What is literacy, really?

Throughout my time as a Ph.D. student and candidate, this question has seemed to follow me since the beginning of my program. It is one that I think should be explored more fully as well as more personally. It is also one that has changed quite a bit since I was a student.

The two leading scholars I generally draw from when I discuss literacy, I begin with James Paul Gee’s Sociolinguistics and Literacy as well as Barton’s Literacy. My definition of literacy has continued to expand since reading these as well as my dissertation which explores multiliteracies as well.

Two things that particularly struck me recently are the below-pictured works of art by both of my nieces.

What struck me about this, was the connection of literacy to the actions that in this case my niece would like to do, examples, run to the tenes court, bike to brige, and sleep at island. I thought also about how the mispelled works demonstrate that she sounded these words out herself in order to write or conceptualize what she would like to do for the day. I also thought about what motivation this is when we can do this more often in the classroom, the text to real world connection. And then I continued to question, do we ever do this in the classroom?

Maybe sometimes not.

I also noted a similar example in which my other niece wrote similes about all the real world people in her family, her mom, her dad, and her brother. Again by connecting the writing to the real world, I think you will find that most students will enjoy connecting their learning, to people from their real life, again you have eight fairly impeccable similes I would say, which I am not certain every one of my high school students could do as well.

I think this also speaks to the literacy practices that Gee defines as well as the connections that authors like Erikson’s Talk and Social Theory as well connected literacies tied to social practices such as sitting at the table and eating.

I have continued to explore literacies through a variety of projects throughout my Ph.D. One resource you might enjoy on New Literacies for teachers can be found here. You will need an Outlook account to log in to Sway.

Otherwise, continue to ask yourself, what is literacy to you? What are your hidden literacies? How are you demonstrating your literacy to the world? And how are you providing for your students to make their literacy visible?