Dimensions of Literacy : A Conceptual Base for the Teaching of Reading and Writing in School Settings

by Kucer, Stephen B.

• ISBN13: 9780805831610
• ISBN10: 0805831614
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: LEA, Inc.

Summary

This landmark text significantly expands our understanding of literacy by examining it from a multidimensional and interdisciplinary perspective. It "unpackages" the various dimensions of literacy--linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural, and developmental--and at the same time accounts for the interrelationships among them. The ultimate goal is to provide a conceptual foundation upon which literacy curriculum and instruction in school settings can be grounded. Dimensions of Literacy: *links theory and research to practice in an understandable, user-friendly manner--within each chapter and in the final chapter focused exclusively on instructional implications. *provides in-depth coverage of the various dimensions of literacy: linguistic (the nature of language, oral-written language relationships, language variation); cognitive (constructive nature of perception, reading and comprehending processes, writing process); sociocultural (literacy as social practices, authority of written discourse), and developmental (constructing the written language system). *includes numerous demonstrations, "hands-on" activities, and authentic reading and writing events that reflect key linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural, and developmental concepts, as well as many tables and figures that summarize the concepts in a clear, accessible form. Educational institutions, and teachers in particular, are currently under intense scrutiny, as the standards movement and high-stakes testing increasingly determine what is taught, when it is taught, and how it is taught. If literacy teachers are to have a voice in these policies, it is critical that they have an understanding of what literacy entails. Because they work with students' reading and writing on a daily basis, teachers have an intuitive sense of the complexities of the literacy processes. The intent of Dimensions of Literacy is to make this teacher knowledge explicit, as well as to more fully develop it. It is essential reading for all teachers and students in the field of literacy education.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction
A Multidimensional View of Reading and Writing	3	(14)
Disciplinary Perspectives Versus Literacy Dimensions	6	(1)
A Literacy Beliefs Profile	7	(1)
A Literacy Story	7	(3)
About This Book	10	(7)
I: The Linguistic Dimension of Literacy
The Nature of Language	17	(41)
What Makes Language Language?	17	(8)
The Systems of Language	25	(12)
Context, Situation, and the Systems of Language	37	(3)
Oral--Written Language Relationships	40	(17)
Conclusions	57	(1)
Language Variation	58	(21)
What Is Language Variation?	59	(5)
Causes of Language Variation	64	(1)
Language Variation and the Reading and Writing Processes	65	(6)
The Impact of Various Forms of Spoken English on Literacy Development	71	(3)
Conclusions	74	(1)
Revisiting What Makes Language Language	74	(1)
The Linguistic Dimension of the Literacy Story	75	(4)
II: The Cognitive Dimension of Literacy
The Constructive Nature of Perception	79	(27)
Perceptual Experiments	79	(12)
The Systems of Language, Memory, and Perception	91	(4)
Visual Processing and Memory	95	(1)
``A Pin for Dan'' and ``The Great Big Enormous Turnip''	96	(9)
Conclusions	105	(1)
The Reading and Comprehending Processes	106	(41)
Factors Influencing the Reader-Text-Writer Transaction	106	(4)
What Do Theories and Models Have To Do With Teaching?	110	(1)
A Theory and Model of the Reading Process	111	(12)
An Examination of Proficient and Nonproficient Readers	123	(5)
Biliterate Readers	128	(3)
Reading: Another View	131	(2)
Understanding and Interpreting Written Discourse	133	(13)
Conclusions	146	(1)
The Writing Process	147	(24)
Revisiting the Reader-Text-Writer Transaction	147	(2)
A Theory and Model of the Writing Process	149	(10)
An Examination of Proficient and Nonproficient Writers	159	(6)
Cognitive Interrelationships Between the Reading and Writing Processes	165	(2)
Conclusions	167	(1)
The Cognitive Dimension of the Literacy Story	167	(4)
III: The Sociocultural Dimension of Literacy
Understanding Literacy as Social Practices	171	(25)
Examining Our Own Literacy Practices	172	(7)
Group Memberships and Social Identity	179	(1)
Literacy and Social Practices	180	(1)
Literacy in School and Out	181	(9)
Literacy and Its Relationship to Cognitive and Socioeconomic Development	190	(5)
Conclusions	195	(1)
The Authority of Written Discourse	196	(19)
The Nature of Knowledge	197	(5)
The Nature of Texts and Text Interpretation	202	(8)
Conclusions	210	(2)
The Sociocultural Dimension of the Literacy Story	212	(3)
IV: The Developmental Dimension of Literacy
Constructing the Written Language System	215	(36)
Why Learn Language?	217	(1)
Developmental Patterns and Principles	218	(20)
Interrelationships Between Reading and Writing Development	238	(6)
Variations on a Theme: Culture and Literacy Development	244	(3)
Conclusions	247	(1)
The Developmental Dimension of the Literacy Story	247	(4)
V: The Educational Dimension of Literacy
The Dimensions of Literacy: Implications for Reading and Writing Instruction	251	(20)
Summarizing the Dimensions of Literacy	251	(1)
Reexamining Our Beliefs About Literacy	252	(1)
The Literacy Debates: Old and New	252	(8)
Teaching the Dimensions of Literacy	260	(7)
Challenges to Teaching the Dimensions of Literacy: The Politics of Instruction	267	(2)
Conclusions	269	(2)
References	271	(16)
Author Index	287	(6)
Subject Index	293