Routledge Portraits of Literacy Across Families, Communities, and Schools: Intersections and Tensions

Designed to stimulate debate and critical thinking and to draw readers' attention to the ideological nature of literacy education across a broad range of literacy contexts, this book crosses traditional boundaries between the study of family, community, and school literacies to offer a unique global perspective on multiple literacies, from theory to case studies of various settings. These examples suggest ways that literacy practices should be created by simultaneously shaping relationships and identity, and by privileging particular literacy practices in particular situations. The dialogue within the book among chapter authors writing across traditionally distinct fields highlights the interconnections among diverse literacy sites and stimulates the pursuit of a more integrated and interdisciplinary approach to literacy education. The critical and dialogic approach serves to challenge and extend many conventional notions surrounding literacy education in communities, schools, and families. Portraits of Literacy Across Families, Communities, and Schools: Intersections and Tensions is particularly relevant for scholars and students in the area of literacy, broadly speaking, including family literacy, community literacy, adult literacy, critical language studies, multiliteracies, youth literacy, English as a second language, language and social policy, and global literacy. Additionally, the inclusion of studies derived from a variety of research methods and designs makes this is a useful text in research methodology courses that aim to present and analyze real-life examples of literacy research designs and methods. Review "The authors and editors of this volume, taking a lead from the little boy who pointed out that the king was wearing no clothes, have....begun to document what literacy actually looks like in action and in different contexts with different players....Enjoy the work contained in this volume. It is important and desperately needed. Consider it as part of the slowly emerging picture and join us in working on its completion."—Victoria Purcell-GatesFrom the Foreword "...I couldn't put it down! It's that good!...With its look at family literacy, its offer of relatively new research methodologies, and its reports of major policy initiatives, this book will be a welcome volume to scholars in literacy and social policy."—Carole EdelskyArizona State University "The issues addressed are important ones--in particular the concern for school literacy having more to do with students' lives and the development of literate agency in the face of curricula and testing practices designed to prevent it....The central focus of the book is not only at the leading edge of the field, but it is surely timely, particularly in the United States."—Peter JohnstonState University of New York at Albany "The editors have brought together emerging and established scholars who are well-known and respected in the field of literacy to address critical issues in the areas of literacy practices, programming, and policy across the spectrum of youth and adult literacy."—Pat CampbellUniversity of Alberta