Constructing literacy in classrooms

Response to: Constructing Literacy in Classrooms
How Language Teachers’ Beliefs About Reading Instruction Are Mediated
by Their Students Beliefs aboutStudents.

Constructing Literacy in Classrooms is an interesting article where literacy is viewed as a social approach. I thought it was interesting to view literacy, even though done individually, associal interaction. How could this be? We read individually and as individuals have different perceptions of what we read, but if working for a common goal then reading becomes a social interactionamong a group of people.

This type of interaction in a classroom should be created and encouraged by the teacher. Teachers are held responsible of the class’s environment. Although I do seem toagree students motivations affects proportionally the teacher’s motivations and vice versa. I do agree as well with Graden in teachers’ Biliefs about Students teachers are the once most accountable forthe class’s environment. So, it is up to us as teachers to study new methods, seek for better resources to change our classes’ environment. A class where active interaction among children is common,where reading habit among students is habitual, where discussion, comments, or observations are highly valued.

Setting an environment like this in a classroom is not an easy task. Teachers who aredoing so are the ones who are regularly seeking new practices and methods for their classes and even with this find it difficult to set the right environment 100% of the time. It is easy to fall intoroutines that seemed to work, but we must be aware that literacy is not generic, it is individual a constant process. We must keep continue training throughout our teaching carriers to find more andbetter practice to which engage students in critical literacy.

It is not enough just to practice any of many reading strategies (read aloud, choral reading or peer to peer) if there is not a true...