Role of multiple literacies

The ranges of literacies that youths engage in are not always visible in their schools.  Teachers need to move from telling students that these other literacy practices are wrong to acknowledging or incorporating them into the practice of literacy in school.  We need to draw on their informal learning.  The literacy skills that students develop outside the classroom are equally important to the formal practices in school.  Allowing students to keep their home language and culture is essential to their learning a second language.  “Some of their out-of-school literacy practices are tied to religion and instigated by parental wishes; others are a collaborative nature, involving a network of people beyond the family” (Haneda, pg. 339).  The support network from home and community is essential to the success of students.  They need to be comfortable and have an understanding of concepts in their first language before they can feel comfortable transferring that concept to the second language.  When teachers can bring a personal relevance for students in to lessons by using community resources, it sends the message to the students that their first language, home language is central to learning.  It moves away from the old concept that there is one right way and one wrong way.  It really connects the home and the school, lessons confusion, “deepens the respect for and appreciation of, students’ home languages and cultures and attempts to make students’ experiences in both home and school coherent and mutually reinforcing” (pg 343). 

The concept of multiple literacies increases the connection for home and school in regard to learning and literacy.  By building respect and connections between cultures, students will not feel forced to give up their home culture or language.  I think that will make a big difference in students’ ability to learn.  I also think this builds on the “mixed salad” theory of the cultures of the United States.