ABSTRACT
The 1991 census shows that there are approximately 163,000 people of Bangladeshi origin in the United Kingdom. This chapter shows how a detailed knowledge of children's home reading patterns can inform teaching strategies in school. Strong notions of patriotism and deeply-held religious views are entrenched in the minds of families in this community against the backdrop of what seems an alien host country. The community proudly upholds the traditions in which it believes. The tightly structured interaction between brother and sister reveals the complex nature of turn-taking in which they are engaged, and highlights the importance of strategies learned in both community class and school literacy lessons. The teacher in the English school clearly believes that learning to read should be achieved through enjoyment, and children are often encouraged to choose books with this criterion in mind. Individual pleasure and self-expression are stressed and children are encouraged to voice opinions on texts from the very start of schooling.
