ABSTRACT

The sociocultural dimension of literacy is concerned with the reader and writer as text user and text critic. Sociocultural strategy instruction, therefore, helps children to understand how (1) texts are used in various contexts for various purposes and functions, and how (2) texts reflect or highlight particular viewpoints and ignore others. Although the linguistic, cognitive, and developmental dimensions are always present in all strategy instruction, sociocultural strategy lessons highlight the communal and ideological dimension of literacy.