Before Writing

by Gunther Kress

Gunther Kress argues for a radical reappraisal of the phenomenon of literacy, and hence for a profound shift in educational practice. Through close attention to the variety of objects which children constantly produce (drawings, cuttings-out, 'writings' and collages), Kress suggests a set of principles which reveal the underlying coherence of children's actions; actions which allow us to connect them with attempts to make meaning before they acquire language and writing.
This book provides fundamental challenges to commonly held assumptions about both language and literacy, thought and action. It places these challenges within the context of speculation about the abilities and dispositions essential for children as young adults, and calls for the radical decentring of language in educational theory and practice.

Genres: Education, Anthropology, Adult

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Peaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Kress before and while I admit he is a wealth of knowledge and insight, I did not find his accessible or particularly compelling until I read this book. The first book I read was more textbook-style (and co-authored, so perhaps it was the other author who I enjoyed less), while this book is a persuasive call to action for practitioners to recognize that writing is a visual medium therefore, other types of visualization should be recognized and possibly utilized in the writing process.
This book also made Kress's ideas of signs, signifiers, etc. more understandable, which is welcomed. Hardly anyone will follow you if you can't be understood. The inclusion of children's work helped support the ideas presented. Even though I am looking at collegiate students at this point in my research, I found much of this content transferable.
What was lacking was any kind of personality. Visual artifacts are fun, as is the process of creating them, but Kress comes off dry and distanced from his ideas.