Literacy, Society, and Schooling: A Reader

This book addresses the current 'literacy crisis' alleged in professional journals and the popular press. Literacy is at once a contentious social and educational issue, a continuing concern of parents and teachers, and the focal point of a range of disciplinary inquiries. Literacy, Society, and Schooling draws together especially commissioned essays on the nature, history, and pedagogy of literacy by social historians, philosophers, literary scholars, linguists, educators, and psychologists. The editors have attempted to convey, in an accessible format, the range and diversity of the scholarly debate about literacy-theory, research, and practice. Students, teachers, and researchers will find Literacy, Society, and Schooling an invaluable resource.

Addresses the current 'literacy crisis' by drawing together commissioned essays on the nature, history and philosophy of literacy by social historians, philosophers, literary scholars, linguists, educators and psychologists.

Part I. Matters of Value: 1. On defining literacy Suzanne de Castell, Allan Luke, and David MacLennan; 2. The functions and uses of literacy Shirley Brice Heath; 3. The properties, purposes, and promotion of literacy John Wilson; 4. Literacy and the education of the emotions Robert C. Solomon; Part II. Matters Historical and Social: 5. The legacies of literacy: continuities and contradictions in western society and culture Harvey J. Graff; 6. Models of literacy in North American schools: social and historical conditions and consequences Suzanne de Castell and Allan Luke; 7. A sociohistorical approach to remediation Michael Cole and Peg Griffin; 8. The business of literacy: the making of the educational textbook Rowland Lotimer; Part III. Matters Empirical: 9. Learning to mean what you say: toward a psychology of literacy David R. Olson; 10. Metalinguistic awareness and the growth of literacy Michael L. Herriman; 11. On modeling comprehension Walter Kintsch; 12. Reading is recognition when reading is not reasoning J. Jaap Tuinman; 13. Critical factors in literacy development Shirley Bruce Heath; Part IV. Matters Practical: 14. Foundations for literacy: pre-reading development and instruction Jana Mason; 15. Individual development in literacy Kieran Egan; 16. Teaching students not to read Walter H. MacGinitie and Ruth K. MacGinitie; 17. Teaching writing: the process approach, humanism, and the context of 'crisis' Richard M. Coe; 18. Collaborative revision: learning and self-assessment Michael C. Flanigan; Notes on contributors; Author index; Subject index.