ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the symbolic knowledge being developed by Adam through his participation in his family's religious practices in their home in London. It focuses particularly on their celebration of Easter with examples of a video-recorded event and of three pages of a scrapbook. According to Jewitt the mode and media chosen for knowledge representation are crucial and integral aspects of knowledge construction, shaping what is learned and how it is learned. In fact, by taking part in the egg sharing ceremony, which itself reproduces the ritual of the Eucharist, the participants are replicating what is already a symbolic ritual. Thus, by participating in these religious practices, children develop the ability to deal with highly abstract concepts that can be used in different contexts and situations. In this way, children's literacy experiences in faith settings may help them to make sense of their learning in mainstream schools.
