Reading+the+Word

Reading the Word

**"Reading, whether the world or written words, is impacted by what our lives are and what they have been." (Jones, 2006)**

As I reflect on reading the word, my mind immediately jumps back to one of our first class meetings. I recall Marjorie sharing a personal experience from her trip to Japan. Specifically, she spoke about riding and navigating through the Japanese mass transit system. Not being the type of person to be first to share aloud, I sat back and listened to my classmates debate whether this in fact was a literacy event. As the class seemed to be coming to agreement, that no, this was not a literacy event, I had to speak up.

"It is definitely a literacy event," I shared, and that is still my conviction born out of reading my world through a similar prior experience. My sister, who speaks Japanese fluently and had an East Asian minor at Columbia University, had taken my mother and me to tour Japan a few summers ago. While my ability to "read the word" could have enabled me to travel around Tokyo because most signs are written in both Japanese and English, I would NOT have been able to navigate myself through more rural cities like Shimoda Rendayji where no more vestiges of English appeared to guide my travel. Recognizing this sharp contrast between apparently two different worlds, is what grounded my conviction that Marjorie's experience was indeed a literacy event that required her to read the word inorder to interpret her world.

**The pieces I chose to represent my "reading the word" during this semester are:** MyIphonics: A phonetic approach to learning how to read. **(Website/App)**
 * 1) ﻿ Critical Reading in Kindergarten **(Website)**
 * 2) Critical Reading: __The Other Side__ **(Paper)**
 * 3) A Compilation of Reading Reflections from C&T 5037 **(Websites)**
 * 4) Reading Response to __Trash:__ Stories by Dorthy Allison **(Paper)**

**Critical Reading in Kindergarten:**  __**Link:**__        __Explanation of Work Sample:__ "Learning to read and write means creating and assembling a written expression for what can be said orally. The teacher cannot put it together for the student; that is the student's creative task." (Freire, 1983) As I work with this Kindergartener weekly to strengthen her literacy skills and "formally" learn to read and write, I found that as we "read the word" one advancement we made was through critical reading.

For the purpose of this project, I began by reading a book that I felt lent itself to critical literacy. The book then served as a springboard for the exploration of what the student took out of the book. For example, after reading __Officer Buckle and Gloria__ by: Peggy Rathman, we jumped into the topic of power.

I video taped each session with the student so I could go back and reflect. Through my reflection I would divise a plan for my next steps. Each book that we read the issue, action, and next steps varied. It was a wonderful learning experience for both me and the student.

**Critical Reading: __The Other Side__** By: Jacqueline Woodson     __Analysis:__ Picture books provide children with cues about life. In particular, about what goals and social norms are available and appropriate. In addition to encouraging reading, picture books provide opportunities for educators to present valuable social issues and lessons to children. Woodson's book, __The Other Side__ is no exception. This paper will examine why her book can serve as a powerful literacy tool when read critically with children. I will also examine __The Other Side__, through the three tenants of critical literacy, Deconstruction, Reconstruction, and Social Action.

Jones states that, “All texts are embedded with multiple meanings and one way to examine some of those meanings is to peel away the layers through consideration of perspective, positioning, and power.” (Jones, 2006) For this reason I have also taken into consideration perspective, power, and positioning from both the author’s and my perspective.

Something that has become very clear to me over during this semester is how much of an impact “where you are reading from” has. Jones believes, “the construction of normalcy is always a fiction as it is based on understandings gained through a limited set of experiences.” Such makes all the more interesting a thorough examination of __ The Other Side __ from my sets of experiences. Being raised in a predominantly white, upper middle class suburban New Jersey community and now residing in New York City where I work as a literacy specialist at the Brooklyn Charter School, a district comprised primarily of African Americans most definitely shaped how I read this picture book and what I took out of this literacy experience.

I believe it is a wise person who recognizes that as much as Woodson’s split rail fence can keep one side out, it can equally keep another side in. I also believe it is a wiser person who realizes that any like product creates isolation. But mostly, I believe it is the very wisest person who understands that the logical end of isolation is segregation. Peggy McIntosh talks about earned strength and unearned power in her article, "White Privilege Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack." She distinguishes between power and unearned privilege as looking like strength when it is it is in fact, "permission to escape or dominate." McIntosh goes on to say that the feeling that one belongs within the human circle is an //unearned entitlement//. I think McIntosh would encourage readers to recognize the presence of unearned advantage and conferred dominance in the representation of segregation in __ The Other Side. __

For many, our grandparents distanced themselves from the cities seeking to find significance and safety in the suburbs. Thereafter, our parents daily un-distanced themselves from those same cities as they commuted, (preferably during daylight hours) back to the sources of the financial security. What to our grandparents was a distant five plus hour safety barrier…is now a short forty-five minutes from my once suburbia to the city. Illusory distance, like a split rail fence, creates but an appearance of safety by separation from the other side. So it was for me. While living in Central New Jersey, safety was thought to be found, cognitively or not, in separation by distance. But the result was in fact, isolation. Still, living in New York City and teaching in a predominantly black community, I have discovered that the view from the INSIDE of the other side is equally riddled by separation illusion grounded in economic distance. Such seems to me to foster indignation and though likely righteous, this, too, can create all sorts of learning impediments as well as fostering futility and permanent sense of frustration.

__ The Other Side __ demonstrates compassion without first arousing passion and that decreasing distance can defeat differences. It also provokes introspection without condemnation. Woodson cleverly presents, __ The Other Side __ as a perspective; a real-life illusion with sustenance predicated upon difference. Told through the eyes of a child, readers see difference portrayed far more vividly by the distance between the protagonists than the racial split rail fence separating them.

There are no expressions of difference resulting from prejudice, from contempt or even from injustice, social or otherwise. __ The Other Side __ takes the presumption that difference is more readily observed up close and removes it from play when we reach through illusions that separate people. That split rail fence depicts a verbal illusion, segregation. But, to Woodson, segregation is not the reality. Rather, it is the product of isolation.

A loving, caring mama projects fear to her child from expectations she may well rightly perceive as coming from the other side. Woodson, obviously, does not attempt to understate well-documented historicity of fearful expectations from what might occur on that other side. Once again, Woodson’s central point is that isolation arising from distance creates illusionary barriers (such as a fence that segregates) and those illusions can dissipate when someone reaches through it to touch what is very real on the other side…a real person who splashes in puddles and gets wet, wants to play, gets tired and uses the fence that once caused division and fear for a far better purpose, some-thing upon which to sit with friends and collectively rest...in harmony.

The books impacting illustrations are nearly as demonstrative as Woodson’s written composition. Again, difference in the eyes of a child is seen through distance. That difference begins with a family that resides in a yellow house as opposed to another family living in a white house. The two houses being separated by a split rail fence. The story is told from the perspective of Clover, a young, inquisitive African American girl.

Clover is transfixed by the seemingly omnipresence of a Caucasian girl of like age; one who sits upon that split rail fence and, from time-to-time, watches her. That split rail fence is not to be thought of as ordinary. Rather, it forms a real yet illusionary boundary between two parts of the town; separating the white from black communities. Moreover, this fence forms the complete backdrop focus for the entire story. The fence, first observed by the reader as dividing property lines, is indicative of an illusionary boundary; one that is not to be crossed according to Clover’s mama, because it isn’t safe.

As the story progresses, Clover’s curiosity is ignited by that young Caucasian girl named Annie, who was first seen sitting on that fence. Annie’s first interaction in the story occurs when she seeks to join-in a game of jump rope, but is simply told “no” by Clover’s friends. The friends express no emotion, nor do they provide either an illustrative or verbal reason for doing so. Clover cannot understand why her good friends summarily rejected Annie’s offing. Neither can Clover come to grips with how she would have responded to Annie’s request. Puzzled, her journey continues.

Next, Clover questions her mother as to why people and things on the other side of the fence seemed distant. To this she replies that, “things have always been this way.” One day, Clover garners sufficient courage to speak to Annie… courage that is accompanied by a feeling of freedom. Clover and Annie’s interaction is pleasant and they spend much time together, just fence sitting. As their friendship continues to build, Annie passes through the illusion by climbing over the fence to Clover’s side, and even Clover’s friends welcome her. Such a powerful illustration of compassion without evoking the depths of the read’s passion arises when Clover’s best friend and double-dutch partner remain as such, while Annie, expressing the joy of belonging, contentedly spins one end of the rope.

As seen throughout the book, Woodson does a remarkable job through text and illustration to create a feeling of equality. Jones claims, “The resistance of power is also powerful.” (Jones, 2006) A notable feature of the book is actually the absence of power. Woodson’s choice to resist this allows for a more critical examination of the story.

Jones states, “Literacy that is fluid, free in form and natural is the basis from which to break down illusions that segregate at the expense of fear drawn from isolation.” This is evident in Woodson's choice of written text as well as in the pictorial representations. Cultural differences are observed and dissolve as distance diminishes. One can make a powerful case for ideological and reading scaffolds through observing, expressing and synthesizing the progressively distinctive colors of shoes worn by the characters.

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I found __The Other Side__ to be a powerful literacy tool. It can be used teach children about the damage and danger that can be caused by isolation and the illusions it creates. Woodson uses the innocent heart and creates a bold social statement of truth while remaining kid friendly. A simple, everyday object “that split rail fence” is used as a metaphoric illusion to depict racial division. Two children, in a very simple way, pierce that illusion as they reach out for one another ultimately becoming friends.

Woodson never mentions racial difference, just distance. However, it can be argued that even though power and positioning remain unmentioned by Woodson, that doesn't necessarily mean it is not present. In accordance to readings from this class, I think what is taken out of reading this simple picture book is highly dependent on where you are reading from. For example, as a white reader I bring forth "white privilege." McIntosh describes white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that one can count on cashing in each day, but about which one is meant to remain oblivious. (McIntosh, 1988) I can speak for myself in saying that I do have racial blinders on. However, now that I recognize this to be true, I can do something about it. I have progressed.

“Thinking and acting through the tenants and layers of critical literacy is one way educators can begin to ask the difficult questions about texts and what kind of tools their students need to critically read their worlds.” (Jones, 2006) I found Woodson’s __ The Other Side __ to be a masterpiece in recognizing not just social issues and solutions, but also how to express both to the glory of those dare teach and receive this wisdom. It was the perfect book to read critically.

**A Compilation of Reading Reflections from C&T 5037:**
 * 1) Kliewer, C. & Biklin, D. (2007). Enacting literacy: Local understanding, significant disability, and a new frame for educational opportunity. //Teachers College Record, 109(12), 2579-2600.//
 * 2) Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of Knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. //Theory into Practice,// 31(2), 132-141.
 * 3) Heath, S.B. (1982). What no bedtime story means. //Language in Society, 11,// 49-76.

**Reading Response to __Trash__: Stories by Dorothy Allison:**

**MyIPhonics: A Phonetic Approach to Learning How to Read:** __**Website**__  **__Youtube Tutorial__**   **__Itunes__**   **__Android Market__**   **__Facebook__**   **__Follow MyIphonics on  Twitter __** I wanted to close my section on "reading the word," with something that is very dear to my heart. It represents years of ongoing work creating, developing, revising, and finally digitalizing my idea. I taught Kindergarten for close to a decade before becoming a literacy coach and throughout those years I came up with my own phonetic approach to teach students how to decode. Each graphic that has been chosen to represent a letter in the alphabet has been carefully thought through until I completed the alphabet with images I felt best represented every letter. Mostly, the images are ones that I have found through trial and error, are the easiest for children to "cut" the beginning sounds of the pictures. For a better explanation of how the program works, please see the Youtube tutorial (link above). I felt this would be a good representation of "reading the word," because it is a tool that I created to literally teach children HOW to read the word in the most basic form. My vision for this project is to continue to release new apps that focus on different phonetic skills. This app is devoted to learning basic CVC words. I was thinking for the next one doing something cute with the "magic e" rule. My other goal is to start marketing the app. To be totally honest, I wanted to devote all of my attention to graduate school at TC and successfully complete my degree before setting aside the time to learning about marketing mobile applications. Upon completion of this portfolio, that time will be here! I am excited to say that I am officially graduating on May 17, 2011. What a wonderful journey it has been though!!!