Précis # 1 : Our view of Literacy

Graff, Harvey. "The Nineteenth-Century Origins of Our Times."The Legacies of Literacy. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987. 340-70.
In the early 18th century literacy was controlled by morality. Education was a way to implement morals, patriotism, and knowledge. A social goal for literacy was established in the 19th century. Soon everyone, poor and rich, were allowed to attend school. Blacks and some poor were excluded. Some poor were excluded because they were seen as a threat, connected with vice and unlawfulness. The "optimist" believed that poor should be included in the educational system because it could supply to a more equal society. "Pessimists", which were the majority, encouraged "education for the poor to train them to accept their inferior status."
At this time the North and South were separated. The Northerners were significantly more literate than the Southerners. This gap mainly came from the difference in traditions and social realities. The Southerners were mainly all farmers and laborers which believed that schooling was not necessary for economic survival. Soon people started to take an interest in literacy because it would bring along economic advantages. But these economic advantages seemed to only be for men. Differences in jobs were not based on literacy levels but of ethnic and class discrimination.
Before long, print was introduced into the everyday lives of the people. Numerous amounts of periodicals, novels, newspapers, and pamphlets were being sold. People were mainly interested in reading "cheap" literature. Even though more people were involved in reading they were not considered literate. People were reading books with immoral issues. A huge problem with literacy was that people were able to read but could not comprehend what they were reading. Shortly in order to be considered literate people had to be able to enunciate and comprehend what they were reading.
Also, at this time African Americans were not allowed to be illiterate. They saw education as a way to gain freedom and respect. Withholding literacy from slaves only made them want it more. Slaves were very motivated in achieving literacy. Slaves taught themselves and others how to read with little resources. But even those who were free and achieved literacy were set back because of poverty and social and cultural differences.
The parts of the article that were especially insightful are were where Graff talks about the "literary myth". Many social classes believed that through literacy they could gain respect and higher wages. But even after gaining literacy they were set back because of their skin and social class. This article gave me an idea about how the view of literacy has changed over the yea

Response to Douglass post

Isn't it amazing what we can accomplish when we truly put our hearts AND minds into it. Like Susan said, here we have the audacity to "gripe" about how "hard" it is to learn with formal instruction, when Douglass was completely self taught! And what an amazing writer he is! It's truly touching to read about struggles that are overcome, and Douglass' struggles were two-fold!

Comment to Liz

I too felt sad for the parents, but sad for Rodriguez as well. The shame he felt by his parents lack of education was only intensified by his teacher who seemed condescending. It is hard for an ESL student to get help from their parents with school work when the parents can't or barely speak English, so it's admirable how well Rodriguez did throughout his school years. It's also sad though, that through the knowledge he gained, he "lost" a part of himself.

Autobiographical Essay #2

The first time a book really affected me in some way was in high school. Before high school I didn't really read and if I did I would just do that "read". I never really understood what I was reading. A book that I would read all the time in elementary school was The Giving Tree. This book was given to me from one of my aunts. My aunt was the one who started my collection of English books. Books were important in my childhood home but not English books. The only books that I owned were Spanish. My parents would read and have me follow along with them every night. My elementary school would have book fairs almost every month and I would buy English books. But I never read them. I would mainly just buy them because the cover looked pretty or interesting. I'm pretty sure my elementary and middle school teachers assigned some books but I really don't remember reading them.
It was when I was in ninth grade that a book really caught my attention and emotions. My English teacher gave us a list with a lot of books and we had to choose one for our book report. I decided to pick I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book had a great affect on me. I honestly didn't really know anything about the treatment of African Americans. I was aware of it but with this book I was able to connect and feel some emotion. I was also happy and proud of myself because I actually understood and remembered what the author was talking about. I feel like this book really opened my eyes to what literature can do. My ninth grade class is where I started to get interested in reading. Around this time is when I started to read the Harry Potter books.
The most recent book that I've read for real enjoyment is twilight. I feel a bit embarrassed admitting it because the kids that I work with at a middle school are also reading this book for enjoyment. I decided to read this book because my younger brother recommended it. It appealed to me because it's part of a series and it has a lot of vivid description. Also, the fact that they are making movies of the books keeps me motivated to read.

Liz's Autobiographical Essay #2

Autobiographical Essay #2
I know this is going to sound completely insane, the first book that really affected me was the very first one I learned how to read. I do not remember the correct name but it was the one we used in first grade. It was all about “Dick and Jane” (yes, I’m ancient). I can vividly remember the excitement I felt at understanding the words the letters made. I no longer would rely on pictures to understand a book! This book mattered so much to me because once I mastered it I moved on to others. The “Dick and Jane” book catapulted me into a love of reading. Trips to the school library once a week were highly anticipated by me because now I had a variety of stories to read and adventures to discover.
I can remember bringing my books home and practicing my reading skills (actually showing off) with my parents, my older brothers were not impressed since they viewed reading as unimportant. I never saw my parents reading anything other than Readers Digest, newspapers and the Bible books were not readily available in our community. The books brought home from school were carefully handled because to me they were so important, they were treated width great respect.
A series of books I read a few years back with great enjoyment were the “Left Behind” series. The books are about Christ return and what happens after the Rapture. It was very appealing to me because although the books are fiction they are based on scriptures from the Bible. I followed the entire series over the years they were written eagerly waiting for each release date so I could continue with the characters and see what happens to them in the story. The first in the series was actually the best and the one that touched me the most, I wanted to buy a copy and give it to everyone I knew because it was such a touching book. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able in the last couple of years to read a book for leisure, everything I read now pertains to my education.

Precis "The Achievement of Desire" by Richard Roddriguez posted by Liz Wilson

Rodriguez, Richard. “The Achievement of Desire.” 22 Jan. 2009
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2436800/Richard-Rodriguez

In the article The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez addresses the pilot of the “scholarship boy” in pursuit of academic excellence. Rodriguez acknowledges that the more he achieves academically the more of his life he loses. Furthermore, he realizes that while he was academically a good student that he too is a very bad student, relying on educators for “his” opinions.
As a young boy Rodriguez becomes keenly aware of his parents lack of understanding in what he so desires to learn. He learns quickly and successfully, the more he knows the more he is embarrassed by his parents and their lack of education. He avoids his family and withdraws from conversation with them, they seem to no longer fit in his “educated” world. Rodriguez is conflicted as he now lives in two worlds. While he feels superior to his parents he has very little self-confidence in himself. He comes to the realization as he grows older and becomes a “community of scholars” that he is isolated, feeling alone as he thinks of his family he has left behind with his advances. He becomes restless with the books and research he once loved and returns home to become reacquainted with his family and his past. Rodriguez, through his education, realizes his need to no longer be separated from his family.
A strong part of Rodriguez’s article is shown when his parents meet with his teacher and have a difficult time speaking. Rodriguez has mixed feelings when his two worlds collide. He feels embarrassed by his “uneducated” parents and feels resentful of the teacher who appears condescending to them. As a young boy he is confused by his love of his parents and his love of learning.
After reading this article I have gained an understanding into the conflicts one suffers after becoming more literate than the family they love. Upon learning and understanding the written words the parents seem inferior to some students, especially those whose parents speak a different language. The child no longer respects his parents or their authority because he now “knows” more than his parents. Literacy, once mastered, brings both pain and pleasure.

Essay #2

I'd like to start by saying that since I've become a "grown up," I don't like to read! I know that this totally contradicts what I said in my earlier posts, (about how I LOVED to read as a child) but it's true. I don't know why the change occurred, but I think it happened around the time I went to Junior High. Therefore, I am very embarrassed to report that the only things I've read lately that WERE NOT "assigned" readings are magazines, newspaper articles (online), online sports articles, and on occasion, The Bible. I have not voluntarily read "a good book" in I don't know how long. I did read a book over Christmas break called "Teenagers Are People Too!" by Joyce Meyer. It wasn't a book I picked up to read for "enjoyment" though; I read it as a "self help" type-thing (I have a 15 year old son who I'm trying to understand better!!!). Anyways, I felt starting from the present and going back made sense for this post.
As I said before, reading was encouraged in my home when I was a child. My parents, grandparents, and my aunt bought me books all of the time (I still have SEVERAL of them). Like Susan said, I too received money for Scholastic book orders, but I ordered books because I could and because I loved to read. I don't remember my parents reading too much more than the newspapers and their Bibles though... So I didn't "learn" to read from example; I just had my own passion for it.
But it wasn't until I read the book "Charolette's Web" by E.B. White, that I was ever so moved. The first time I read the book I was in the fourth grade. I chose to read it for a book report. I had to do a "project" about it, so I used a box bottom (like the ones you get from Costco when you buy like a 36 pack) decorated it like a pig pen with dirt, grass, sticks (for fencing), and little figurines, and ended up winning first place for it! It was displayed in the library for all to see!! Although the project itself was fun and rewarding, I don't think I would have ever got that "into it" if I hadn't fallen in LOVE with the book itself. The feeling I had when reading "Charolette's Web" was one that I have only experienced a few more times, but that time was special, because it was my first!!!

Autobiography #2 - Another Chapter about Literacy

Books were not important in my home. I don’t remember having a lot of books – definitely not enough to require a bookshelf. I do remember that in our first house in N.J., we had a "library." It was more a title than an actual room that functioned as a library. The only books I remember my parents having were encyclopedias which came in handy when school projects were assigned. My grandparents on my dad’s side had books and they always seemed to be reading magazines or a book of some type. I looked at their stacks as clutter.
I really don’t remember a book having an effect on me during my early school days. For some reason "The Cricket in Times Square" comes to mind as a book I enjoyed in middle school. I believe this was the first "big" book I read cover to cover. It appealed to me because it was a story of triumph. Okay – it was a cricket, but he had his day, his moment. It was a book I purchased through one of the scholastic book clubs. I loved to be able to buy things so when I was allowed to spend $5.00 on books; I bought them because I could – not because I wanted to read them. During my elementary and high school education I only read because I was told to do so. Even though I enjoyed "The Cricket in Times Square," it didn’t prompt me to pick up more books.
It was when I was in my late 20’s that I read for the sake of reading. A co-worker always had a book with her. She read every chance she had. When she told me how much she loved reading and about the books she read, I thought she was a bit lonely but I became interested nonetheless. She lent me a book. I knew I had to read it because I she was going to ask me about it when I returned it. That was all it took. Since then reading has become one of my favorite pastimes. The last book I read with real enjoyment was one in Diana Gabaldon’s "Outlander Series." During the Winter break I read "The Shack," "The Art of Racing in The Rain," and "Water for Elephants." The reason I note Gabaldon’s books as most enjoyable is because of the way Gabaldon brings her characters to life. You feel as though you too travel back in time to 18th Century Scottland.

Response to Autobiographical posts

Angelica, I found myself comparing your experience with the institution of education (school) with that of our current assigned reading (Rodriguez) and with "From Outside, In" (Mellix) which isn't assigned yet but I read out of order. Anyway... it is a sad statement that people are made to feel so alienated by the language they speak - or their different dialect or accent. I believe it forces people to the belief that they must live two lives - one where they are comfortable speaking their native language and one where they are expected to speak Standard American English (SAE). Even when people speak English, if it isn't SAE, the language can stigmatize them.



Alicia and Liz, I can't relate to being young and excited about reading and writing. I think this is because my learning was all incentive based. I did what I was told, when I was told, and how I was told. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I truly began to enjoy reading. I'll leave the rest of that story for the next autobiographical post.



Have a great weekend ladies!

Precis for Douglass Reading from Susan

Douglass, Frederick. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave."
Chapter VII. 14 May 97. Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE. 21 Jan. 09.
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/07.html

In chapter seven of his autobiography, Douglass presents the journey he takes and the struggles he faces as he strives to acquire the knowledge of how to read and write. He reveals the strategies he uses to overcome the barriers of slavery in his efforts to obtain this knowledge. A lack of formal training and the prohibition of his instruction do not quell his fervor for learning. While he lacks basic skills of reading and writing, Douglass demonstrates his intellect with the creative methods he employs to attain his knowledge.

Douglass equates the knowledge of reading and writing with freedom – freedom from slavery and freedom to articulate his thoughts. As for slaveholders, Douglass sees the ability to read and write as a power they abuse. The disparity between the literacy level of slaveholders and slaves serves to keep the balance of power in the hands of the slaveholder. Douglass acknowledges that while "knowledge" can empower, it can likewise debilitate. We see this when Doulgass struggles with the newfound insight his reading affords him as he realizes the extent of his condition.

Douglass delivers a powerful message in this chapter. We see that while it may not be easy to acquire the skills of reading and writing without the customary means of education or instruction, it is still very possible to succeed in doing so despite adversities or impediments. It puts into perspective how insignificant our own struggles in attaining language competency are in comparison to those who are oppressed or disadvantaged. His tone and writing style reflect the style of a well-educated intellectual. In this way he overcomes the argument that slaves are intellectually inferior to their slaveholders and to Whites as a majority.

This power of literacy to define people still exists today. There is still the perception that people who are illiterate are for some reason less intelligent than those who have achieved literacy. People without the basic skills of reading and writing are stigmatized. They are excluded from many opportunities such as employment, services, and education. While slavery is abolished today, people without the ability to read and write still live in a form of slavery – a "mental darkness" as Douglass calls it – the inability to express their thoughts or to escape their condition.

Memory of Early Literacy Development

“Reading, Writing and Arithmetic” is the phrase that comes to mind when I think back to my early language and literacy development. I knew that my job in life, which I was told was school at the time, was to learn how to read, write, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

As I think back to my early days of learning, I don’t remember a time when either of my parents or any relatives spent time helping me to learn how to read or write. That responsibility was left to me. Though my parents expected academic excellence (A’s and B’s), my instruction was left to the academic institutions. My motivation to learn was incentive-based (being on the ‘honor roll’ and not being grounded). I didn’t have any grand notions at the time that knowledge equalled power or that with knowledge I could chart my own course in life. I was strictly performing the tasks I was told to perform by my teachers as a compliant student – and as a child who didn’t want to get in trouble by bringing home bad grades. I saw what happened to my brothers when they brought home C’s or D’s and I didn’t want any part of that!

Since it was left to the school to teach me reading, writing, and arithmetic, the teachers I encountered played a big part in shaping my language competency. Beyond school, at an early age I learned by listening and observing. Our family usually got together with our extended family on Sundays at Grandma Tedesco’s house. Being Italian, Grandma and her side of the family always had plenty to say, plenty to eat, and plenty of attitudes. So while my family didn’t directly assist me with my reading or writing, the conversations around the dinner table helped to round out my knowledge of language and literacy. These gatherings gave me important insight into the ability to influence others simply by way of intonation and facial expressions. Sundays at Grandma’s house also expanded my vocabulary and introduced me to a whole non-verbal vocabulary based on gestures.

Looking back I see now that although my formal instruction of reading and writing may have been limited to academic institutions, everything and everyone I came in contact with played a part in influencing my development of language and literacy.

literacy development

Honestly i dont really know or remember how i came to reading and writing English. But i do remember how i came to reading and writing Spanish. My parents are only spanish speakers. They are the one's who taught me how to read and write spanish. My father would have me read with him every night before i would go to sleep. All through elementary school i was placed in bilingual classes. All of my classmates also spoke spanish. Our teacher would speak and would have us do all of the assigned activities in spanish. But in the playground and at lunch all of the kids would communicate in spanish.
At school is where i developed the English language and at home is where i developed the spanish language. At times i would feel very confused. i felt like i didnt know enough about the two languages. Once i went to middle school i was forced to speak english at all times. I was separated from my spanish speaking classmates. Around this time is when my fear of reading out loud in class started. The kids in my classroom would make fun of me because of my accent. My elementary and middle school years feel like a blur. I feel like i didnt really learn anything because i was to focused on trying to learn how to speak both languages.

Language and Literacy Development
Once upon a time a very, very long time ago I learned how to read and write. But how did I acquire this ability? For me, learning to read and write happened in school. I can remember the first characters I learned about were “Dick and Jane”. There was not as much material and emphasis on teaching your children at home how to read and write when I was growing up therefore the responsibility was mainly on my first grade teachers shoulders. I must say Mrs. Davidson did an excellent job because in no time at all I was reading everything I could get my hands on and loving every minute of reading. Writing I did not care so much for because I had horrible penmanship, to this day I am ashamed of my handwriting!
I lived out in the country and the city where I went to school did not have a library and the “mall” with a Barnes and Noble in it had yet to be built. The only access I had to books in the summertime was an organization called the “Bookmobile” which was basically a mobile library on wheels like a RV that came to a specific location twice a month. My mother made sure she kept the car on that day so she could take me and my two older brothers to the Bookmobile so we could check out books to bring home and read. I can remember my mother waiting patiently in the car (because the Bookmobile was so small) while we all made our selections. I would always take the maximum books
allowed because I loved reading which enabled me to go to far away places and take part in others adventures. Throughout the summer I would run out of books to read because of the limited availability of the Bookmobile, I can remember reading some books several times over because I enjoyed reading so much and these books were all I had.
Once I had mastered my reading it became an intricate part of my learning about the Bible in my church, I no longer depended on the Sunday school teachers or Pastor to tell me what was written, I could read it for myself. In my Wednesday night class it was part of the curriculum that I read certain passages for memorization in order to earn stars and pass steps in the missionette program the church offered.
So, my language and literacy developed through a combination of school where I learned to read, family as my mother gave me access to books during the summer and my community church which allowed me to achieve goals by reading.

Autobiographical Essay
Reading and writing happened early on in my life. As far as I can remember, I was writing and reading (somewhat) in preschool, and I LOVED to do both! My family as well as my preschool, played a big role in my language and literacy development.
My mother, father, grandparents, cousins, and aunts all read to me. Bedtime stories were a favorite, but my aunt and grandmother are the ones who got me interested in reading "chapter" books (when I was old enough, that is). I read probably all of the Judy Blume books, and the Chronicles of Narnia series. My parents also bought me my first (real, grown-up) Bible when I was 8 years old. I was encouraged to read it often, and although I am BAD at remembering what I read, I loved the "common" Bible stories that most kids are taught.
As I said before, School also played a big role in my literacy development. I was fortunate enough to have wonderful teachers, who always encouraged reading AND writing in a big way. I was introduced to "journal" writing/ diary keeping in second or third grade. I think THIS was when I truly developed a love for writing (although it may not show; I do love it, but I'm not great at it).
To me, it's important to get children interested in reading and writing at an early age. It pays off throughout a child's educational experience if someone takes the time to help teach them a love for reading (and writing).