Abstract
In this paper we examine the relation between literacy, broadly conceived, and children's understanding of a set of concepts for representing language and meaning, primarily the concepts of what a text says as opposed to the interpretations one may make of that text. We refer to these concepts as the say/mean distinction. A series of studies are reported on children's developing understanding of this distinction and its implications for their progress in reading and interpreting texts. These studies indicate that while such “interpretive” distinctions are indeed important and while they are related to literate competence generally, it is a mistake to assume that they are strictly associated with the practices of learning to read and write. Far from being identified with reading and writing skills, these concepts appear to be a part of the general orientation to language and to forms of thought that are of particular relevance to a literate society. Consequently, they are acquired as much from the oral practices of literate parents as from the actual activities of reading and writing.
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This project was funded jointly by SSHRC and the Ontario Ministry of Education under its Block Transfer Grant to OISE.
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Torrance, N., Olson, D.R. Development of the metalanguage and the acquisition of literacy: A progress report. Interchange 18, 136–146 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01807066
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01807066