Abstract
The case is made that the making of literate families is a daunting challenge. A challenge made even more so when pernicious claims are made, when uninformed views persist, and when low SES families are maligned in contexts beyond their control. First, the context of such claims is established. Next, I show that misconceptions have deleterious effects and persist despite substantial evidence to the contrary. Evidence presented includes the results of a longitudinal family literacy study of the Learning Together: Read and Write with Your Child program. Finally, I highlight that early literacy interventions are critically important in the making of literate families by pointing out that considerations of context and misconceptions of early language and literacy development require a common goal and mutual respect. The chapter concludes that there is much to gain from a respectful relationship between literacy in the home and literacy in the school. Such a relationship unlocks promising new courses of action in and expands the possibilities for the making of literate families.
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Phillips, L.M. (2010). The Making of Literate Families: Considerations of Context and Misconceptions. In: Aram, D., Korat, O. (eds) Literacy Development and Enhancement Across Orthographies and Cultures. Literacy Studies, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0834-6_9
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