Literacy Instruction in Multicultural Settings
Kathryn H. Au
Patterns of Interaction: Adjusting to Cultural Differences
Kathryn Au explores cultural differences in teachers and students and the impact that being from different interactional backgrounds can have in a classroom when attempting to create a community of learners. Focusing on the importance of a composite classroom culture that is fostered by teachers armed with the knowledge of culturally responsive instructions or instructions that are responsive to students’ home expectations (P. 92). This culture creates a shared understanding of the importance of literacy learning and assists in preventing the old patterns of low levels of achievement in students from diverse backgrounds (P. 93).
Kathryn Au, using two classroom examples of sharing time as a literacy lesson, explores the notion of Teachers as Gatekeepers, and states that teachers are put in such positions during this time because they are able to interact well with some students and so facilitate their literacy learning, but also do the opposite with others (P. 95, 95, 103). …show more content…
The ability to understand either style is greatly influenced by a teacher’s cultural background revealing a need for cultural difference awareness and also for an effort to be made to understand the situation from a child’s point of view. When a teacher can successfully acknowledge the student’s way of communicating academic success can come about through the moulding communication and interactional techniques to meet not only conventional expectations but also requirements of literate discourse. (P.
Kathryn H. Au
Patterns of Interaction: Adjusting to Cultural Differences
Kathryn Au explores cultural differences in teachers and students and the impact that being from different interactional backgrounds can have in a classroom when attempting to create a community of learners. Focusing on the importance of a composite classroom culture that is fostered by teachers armed with the knowledge of culturally responsive instructions or instructions that are responsive to students’ home expectations (P. 92). This culture creates a shared understanding of the importance of literacy learning and assists in preventing the old patterns of low levels of achievement in students from diverse backgrounds (P. 93).
Kathryn Au, using two classroom examples of sharing time as a literacy lesson, explores the notion of Teachers as Gatekeepers, and states that teachers are put in such positions during this time because they are able to interact well with some students and so facilitate their literacy learning, but also do the opposite with others (P. 95, 95, 103). …show more content…
The ability to understand either style is greatly influenced by a teacher’s cultural background revealing a need for cultural difference awareness and also for an effort to be made to understand the situation from a child’s point of view. When a teacher can successfully acknowledge the student’s way of communicating academic success can come about through the moulding communication and interactional techniques to meet not only conventional expectations but also requirements of literate discourse. (P.