What Is Literacy?

It's easy to simplify the concept of literacy as the ability to read and write. But reading and writing are such complicated tasks. I read different genres, I write for various purposes--at what point do I have literacy? The notion of literacy as some sort of object that must be obtained/earned/learned, by its very nature, divides our species into haves and have nots--and those who get to define what literacy is are able to maintain their position among the privileged. But broadening the concept of literacy to encompass how we interpret and interact in the world around us seems to be just as much a simplification as the first. Whether or not literacy is deconstructed to be a skill evident in all, the fact remains that certain literacy practices can still determine one's future. As an English language educator, I am compelled to teach my students the literacy skills prescribed by the dominant culture for the purpose of their future success. For this reason, I teach phonics, comprehension skills, genre writing, and more--but always with the question of "why?" Students should not only learn skills deemed useful and needed, but they should critically assess why they do what they do, the purpose behind their learning, and the trajectory of their education. Literacy may be a universal descriptor for how we interpret the world around us, but it is also the means by which we step out of our world to fully embrace not only who we are, but who we want to be.

Photo by Denise Krebs