ABSTRACT
In this chapter we share findings from a Community Literacy project where preservice teachers reflected on their experience getting to know the local community during their field placements. First, they took a literacy walk together with their case study child to observe and document the print environment-everything from street signs to product labels, bumper stickers to murals-found around a neighborhood and school community. Second, the preservice teachers then documented the community resources found within the neighborhood to examine the existing literacy resources available within the children’s community. Some of the findings show that signs around the community were bilingual, found both in English and Spanish, which is relevant to the literacy practices of diverse families living within the Southwest area near the border. In addition, preservice teachers identified and mapped the local community resources to connect to their students’ learning experiences. This research aims to broaden the current notion of literacy and potential resources available to support the learning of emergent bilinguals in their everyday contexts.
