Questioning the Value of Literacy A Phenomenology of Speaking and Reading in Children Eya-Maria Simms Duaguesne University Teanay seem od ina handbook tha sales and celebrates the written word for chile, to include a chapter that ewends tthe losses involved in the ls sequin of wadtional iteracy- Buta we are reminded in SBery Hearne’ esey our ist introduction to iterate is tough oal tries ths we need to consider what jtimoans ht our young readers were Get speaker and listeners, and how tat ansfrmation from orlity 0 Terai fundamentally changes percept! frameworks. Phenorenologist Eva Maria Simms ass eades to ‘onside the embodied Contents of language tse in chikren and ow these contexts change wit the advent Sf lphsbetic literacy Such understanding can hep ws disco whats at stake fr the reluctant readers” we Encounter in our classrooms, aswell sin Cumpano's and Ghiso's discussions of immigrant len learning {Sead books fom etre oer than thsi own, on the argumenss Bradford highlights suoanding the nseripton of ngenous nares. L Reading as Technology The Chirographic Bias ‘Reading on writing sem tobe harmless, innocuous sks, mere addenda tothe basket of natural kills hat chiles develop throaghout their frmaive years. At les, tis IS the impression promoted ty handbooks and research reports on eal eiliood edacation (Spade, 1998; No tional Reading Panel, 2000; Hal, Larson, & Marsh, 2003; Rasinsi, Baehowice, & Lem, 206. Ths costbutions bypaytologins consist of discussions of copntvelinfor sation processing ables, memory stegies, Page 20 stages, and Vygotskian proximal ones—all presented ss pur ofthecogntveldovlopmentl safoling that makes Tearing to rend posible. But how does the wequistion of Iieracy affect the cls consciousness? There sa sur ‘sing sence on tis topic. Ben among aushors who se Evitcal ofthe power relations in he edoeatonal system (Bucmen, 1998; Canela, 1997; James, Jenks, & Prout, 1995; Popkowite& Brennan, 1997 Sot, 1999) the value of reading por sis ely qvestoned. Ono ofthe few n= ances wher th vale of iteacysproblematzed occurs {nthe elsh etwoenindigenous ates ad the U.S cd ‘ion system: The Native Amrican Coch people haveetd the anscripson oftheir language ino alpsbetle ottion and refused to have the wate language taught {bet childen in schools (Martine, 2000, (Out msinszeam cltral bli in the desirability of liracy i what the phenomenological tation calls a “natal atte" (Husser, 1952): Everyday pienomens are accepted without question and the opportunity for {eflecton des nt wise. The phenomenological method temps to bracket or suspend the unquestioned bien {he obviousness of what is given to our experience, and the rosercher suspends astent (Goswitsch, 1974), This ‘wielding of asen doesnot ean thatthe phenomenon Fs suspended, merely that he researcher cetesopanness fora dospe exploration of whats thre Use, 1979), Hae see's (1968) eal "tothe ings themselves” (p. 12-13) is achullenge o direct our ateaton mere fully 1 what ‘phenomena themselves can disclose trough a process of fatal deserption, What was taken for granted before appests now 25 strange and intresting. Phenomenology {s-a philosophical method dha, by suspending assent, swakeas wonder (Held, 2002), "The intent ofthis chapter isto suspend the belie in the goodness of lterac}—obr ehirgraphic ias—inorder i adeeper understanding of how the engagement with fexts structures human consciousness, and particularly the minds of children, Inthe following pages, Iterscy (Gem which in ds chaprrrfers to the aby to ead ‘sd produce writen tnt center as coneoenest ‘ering tecnology. A phenomenological analysis ofthe fet of reading shots the ei’ engagement with texte 1 a percepial as well as 2 symbolic evet that builds ‘upon but algo ales children's speech acs Speaking and reading ae both forms of language use, but with diferent ‘onfgurations of perceptual and symbolic quales. Cie ‘res eran ses oxtaal ohnology ae, ntntonl’y ‘or nok, parcipates in stctring childrens pre-lteste ‘minds, Some ofits forms, suchas pete books ander'y readers, ae diel inteaded to bridge the gap beoween ‘he presiterate listener andthe literate reader and ease {he tanto nto the itecate tate Tis my hoge tht the ‘henomenologial analysis f th experiences of peaking rd reading might help ot understand more catty how sllden'sIteratare impacts the mins of children. Such fn analysis can awaken acical avarees of the power tha! eters wield as they shape the reader's pychologcal realty anditcan sharpen our seas of wonder aout the ‘metamorphosis of language fom speskng o wring. “The question of the vale of literacy sot an eaderic fssue forme. Asa parat and asa teacher of parents and therapists, Tam ofleacoafonted wih the sb of what len fnd the society a8 whole) lse by taking on Iieracy. One day my eight yearol soa and {wandered through te glass rooms of the Bosanical conservatory. “landed of plan species lined the banks of oar path ‘spilled down fom baskets, oss, and ledges, reschod ‘through the humid sir towards the glassed sunlight ‘QUESTIONING THE VALUE OF LITERACY or the shade of ter companions. ried tread 3s many ‘entfication tags as I could, bat Nick was mor sted i the marker forthe uoarure bunt, which had iden smong te rots. He didnot ike reading We ‘entered along gles room which was ined with a dozen ‘opis repeseating Aesop's fables. Assuming that this ‘could be a"teachable moment” Tstopped befor the Sint ‘one, and fold Nick ha this was the fable of the fox and Testor and stared tel him te story, “Youle oat ‘ood pars," he interuped me, and proceeded to recite ‘Assop’s le from beginning tend. Then he rushed othe ext topiary, and, standing before the exhibit, dclaimed ‘he net abl, xsl withthe wording end intonation of his second grade sche. And he next one. A the next fone. At the end ofthe hallway ke had old me six fables, metered and formolaic, with coherent pots, interesting ets, and vated voices for he animel protagonists. 1 ‘marveled a his ably to renember, Here wa a child ‘ho sealed the words ef a teacher verbatim. And be ‘could not ea, "This rhaprodic fat of memory, which seals lengthy story ines a the deals of content an delivery. is yp ‘al of preter, oral people (Goody, 1968). Memory ‘changes when people lean to rea, and Nicholas was mo ‘exception: His recall prowess fll by the wayside afew ‘years alter he berame literate. Ihave always wondered ‘wa other abilities feu clden’s porepon, agin Vn, felng and cognition we have sasfced when we tanghe them how to ead. ‘Textuality as Technology Literacy is deeply entwined wit the stetues of ham consciousness, and it changes the culture tht embraces it, aswel asthe individual who lesmns how to read ‘This has been documented by historians and phiflo- sists (Bisenstein, 1979; Havelock, 1982; Parry, 1971) as ‘wel ss authors with istorial and cultural intrest in anthropology (Goody, 196), psyeboloy (Luna, 1976; (ng, 1982), education Egan, 1988; Sumare, 1998), and communicaton (MeClubsn, 1962; Postman, 1998). On the cultural level, the pheaomenoa of textual literacy appear in sharper culne when itis contated withthe teary and educational practices of orl cats, which transmit heir knowlodge and vations withoot tet, ot with cures that have poskes of Mersey practices that sxe very different om our owa. ‘lich and Sanders (1988) have argued tha alphabet zation, ie the traslaton of the phonetic sound system ito visual alphabetic notation, is sn epistemological prsetie wih ferceaching impact on mind and culture ‘Mich 1996) has waced the ceatio ofthe “bookish (p5) ‘mind to the monastic eading and wrtng triton ofthe "2th century which built the foundation fr new thinking practices, the founding of scheals and universities, and ‘he dissemination of ideas through the pining press in a[EVA-MARIA SIMMS {he following cencies, Reading is mind-technology ‘The word “technology” is genealy defined asthe ap- plication of tools and methods, paricularly the sty. evelopment, and application of device, machines, and techniques for manufacturing and profctve processes. ‘On a deeper level, howeve, echnoogy isthe disclosure ‘and manipulton of the esence of things Heidegger 1983) Technologies extract the essences oot of imam bits by instrumentlizing them and by depivng them of ths orginal lived content. An examples the invention ofthe atomobile: The essen ability of human move- ‘ment i extracted and intensified though the technology ofthe car, which, intr, reduces the Hived and embodied context of human moslity. Whea we siti the speeding our senses are insulated rom the beat, ell and touch ofthe places we pas, and we do not poce their deals snymore. The adoption of etomobile technology intun, ‘at requied changes ia infastuctre, which ave doeply altered the lndscapes and social fabric of Amesican Gi Jes. According to lich (1996), when haman experience becomes tecnologia double pres a ntenstication of some experiential elements and th do-contexulzation tnd redaction ofoers can be observe, Literacy a8 & technology extacs the essence out of human specch— the content of what said~andiostrmenalizes and Intensifies i rough the process of alphabetic nation tnd textual practices. The lived content of orl language {Ss yeduced and rescued. In the following sections we vol trace this process of eduction and iteasiicaion as Janguage becomes writen txt. Tntrodocng literacy into non-lterate cltres has bad profound effets on thei cultural practies Eset, 1979; Goo, 968; MeCloha, 1962; Ong, 182).Some ‘ofthe Push peoples of New Mexico, as we sa above, have refed to alow thei languages to be write and taught in schools as recemy asthe 1990s. They a:pve that writer language is sacrilegious, gives indiseiminate ccs esoteric eligaus pace, and san imperialist tool tha undermines the cata identity end political sovereigny of Pueblo peoples (Martinez, 2000 Webster, 2006). This echoes Ong's (1982) statement hat “wring iss pacically ro-emplve and imperialist seit that tends to assimlate oer things tose.” (12). ‘The Phenomenology of the Speech Act |A Vist tothe Kindergorten Presliterate children engage in language ll the tims, and ‘ei oral cltre and the variety ofthe language forms they wes suprisingly sophisticated, Itwould gobeyond the scope ofthis chapter to discs the research inthe field of language acquisition, bat te consensus ofthe experts is that bythe age of four preschooler use gram ‘mar slmost aswell at adults rune, 1993: Chomsky, 2002; Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkofl, 1996; Pinkes, 1995) ‘The complenty of young clden'sspcch practices is 2 appareotin te conversation bern ive chile, which ‘were recorded by Vivian Paley (1981) in er kindesparten jects, but the deawbsck of pitographie systems is that a ‘ast numberof sign are needed to code the many words ‘ofa spoken language (Goody, 168) Alphabetization, on the otherhend is the translation of the sound system of language into a smal set of pictogeaphic signs, whic in tbe carent Wester alphabet means 26symibols ha code S vowels and21 consonants (vith somestalard combina ‘ions betwecn thom) The invention of the alphabet created ‘in economical and convenient instrument for recording languages and we often forget what amomeateusachiovs- ‘ment his was: Goody (1968) remarked tha the notion of representing sound by graphic symbolis “a stpetying leap of the imagination” ¢p. 38) ‘While pictographie notation in general maetine its conection wih he visual wordy imitating tin pics, alghabec notion imitates language isl, and at wht itrefers tn Reading alphabai potation means to decipher the sound of language from an abst eter pctograph and thea uansate ino Lingus efeenees. Alphabetic signs ecode the symbolic sytem of spoken words, which seslready onessprorcoes from the word the sons. ‘The dificly that many children have with his system is ‘hat he visual eters onthe page have noite patera relason with he phonemes they rprearnt They ae ae tray and have tobe learned 4 a system. We could even argue tha discrete phonemes do ct exist inthe lw of Jnguage hat children use ardthat system of phonemes ‘san arifcial and uneniive construct, which then bast be linked to the anil sytem ofthe alphabet. Before wring can make sense, beginning readers have to submit ‘herseves tothe rules of senseless, abivay system of eters and phonics, Meanwhile teachers hope that each ‘ld will somewhere undergo Goody's “supetyng leap fhe imagination” in which he chicken sratches onthe age suddenly come together s&relerential ex ‘Apbabetc notation, tens the visual epreseataton of language sounds (as dotersnedby cular conventions). gaging with text cid readers have toresucure thelr percepcon- Language that exited primey as an intuitive, ‘ora event must be wansated ino a reflective, visual hap: pening, where the visual spectacle of leters on the page ‘as noting to do with the multifarious visual experience ‘ofthe poscepual eld surounting the reader A waten text is visual absraction which represents Sound snd context by eliminating i Here we have the fst example ofthe insertion of wing technology ino oral course and the dynamic of intensification and redution which ‘brings. The very stcue of alphabetization, which s the foundation of Westen reading practices, intensifier the representational capoity of language wile atthe same time unooding It fom ks seasory anchor inthe perceived world[EVA-MARIA SIMMS, Reading in an Oral Wort Th the history of literacy there is an interesting chapter ‘which desrbes the trasiion beeween reading a6 an ‘orl od visual event. Long afer the invention of tie alphabet, the writen word remained closely tied vo the far and he voice: Unite 13h entry snost European Iiteratepeope could noted silently, When you enteroda ‘medieval scriptorum, you would not fda huss, silent Tray, bata community of mumbles and manchers (I ch, 1996). The readers would softy rad ot te words ‘om the page, th seibes would dicate worst their Inde a they coped th ext, and all would have intense body experiences asthe sound seted int ther senses nd bores; some readers, ike Talmac scholar today, ‘would rock back and for, risalmostunimaginabletous ‘hat most people in he 12th century, even highly Teamed tebolas, id think it possible to tea slerty without ‘moving ther lipe, When Peter the Venerable had acough, Fecouldnot read book, either th choir non his cell to himself. Tao slet reading was occasionally practiced in anti, bt twas considered feat: Augustine Was nied that is eacher Ambrose somties fed a book ‘without moving his ips. Foe the mumbling reade, the age was 8 "sounding page," a“soundtack picked up by {fe mouth and voiced bythe reader fr his own ea. For ‘the medieal reader the pag is tral embodied, incor orate” (p58. This wodival ora seeding practice was {alclmaly raat embodied, syosteti speesh et that we diteused above, The writin text msatained is ‘ep sensory connection tothe spoken word, and reading ‘war aslow recapitulation of anealir spoch ac. Compare this earl orl "deep view” ofthe writen page o our ‘contemporary understinding of texts us peimarly visual vents "The moder reader conceives of the page as 2 Plate that inks the mind, and ofthe mind as wscreen onto Ini de page is projected and from whic, at w Bip, cam fae” (p53). "Th exc as apurely visual eveats ahistorical inveation with eeetehing eoniaquences anit appeared inthe late “Midale Ages whea let reading and anew technology of ‘ext prodction ook ovee The ate 12h ceaary inverted (Gor the Westem work page lay-out, chapter division, the consistent umbexng of chaper and verse, indices, tables of content, itoductons, brary inventories and ‘oncordances, Ich (1996) points out that this change in the technology of textuality fostered a change inthe ‘way realty is conceive, I crested anew kind of reader ‘who coud ead sen and swifly, “one who wants to ‘equi ina few years of snd ane kind of scgunntance ‘with lcger number of auhos than a meditating monk ‘ould have perused ine ifetine” (p96 The nev kind of ‘eaers nd writers looked a the page and experienced the ‘xteroriation oF cogitatia, thought stot, thought ‘ulin of earns. Irbecare the foundation fr the stody ‘prsetces of European universities and the preduction of Dodie of knowledge in academic disciplines? 26 “The new relaonship botweentext nd mind the bility toconesive ofthe wren words an abstract andinaible record of though, was the psychological foundation for the print cutie, which began with Gutenberg in tbe 15th ‘oly. The elimination of sound intensified and sped up the reading press ad ivolved the ming ina diferent ‘vay. The Rad of sound, 25 Ong (1982) pointed out, is tot speead out before human beings bts dfs and all ‘round them. The visual Re, howeves, is focused and Jai out before the eyes. In the oral word human con- sciousness experiences iself surounded by sound and ‘enveloped by s cosmos. Inthe vsuaextal wor the ‘coumosie spread out before the eye: "Only afer pent and {he extensive experience with maps that pnt implemen ‘would human beings, wen they tought about the cosmos forthe universe or "Worl, hin primarily of something uid out before ther eyes, as ina modem printed als, 2 vast rice or assemblage of surfaces (sion presets ‘urars) ready tobe explores. 73). Preschool age children experience their books in @ way the is mach closer to the ora, medlatve reading ‘ofthe mumbling monks. Our so, fom the time he was 18 moat ol, ined that we ead the same book every right. For years we read Ally's Busy People All Over Town (198), a picare book with extensive descipive text (Eventhough the book hasbeen out of pent fr 20 yet, here ae el thre exon reviews On he Amszon ‘ete: Prens sport that their young cilen wast {0 “ea” the book “over and ove: “a hundred times”). Siting together on Nick’s bed, my husband or Tread the ‘ext to him an we talked abou the pictures, We were not Allowed toabbreviat or change the wording because even {8 fodder Nick know th txt by bear. The repetitive ‘reading ofthe book was not an act of gatberng informs: Hin o ew experiences, but it served tre-evoke fami- Jar world, hich soothed Hin before sleep. Ong (1988) points ou that in the orl worl the words esenally 2 fal ora ery tothe other, and that speech is ota eifica- tion af encepts or information, “ut an event, an action” between people (p. 267), Every night we—and the other patents and chien who have loved this book—enactod nd performed the same story-evet because it ede cur child fee safe, comfortable, and provected, Smesthesia ‘Reading estrctores the perceptual experience of human beings We saw thatthe alphabet rue the wansltion ofthe language fil into phonemes, which then a ep~ resented by symbols onthe page. A a peeptual event "plibetztion reduces the surrounding soundscape to the word thal the reador can eeeate into min, andthe fold of Vision tthe linear progression of lters on the page, While te medieval reaser maintained the cose con- nection between Jeter and sound, silent reading practice suppresses auditory pecepion and languagebecomes less si ess mater forthe vie and ea. Visual perepton,‘aswel 8 lee: The reader must se through he eters ‘nthe page in oder 1 conjure up the iviible presence that he ext encodes, Takis pesomenologcal analysis of alphabetization as & percept phenomenon, Absa (1996) shows how percep {Gon changes inthe tans frm oral to textual eagage- ‘meat withthe word in non-iterate,animisic cults. His fnalyeis, howover, also applies to tho resauczuring child ooiiousnes undergoes the transit fom ora to literacy. rior the immersion no exci the cea, syns imerpay of the senses with he perceived word {eats a senso of magical envelopment The earth is ex: pieced as live and meaningful and ful of messages 0 the pescever “Direct prefect peptonis inherently symesthtc,parcipetor, and animist, disclosing the thing as clement that surround us nota inert objects bat sexpesive subjects, ents, powers, potencies” 120). ‘Abran’s description of det perception parallels Page's findings tat young chiren's thinking is pareipstory, magical, and animistic Paget, 1929/95), Synestesia work by bringing al the senses into play Intheactofpercepon. We soe sorething ad know wha sound it will make when we knock ont how ts texcore ‘Shoo fel tothe touching fingers, chow heavy itis wien ‘we pckit up. ven very young infants have this ability of ‘ross-modal, synesticc perception (Melo & Boron, 1979; Stern, 1985. When one seasory modeis evoked the nlm how t read we must bre he spots ‘icipation of ur eyes and ores nthe rong {erin (where they had easels convergence ses ‘hac encouta ih animals pani and sears) inorder to ecavple thse series pon the ht sic othe page ‘Asa Zu elder focuses her espn acacia hears ‘he cacts begin t speak, 9 we fous our ees on those roledmas and inereally hear ves Wetearspaen ‘ord wines srange cones orion, eon experience eres. Abram 1996, 9.130 -Ava’sanalysi ofthe lationship between alphbetiza- tion and perception makes clear thatthe magical syoes- thesia be evostio ofall he senses is elcated from ‘he world 1 the text When the eye pevceives something, the he senses participate, even i they donot perceive col. Tas is the viral, imaginary dimension of per ‘epton (Merean-Pony, 1962). Asthe eyes rea through the sigs on the page the mind bring al the senses into play tcretea whole virtual wocd complete with ensiry ‘econances. The magical power of books has ts oo in the phenomenoa of synesthesia: As we ead, te world of the book as compelling and sometimes more eal © us ‘han he actual world ofthe seases. “As nonhuman aninals, pants, od even innit ves ance spoke our bal Ancestors, 3 Ue “inet leters onthe page How speak to ‘1 Tosa form of animism tht we ae organo but {eds animism nove the less—as mystoous 38a talking stone" (Abram, 1996, p 131), And Abra iscoret: We (QUESTIONING THE VALUE OF LITERACY sa anmits when it comes to textual signification, We ive ourselves over fo the mysterious voices and beings ‘hat aie dough Be laters onthe pege and tke them seriously—and among literate people we ake the wodld oftexts mot seriously than the word f the senses: Most children spend more time inthe tex-centered symbolic discourse of schoo than in exploring and talking aboot ‘he world they diwety perceive. “Theintodutionofieraey changes cikre's elation ship o the world beese i shifts ther aention fom the snimated, meaningful context oftheir perceived weslds toward the purely symbole and wnperceved dimension ofthe tex’ virual world. Abvam argues Gat the magic offal synesthetic pereption, the spell hart eas upon ‘sand the force with which draws us into a connection ‘with te world, has changed its ection when we enter 2 Terate word. Liracy is a technology Dar distances te from the life word ane dls our sbiity to send to and "rea fully the expresion of te word of mineral, plants anima andthe elements" onl when acre Shiftits participation to these printed eters that the stones fall seat (p. 131) ere we have asecond instanceof the struc intensification and redocon which chrograghic technology rigs: The syestbet intensification ofthe viual/symbolie dimension of language andthe reduction Of the bodys engagement with a plentiful, signifying, Sensory envionment. Reading and the Symbolic Order The Los of Context In onder o perform the act of reading and to make the strange retrctring of saditory and visual perception possible, the young reader's experiential Gel of spect ust be reconfigured. As long as chien pay attention tothe falls ofthe perceptual field around them, the ‘magicl wansporation Int the word of the txt cannot happen. Io order o be a reader, «eld has to let go of te lived context ofthe situation they ind themseves in ‘Vygotrky (1986) noted that he young cil’ ety into Iteracy inkoduoes an abstract process that is removed from the childs acta] sittation.Afenton must focus through the visual process of decoding tothe work of ‘meaning the text ansmits, This world ofthe text has no relationship tothe chi’ bee end now. ‘The lived ‘context forthe conversation beeen spears hast be eliminated: The room aust be forgoen, oer eildren mustbebioked out, andthe ony one speaking she text. Otter bodies and eve the child's ov body, ae inta- sions and must be ressined toa chur being sable 30 that they don’t accep te apace in sociel and disruptive ays This isa change inthe stuatedness of language (Theme I: The embodied conn from our analysis of the speech act above). Andy, Deana, Ede, Tanya, and ‘Wally must stop tall to each other. Posi (1998) puts it seeiney:-EVA.MARIA SIMMS But with the prised bok another tradon beg: the sch redeadispn p Oly naa ate {and tha reader ad his response bac sept fom & Social cont Theceader ted within sown min and ‘om isin ceray othe present hat mstendes have equed of ober iti seen, oot that th slope In edn bob the writer and render ena io & ‘onpiay fos gant sol pesence snd consis res Readings na plas, an ast at. 27), ‘When we are teaching children how 1 esd, we should be aare that eadng requis a profound ebange inthe ‘hil’ language experince. Speech i very social an ‘embodied ctivity, which has its own momectum and rewards. Mos eilden love to talk each othe, ane at ‘we saw with Paley’s (198) clas, they draw each other ocwar ino the word of eas tha they talk about. Read- nga an "asoisl at” requires the chil to engage witha speaker the author, wo is disembodied and unresponsive od does not xeate openings forthe child's own nojec- tions into the web of language and thought The conves tin, rom the child's perspetve ie passive and receptive, and the reader has no power to shape ani alter the course ‘ofthe conversation oter than odsagree orp the book own. The child moves rom the dialogue of orl exchange to the monologue of the text (Vygosky, 1986). This is especially dieu fr beginning readers, Wao cant yet Feconsitite the symbolic world bend the laters onthe se and ave not yee tasted the pleasure that a good ext ‘evokes. Even ough reading ls requires aa seve ind, its acai is via solitary, and dierbodied.The very ower of tet comes from thei rection of the actual, Social, and exbodie dimensions of lenguage experince ‘Telos ofthe immediate scil context opens the ender ‘oie new context hatte texters From lived sola ity the eld moves ino veal social thst promises ‘encounters with fltional characters, These encounters ‘te powerful disembodied, and invisible to oes, which ness te reader’ sese of privacy en intro. ‘The Phenomenology of Entering a Text Most chilren love soris. As an adult T remember be- ing spellbound by one of David Abrams lecture about the gestural conection between humans and animals He mesmerized us with words and movement, and as Tislanced sound the suitor I saw my collegues unconsciously bob ter head in nitation of as on, ‘whic they clearly sa in thei imaginations. The vital realy created by language is exiemsy power. Oral ory telling is supported bythe physical presence and the shared context of marator and stener Thi ie als the ease when an alt reads aloud f children In ead ing to eset, however, hs context is missing, The fll magic ofthe Waten text can only come alive when the child overcomes the resistance of body and senses snd enter nt the particular symbolic srutre tht te web of sentences creates, 28 In his phenomenological analysis of the terry work ofa, Ingaden (1973) suggests that out of the component pasts of textual (phonemes, words, seatences, ad the ‘extal unfoldingasa whol) a particular worden itis hs world (which tasoonds te stor’ Intended ‘meaning) which the reader finds compeliingor not ‘The child has to be able to “cli aboaeé™ and “accept the given perspectives" (sc, 1972 . 282), while athe same time be willing to colaborate With te text allow "tio comet ution inthe insgiaton: ‘he ear txt activates ou own face enabling us to recreate the wordpress product hire ctv is what we might call the val reson of the text which endows ith seal. The vital mension 'Sotthetox sal no's the maint ofthe ade Is tie coming togcher of text nd apne. 208) The word played he tex ee to Mele Pons (4962 eso te renee of wor whch ese ane Ainension of exprnce slong he percpadl word {Tae 3: Sena emo, The ca naginaion ls the gts in the text suppn what sot thee Te tet on heer an, lows thee ties expense ‘ovis that could overcome Hs rb nied Cobodiodses A bok ates oni fullexisene nin ‘readers (Poul, 196) ftreclver ts falpucpa tion ialows hem stor new experienc: 25 sana | eplce ny ec patton Wy he wrt &F oi dtr pol oud tan eg oe Srnipce of fton ay fren oat eS {ile n wha sa sataud nye th et thes bg | bcame poy o ange Tae tSeping ths ake rer Langage aun mo wi cova (53) “Te reader's though and felings ae occpid by te thoughts of the ator, and tein ir cn dr new ‘boundaries i or personaly. The consciousness of te reader "behaves as though twee the consioumes of {other an “on ant antes” wio elses and {ints int (36-57) Here we have nti ners tin and eden of speech: The possilty of inking according others (Theme 2" Spealing and ning) is intend inthe manologial expnsr ote texts voice, Whi ine ort posh at, Be cid partipats Toomently in the spec of the oar sd then kes Tis or ber tr: however, he wen spec at segues, the susan inmeon inthe feral wood eed by an author. Th wer exten sor ber om Ding by displaying word with he hope ha ender wi sas {Meme # Shared worlds) Te lence of rade nd the tempor! struct of he conto, nitrated Yeie ofthe tor preclude te reader from orn {ndchaging te dees ofthe angag> exchange The word oftheboak warms its way intotheconcounes tieteaezAllareader can close thtonk andes arlpaton nh sjibote word eet promisrv ‘he Symbolic Order ‘The conversions in Puleys (1981) class revealed how Tanguage geve te chile a lingustifsymboic wold, fwhach contained things (ike the cacts) that were nt ‘Eially preset, This second order symbolic reality ‘which seated in ordinary conversations is intensified {ed amplified in tx. The term “symbolic order” fers {othe erganism of words and the new dimension of vr- {ual experience beyond the senses that appear in human language exchanges (Theme 3: Sense and symbol) 1k intoenes Young infants before they themselves engage insymbolic activities (Lacan, 2002) becase heir parents pupae in nd ro shaped bythe languages and vale OF thetr cults. Reading, once the child has maseed the decoding system allows the child “to think according ‘9 oan” (Merlesu-Pony 1962, p. 179) have exper. noes notable nth immed sensory environment, nd fo bo lmmersed inthe culual symbole order mors intense. In oral conversations, children tke up each he's thoughts and weave a shared web of mind! press. In ‘extaly Rowever others" though: pocesss, memories, and images ae recgptlated and accomplished in the ‘file's ind witeut be cls det embodied response Silencing the biek and fr of embodied conversations Jntnsis the reader's exposure tothe author's thoughts, Stmages, and felings, The most signfeant change that Mera inodues is ube amplification of he symbolic fnderin the mind of chlden. As soon acide cross (ver the dreshold of alphaesic decoding, shy ener Compelling wonderland of ideas and experiences which ‘are nor her owm, but wich powertuly shape the mind Literate culties now tht they ned this wood and that they have to colonize i. Through this process, ona mas- ‘sive sale, literate eultures reproduce themselves over the srocratons by establishing canons of teats that have be read and internalized by children, Cult memory is ‘wansmited by txts, We cal this process “education.” "Weean ge better view of he significance ofthe sym. ‘alc ordr whan we lok atom a cla historia ecpective. iterate cltres have commeresin the real- ‘estat ae created by texts: Books hold knowledge sod ultra merry. Books (and electronic media toy) are ‘storehouse fr memories of al sorts—teords of legal feansactons, historical evens, philosophical agumens, oot, sient inventions andes, religious texts and ‘commentaries, maps and calendars. Book content isthe ‘lua currency that is transfered inthe conversations Of literate people and determines the inllectual and ‘moral climate Munford (193) argues hat the invasion (ofthe iting press and th easing spread of wring technology le to a radial wansformation of Wester: alte, “More than any ote device, the printed book released people ffom the domination of the immediate snd the local. Print mada greate impression than the tetual evens, To exist wast exit in pint The rst of (QUESTIONING THE VALUE OF LITERACY the world tended gradually to Become mare shadowy. [Learning became book lesning” (p28). “The proliferation of te symboi otis fled by the ‘esr of writes 0 share their ngage and visual Worlds With obers (Theme 4 Shared words. Pit technology rmulipis the audience for tx, a well a he mumber ‘of authors who wan fo cecopy there's mind In tar, the dissemination of ideas in rin, s Mumfoed indicates, inser iself ico every ie practices aod changes thers ndialy (Theme 5: Languages generative) The vention ofthe auton, the leptons, andeleceaicmedi was asible because thei mnters could acquit sedimen- «edknowiedge of previous generations trough reading. In ‘um, hese nvnton changed whee ad bow people ied, ‘ow they attended to and preva hr enviconmen and ‘What thy talked about with thei neighbors, Boks donot merely consi infermaton but stature the way we think aboot elif. Literacy makesitpossble ‘erect u concept scaffold shove our everyday expet- ence, wih hen s disseminated and ansmited trough ‘he authority of media and education. Tis makes the ‘vial ality of texts beliewable and compeling, even i oomtadicts our senses: To exis fw exit npn. The ‘immediate and local experience hasbeen sacifced othe symbolic dimension of tes. istrcally, th invention of print and the symbolic ‘wordt produced edo the clmral appearance of ld. ood. Those who could read and were ected were aeredby tay. The inven of he Literate Horan” ‘navgrated a symbolic dstincon between childhood nd adulthood -rompritonard. adulthood hobs ame became Symbol ota lca! achiever. om pion the young would have te Bacome aul, and they would Ive odo by lasing ora by entsng te worl of ‘ypoyraphy, Ad in oreo accomplish at they would ‘gue eduction Posmay, 1994, p36) ‘alike bilogial adulthood, which comes with puberty, symbolic udlthood requires education and has to be ul tunly reproduced in cide, Weask each child o make a series of sacrifices on the way itary: Bodios donot Hieoa the lor or skip though the streets, but mst siti rows the spoos offends is febiddonande- dined as ile ctr; the magic ofthe sense-wort is rained ual it becomes dulled and distant, lke the Rat piece of sky ‘beyond the sealed classroom window. Notes: 1. tof Granmatigy (1970, Denise apc tat he apa, Sal ot be gt on terms faa tation ‘omenes, tava fed atom oa es at elt te irened ster sone np ot ‘mpletecongrarace betwen the tv. Ths completes iia (880 andthe phsloges pune soe mae ‘Behn op see a ws inde tea opp ses fg) een more siping 29[EVA-MARIA SIMMS ssf of the han mind The cglton othe apaber Segoe he trnaon fone ty ayn ao te eteneny Ded argument Set 94 cage te ‘heron any wihtkngis posse Gr, 1973) Hee ‘GoT1 spat of engage as "he hase a (12). cttony (Se dna oe ave och ‘es we asc ou ing and Dera (1978) te ‘Baws ean hk ony aan. 0) 3 Since Derti's (91) Of Grammatology, many post ‘Sac tukes fae en macy fo wag oer ‘See However Deri’ owing does exo Co duncton een espn wurtanspsacamoe Uc retest he comer ad inte web a igen {Ea comes with every geet. ean fr Dee ‘eas tat rery ngage a exis nw coset a ‘ee inset (a, 197, an that ngage lens hacropeeas adopt a a (Desicher, 2005,. 3), Langa seve he lof an {ntctecned jo ba gent ur by ar staat ‘Stopttin of wha ae ft, Ar sath kp Gaerne ‘ehtierorerbe nthe ne nd, od wha one Dit hie iseaventeal mesure sng, Tie expec. ron te perspective of child payhology, however, lunging des otf mde ca es tb fo i dps Ata rm end of Ze entopmetly, ice an geste come ie sch fecteomesbefoe wing Before ins ee able engige ‘Rikeommate desasno he ngage ald at suri ‘Som ey we ated fm i ood fesse Sreshiunenodi pests phoaraon eats gure pete only ity eget oppor nent ‘eth tr pone of ter care. Tee a devlpmest mtete langage section argue ics gern Ind wth be csvelopment of eres [rerton ted coun Ifa for cramp have fo ‘uteine manda bef ty psp a ng get (nite) res sow=ing befod sl gies), they aero ae relatectos acest alow Best ‘sacs cngagsin jit arin Deepens sngei ows ose "he dosnt negate Deri’ (191) notion of exanty, at le tly meson oh a xp Teeguige Brea osgh the ngage wc "aie "8 ‘uly commandant fe hl sentersndng Sede grows on aly tse oes bly engemeat ‘th bewon Languages presary ranr hemor ng versog iret thy se, ‘eccrine We cane rent ches ok ‘king pa oe ath ve na palng even. ‘Tic ans ctr oa blogic rei foundation for ‘ings seatidon a Choy (199,108) {0 he shld Sneica io scope einen sncnble (i oly, cosinueal spa nd temper uct, complied by he ils ir ape fran {ering at sow tam rer coo! ena ‘Epping Clonal 303) 4, Spot angcgs encompass otter forms of symbolic ‘oeslon, seh do ote bea oles Ales SiguLangnge (1), fr eae farm of pene ad 2 ngage ht ao epee on the elton of ‘he rok. Ase aig ina, dea its ow Up ‘ning fouls soge engage fer pe oat ete vito Gt ee ys oe, {993 (rechten wo eum ASL pst bey ely ‘cher Ane). Writ, fo det ud cng ele, ‘oeediint meatier ee en wang the pease ses of cl uh AS, ‘Seu in te apse soc. Dea hen fale, bes eer Ue phate Vl cca fy ao ean ow fg Aland, Pus Heron, 2008, hh scare Sane ‘hn elo og aanaip beter pone nd [Dare For gaps of eke te ete sepa ‘ing Seach no pone nd ste pete fd freeayeliog net toe dioly tanning fam ‘ct, inte aed ufc language ee ‘uesclos olson pats stun sa wi 5. The sped ewe (Sin, 20 thee mle ‘ers ot ly si ya alin ie aye Fete thoi abet oles nd how ey once ot (Sbtiod The (eiverdn fle rang be ning ‘of confi the Catole Chute, prolonged ait Plessges andthe cherries fo {ecole oath oie The be sl, aad el, ‘athe cone of hood vere veal se, ad iy ceria web of peony ened soe and Fovebelogral penance Literature References Alley, R.W. (1988). By people all oer town, Chisge ‘Academie References Aba, D. 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Now ns Cantey res. \ygat LS: G945) Tog nd onguage Cambs, MA Saha ‘Weis A 2009. Kevin ie word On ey any oth “doje nce a Nelo) Oa Pon 22), 95-924 aHandbook of Research on Children’s and Young Adult Literature Edited by Shelby A. Wolf University of Colorado at Boulder Karen Coats Tlinois State University Patricia Enciso ‘The Ohio State University Christine A. Jenkins University of Ilinois at Urbana-Champaign Rtortedae, 200Handbook of Research on PR Literature | a econ Shelby A. Wolf, Karen Coats, Patricia Enciso, and Christine A. Jenkins