Print Literacy Development: Uniting Cognitive and Social Practice Theories

by Victoria Purcell-Gates, Prof. Erik Jacobson, Sophie Degener

Is literacy a social and cultural practice, or a set of cognitive skills to be learned and applied? Literacy researchers, who have differed sharply on this question, will welcome this book, which is the first to address the critical divide. The authors lucidly explain how we develop our abilities to read and write and offer a unified theory of literacy development that places cognitive development within a sociocultural context of literacy practices. Drawing on research that reveals connections between literacy as it is practiced outside of school and as it is taught in school, the authors argue that students learn to read and write through the knowledge and skills that they bring with them to the classroom as well as from the ways that literacy is practiced in their own different social communities. The authors argue that until literacy development can be understood in this broader way educators will never be able to develop truly effective literacy instruction for the broad range of sociocultural communities served by schools.

218 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2004

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book co-authored by Purcell-Gates who is a leading figure in the field of literacy development, particularly amongst children who come from non-literate backgrounds. I found the study itself interesting, but what was invaluable was the theoretical analysis of cognitive and social practice theories that the authors contextualise and analyse. It is probably the most concise and relevant summary of two contemporary schools of thought around. having done that, the authors propose a model of literacy skills that accounts for the contradictions of each, and can help us to help learners in different contexts learn literacy skills and have a meaningful relationship with print at the same time. Excellent read.