Literacy in the Classroom

Before children know how to read and write, they are already literate in multiple different modes, they can crack codes of meaning to make sense of their experiences. These abilities and understandings make up students' virtual backpacks which can help or hinder their learning success depending on the school's cultural capital.

Cultural capital includes the values, behaviours, and skills that are valued in the community as well as the policies and procedures put in place for citizens to follow. Cultural capital in schools is often made known by enforcing rules, but is also taught through the hidden curriculum - the expectations and morals indirectly taught to the children as the result of being in that environment.

An example where this may be problematic for the student's learning experience is the expectations of classroom behaviour. A common value taught through the hidden curriculum in schools is to look at the teacher when they are speaking. A child from an Aboriginal upbringing might find this expectation difficult and confusing to uphold as it is a sign of respect to turn your face away from the speaker and direct your ear to their mouth to show you are listening. This behaviour while intended as a sign of respect, may be interpreted as the exact opposite by a teacher unaware of that child's lifeworlds. Consequences of unaddressed diversity in the classroom are explained in 'The intersection of Aboriginal knowledges, Aboriginal literacies, and new learning pedagogy for Aboriginal students' (Martin, 2008), specifically the difficulties Aboriginal students face in the education system and what we, as teachers, can do to help.

Some of the literacies I have observed in a year 1 classroom have been included in the following mind map.

Image created on iPad app.: Inspiration Map

There is a wide variation of skill levels within a wide range of literacies. With such diversity of skills and abilities in a classroom it is evident that home school connections are extremely important. With an understanding of a students' home lifeworlds, teachers can employ pedagogies and strategies in their lesson plans giving more children a better chance of understanding and engaging in the lesson.

Photo taken by Chloe Mountford of a year 1 classroom in Brisbane

I have included a link to a YouTube clip of my favourite movies: School of Rock. An unemployed man poses as his best friend and acts as a substitute teacher. Without any knowledge of how to teach, Dewey teaches the children how to throw a rock show and casts students as band members, managers, and set designers. The movie addresses the issue that there is more to the schooling purpose than teaching traditional literacy and numeracy.


School of Rock clip

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvLg4v_nPO4

or search for "school of rock zach's song" on www.youtube.com