The Jones Family's Culture of Literacy was a very interesting piece of work. It emphasizes the importance of encouraging reading through mediums other than school, such as promotion of reading through family. The Jones family culture and traditions on emphasizing the importance of reading are a perfect example of how a family should go about when they are trying to create a "reader." The article shows that the Jones family uses many different outlets to enhance reading and writing, which I found very interesting. The Jones family reads books, magazines, newspapers, and even recipes--all mediums which show that reading can be diverse, fun, and something that often times can require some sort of action. For example, some members of the Jones family read magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, and then used some of the suggestions in the articles to decorate their house. Newspaper articles were used to connect with members of the community in times of sorrow and celebrations as well. Writing is also encouraged in the Jones family through letters to each other. The Jones family used financial situations and spiritual outlets as an opportunity to read as well. The article says that "encouraging children to pursue education and preparing children for the uses of literacy that they will encounter in school are understood as parents' primary responsibility," however this is not always the case and oftentimes school and help from teachers are the only times students are exposed to reading.
The Jones family seems to be the ideal family when it comes to contributing to a culture of literacy, however this is not always the case, and the article gives many tips and pointers to teachers so they can attempt to create homes with cultures of literacy. The article suggests that teachers should "be careful listeners and take advantage of those moments when they see parents...to learn how families interact around literacies and what they value." The article suggested many ways in which educators can find out about the literacy cultures of families such as asking questions in the form of a "Family Cultures of Literacy" questionnaire consisting of items such as "what kind of books do you have in your home?" or "what do you like to read?" This gets students thinking about how much they read and why it is important. This article really opened my eyes and made me realize that I must communicate with my future students and get an idea of where they are coming from (literally) in order to be the best teacher that I can be! After all, it is very important to create classrooms and be teachers who encourage students to be the best that they can be while promoting further education and success--and to do this we must encourage students to create a legacy of literacy first.
The Jones Family's Culture of Literacy was a very interesting piece of work. It emphasizes the importance of encouraging reading through mediums other than school, such as promotion of reading through family. The Jones family culture and traditions on emphasizing the importance of reading are a perfect example of how a family should go about when they are trying to create a "reader." The article shows that the Jones family uses many different outlets to enhance reading and writing, which I found very interesting. The Jones family reads books, magazines, newspapers, and even recipes--all mediums which show that reading can be diverse, fun, and something that often times can require some sort of action. For example, some members of the Jones family read magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens, and then used some of the suggestions in the articles to decorate their house. Newspaper articles were used to connect with members of the community in times of sorrow and celebrations as well. Writing is also encouraged in the Jones family through letters to each other. The Jones family used financial situations and spiritual outlets as an opportunity to read as well. The article says that "encouraging children to pursue education and preparing children for the uses of literacy that they will encounter in school are understood as parents' primary responsibility," however this is not always the case and oftentimes school and help from teachers are the only times students are exposed to reading.