  

A common trend through most of the chapters was the need for 
learners to have access to high quality literature which serves to 
expand both the world view and vocabulary of the learners while they 
read.  

EVALUATION

The diverse perspectives of the authors in the fields of linguistics, 
sociology and education coupled with the diverse audience targeted 
by the editors calls for clear definitions of terms and programs.  Some 
such as Lundberg, and Sample Gosse and Phillips carefully situate 
their work and define terms while Hamilton's  and Alvermann's 
contributions would benefit from better definitions of terms.  Nicholson 
assumes readers will have knowledge of a specific reading program 
while Anderson and Li assume some linguistic knowledge that many 
educationalists may not possess.  The chapters display a broad range 
in the degree of scholarly organization and clarity.  For example, 
chapters 2, 9, and 10 include conclusions which do not logically 
proceed from the content of the chapter.  The chapters which excel in 
clarity and organization are the four which have two authors each.  

The book claims to have a global view, perhaps because the authors 
come from eight countries, but it focuses almost exclusively on 
developed countries and English literacy (with literacy in Spanish and 
Chinese being the focus of one chapter each).  The greatest literacy 
needs in the world are, of course, in regions of third world countries 
where world languages are second or third languages of individuals if 
they are known at all.  While some authors briefly acknowledged that 
their recommendations would not apply globally or would need to be 
adapted, none offered suggestions on how their conclusions might be 
applied in other situations.  The chapter by Sample Gosse and Phillips 
is most global, for although its examples all come from one country, 
they encompass aboriginal peoples, immigrants and urban areas.  

The book contributes to the understanding of literacy development of 
individuals both in and out of school and includes solid 
recommendations for the formation of literacy practitioners. 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Sue Hasselbring earned her MS in sociolinguistics at Georgetown 
University.  She was a sociolinguistic researcher in four African 
countries from 1990 to 1999.  She was involved in adult literacy in 
Botswana from 2000 to 2003.  She is currently a doctoral student at 
the University of South Africa.





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