Priscilla WoolfordIn partial fulfillment of English 571

October 2011

FINDING OUR TREASURE

I once read a tall tale about a man who was obsessed with finding a pot of gold. He travelled the world over, digging holes, and looking for the treasure. The pot of gold did exist, but the treasure was in his own backyard.

RICH BEYOND MEASURE

Our literacy treasures exists in our “own backyards”-our families and friends.

We need to investigate, record, and embrace our literacy heritage.

RECOGNIZE AND CHERISH

The last two months have forced me to recognize a rich literacy history in my family.

I am guilty of ignoring and even scorning this literacy history.

Like many things, our family literacy

history may be taken for granted---until it is too late.

I’LL KEEP ANYTHING BUT UNDERSTANDING IS A DIFFERENT STORY

My family knows I am ridiculously sentimental. If someone no longer wants to keep an old letter or card, I cannot stand for it to be discarded. Consequently, I am at times overwhelmed by the “stuff” that comes my way. Yes, I am the chump, the packrat, the queen of it’s-in-a-box- somewhere, and the hoarder of family papers. I am my family’s literacy librarian. Unfortunately, I did not know it—until now.

GUILTY

However, I have not asked the questions, understood the meaning, or listened with my heart or my ears. In many instances, it is too late to seek the answers.

THE TIME IS NOW

As we live our lives, let us take time to understand the lived experiences of those around us.

Delve deeply into those experiences Preserve and understand Tomorrow may be too late

2009 U.S. MORTALITY RATE=LOST OPPORTUNITIES

Age 55-64 303,101

Age 65-74 400,969

Age 75-84 627,819

Age 85 and older 733,176

WHERE TO BEGIN

Ask Yourself Family Friends

Listen With your ears With your heart

Understand Through the context of the lived experience As it relates to the history of mass literacy

Record Clearly and thoroughly

LEARN FROM A PRO

Deborah Brandt provides her interview script:

“Of course you should feel free to use (and improve upon) the script at the back of the book” (Brandt, email).

BRANDT’S INTERVIEW SCRIPT

Demographic Date of birth Place of birth Place of rearing Gender/race Type of household (childhood) Type of household (current) Great-grandparents schooling and occupations, if known Grandparents’ schooling and occupations, if known Parents’/guardians’ schooling and occupations, in known Names and locations of all schools attended Other training Degrees, dates of graduation, size of graduating class Past/current/future occupations

BRANDT, CONTINUED

Early Childhood Memories Earliest memories of seeing other people writing/reading Earliest memories of self writing/reading Earliest memories of direct or indirect instruction Memories of places writing/reading occurred Occasions associated with writing/reading People associated with writing/reading Organizations associated with writing/reading Materials available for writing/reading Ways materials entered households Kinds of materials used Role of technologies

BRANDT, CONTINUED

Writing and Reading in School Earliest memories of reading/writing in school Memories of kinds of writing/reading done in school Memories of direct instruction Memories of self-instruction Memories of peer instruction Memories of evaluation Uses of assignments/other school writing and reading Audiences of school-based writing Knowledge drawn on to complete assignments Resources drawn on to complete assignments Kinds of materials available for school-based writing/reading Kinds of materials used Role of technologies

BRANDT, CONTINUED

Writing and Reading with Peers Memories of sharing writing and reading Memories of writing and writing to/with friends Memories of writing and reading in play Memories of seeing friends reading and writing Memories of reading friends’ writing

Extracurricular Writing and Reading Organizations or activities that may have involved writing or reading Writing contests, pen pals, and so forth

Self-Initiated Writing or Reading Purposes for writing and reading at different states Genres Audiences/uses Teaching/learning involved

BRANDT, CONTINUED

Writing on the Job Same questions as above

Civic or Political Writing Influential People

Memories of people who had a hand in one’s learning to write or read

Influential Events Significant events in the process of

learning to write

BRANDT,CONTINUED

Purposes for Writing and Reading Overall Values Relative importance of writing and reading Motivations Consequences Current Uses of Reading and Writing All reading and writing done in the six months prior to

the interview Senses of Literacy Learning Interviewee’s own sense of how he or she learned to

read and write Sense of how people in general learn to read and write

SPONSORS

“Intuitively, sponsors seemed a fitting term for the figures who turned up most typically in people’s memories of literacy learning…” (Brandt, 26).

“His (Eric’s) parents sponsored his computer literacies by acting as “models”… (Carter, 81)

Most of my early reading experiences involve time spent with my mother. The absolute earliest memory I can recall of our reading adventures is reading through a collection of Sesame Street story books (Jennifer)

SPONSORS, CONTINUED

I learned to read and write at an early age because my parents thought it was important.  I was read to in the womb. (Caitlin)

When I moved in with my grandparents at the age of seven, my Aunt Sally became the first family member to be my literacy sponsor. My favorite books (you’re not going to believe this!) were Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka – tales of three Swedish girls. (Gay)

SPONSORS, CONTINUED

“My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother always read to me, so I suppose I owe them for that great gift!” (Holly)

“We were encouraged to read and have books as a daily part of our lives.”  (Meridith)

“My paternal grandmother was an avid writer. She often would write poems and letters that were satirical as well as prose. The family would gather around and read letters or read a joke.” (Gregory)

PRESERVE FOR THE FUTURE

It is apparent that we all have a literary history filled with sponsors.

But who were our sponsors sponsors? How did our we, our family, and friends

get to this point? How does this past influence our

future?

THE CHALLENGE

“I guess my words of wisdom are that the trick is not only to collect literacy accounts but to know what to do with them, to know deeply what people are telling you not only about themselves but about how literacy is working through their lives, how they are positioned in the mass literacy” (Brandt, email).

PERSONAL GOAL

Print Brandt’s script or design your own

During the upcoming holidays, carry this script with you

Commit to interviewing and understanding at least three family member or friends

HIDDEN TREASURE

Look into your own backyard and find your

Hidden Treasure. Guard it carefully!

WORKS CITED

Brandt, Deborah. "Interviews on Literacy." Message to Priscilla Woolford. 26 Oct 2011. E-mail.

Brandt, Deborah. Literacy and Learning:Reflections on Writing Reading, and Society. 1st. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.

Carter, Shannon. The Way Literacy Lives. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2008. Print.

Kochanek, Kenneth, Jiaquan Xu, Sherry Murphy, Arialdi minino, and Hsiang-Ching Kung. United States. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Vital Statistics Report. 2011. Print. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr59/nvsr59_04.pdf>.