ABSTRACT
In approaching the issue of teaching literacy where there are ‘difficulties in learning literacy’, we pose some basic questions: How are difficulties in literacy defined and perceived? How do they relate to conceptualizations of literacy? How much is literacy a curriculum aim for all children? Are there separate and distinctive literacy curricula and literacy pedagogies for children experiencing difficulties in learning literacy? (Lewis and Norwich, 2005). These questions are addressed through this chapter by adopting a socio-educational approach (as opposed to a biomedical one) where the impact of social and environmental factors on pupil performance is given appropriate significance (Riddick, 2001).
