ABSTRACT
School literacy instruction is an institutional practice always embedded in community matters of cultural identity, economic access and social power. This chapter presents a vocabulary for discussing the development of language and literacy, and for understanding the relationship of the diverse knowledge and practices children bring from community cultures to the social and language environments of the school. It describes Elsey's language learning and use in her home and community. The chapter explores some of the ways she uses language with friends and family, and what she knows about literacy and print. It discusses how she combines the texts of her community traditions with those of popular culture to develop a distinctive identity and world view. Finally, the chapter introduces some ways of teaching literacy in order to achieve equal access for all children towards powerful practices with text — whether social, academic or cultural — a goal which needs to be at the forefront of all early childhood education.
