Response to Coles

This piece was very interesting in the sense that it was easy to read but also addressed a lot of the issues that are surrounding what is called "The Great Debate" over issues of literacy. I think there is a lot to be said about Coles' introduction about changing the terms of the debate because it would seem that people are focusing their attentions and efforts on the wrong parts of the issue. There are no standardized ways to measure whether a child or anyone for that matter is "literate" because there is still a developing definition of that term. There is no way to measure in a standardized way if all the children of a certain age understand a concept to the appropriate degree because they are all different and have different learning styles so it would be hard to instill those concepts in their minds in the first place. It is silly to argue over the methods that should be used to teach children. It does not have to be one or the other. Educators need to be equipped in such a way that they are able to meet children at different levels and styles of learning and if they better understand those differences, they will be able to reach that child with a technique that is suited to promote that particular child's literacy. It may sound like a lot of work and a very idealistic view of eduaction but it is important for people to know how to read. More and more it becomes the way that you relate to the world. If you can't drive down the street and read a sign or a menu or a short story in a magazine, that is a very isolated existence. Basically, the idea I got from the exerpts is that there really is no right or wrong answer... There are many possible ways of teaching and making children "literate" and it will take them all to succeed.