By Charlene Klassen Endrizzi, Westminster College, PA

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of the world that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange… A window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.” (Rudine Sims Bishop, 1990).

Sharing family stories with children and their families offered eight classroom teachers a window into students’ most powerful literacy environment – their homes. Weekly written conversations in Family Message Journals helped teachers consider the potential for combining home and school literacy communities. In this fourth and final post, I return to our dual goals of valuing families’ life experiences (windows) while also looking outward to the larger world of diverse families (mirrors).

A common childhood event, losing a tooth, initiated a lively family story exploration. I Lost My Tooth in Africa (Diakite, 2006) depicts a child’s real-life journey to Mali where she promptly loses a tooth. Her extended African family helps this American child celebrate the reward of a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy. Janet’s first and second graders shared their personal stories of losing teeth followed by a comparison of life in Mali with their lives in western Pennsylvania.

Oscar, a first grade “deep thinker,” relayed his eagerness to explore this distinct culture:

afrc is osum
jus thing about it.
Deer mom and dad
can we go to afrca?

Dear Oscar,
Sounds fun! We will need to save our money. While we are saving, maybe we can check out some books about Africa from the library.Love, Mom

Message journals revealed that Oscar’s family actively promotes reading, leading Janet to share a related story – Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from around the World (Beeler, 2001). In talking with  Oscar’s mom, Janet uncovered a “hidden literacy” – a family mail center facilitating the regular exchange of notes at home. After praising this family’s efforts, Janet used her subsequent family newsletters to explore how children’s phonics skills are honed through writing and how writing improves reading skills.

Written conversations between Tasha’s fifth-graders demonstrated how family stories acted as mirrors, allowing students and families to reconsider their lives. In Grandfather’s Story Cloth (Gerdner, 2008), a Hmong grandfather shares his escape from Laos with his young grandson, including the death of his younger brother during the harrowing journey. Andy worked to understand a death in his family in this entry:

“I was three when my brother died of cancer. I did not know what happened at the time… He was five when he died… We had his funeral up the street. My Mom is still sad every day, just like my Dad and my other brother…”

A recent death in my family helps me realize why Andy still struggles to comprehend cancer. Although the family gave limited responses in Andy’s journal, this family story study opened a window of opportunity for Tasha. In an April phone interview, Andy’s father revealed to Tasha, “I didn’t understand these journals at first but we both really enjoyed reading each other’s responses. I saw and understood Andy’s struggles more.” His next telling question, “Has he improved enough to get out of Learning Support?” enabled Tasha to discuss ways both of them could continue to support Andy’s growth and shift into a mainstream classroom.

Tasha posed questions about students’ family traditions and fifth graders considered parallels between this Hmong family’s story cloth (an embroidered textile handed down over generations) and their life experiences. Paxton provided this insight:

“My tradition is going hunting with an old bow. I think my great, great grandpa had it. Indian tribes used to use the same bow as this one I have. I am part Irish and German and Indian. That is my family tradition.”

Paxton uses this Hmong story as a mirror to rethink his family treasure, reflecting the need for teachers to use more literacy hooks. Reluctant readers need extra hooks into reading, inviting them to connect the familiar with strange, and reach outside their realm of experience.

Family members need these same hooks to become our literacy partners. They need to see teachers valuing their life experiences. While Paxton’s family only occasionally responded, his mother shared her perspective on family journals in a phone interview. “We all thought it was a great idea to make writing more interesting.” She went on to reveal a hidden literacy, “Whenever we take a family trip, I help him write a report on it.” Having completed several travel photo journals with my son, I understand her significant effort. This mother’s active involvement outside of school offers Tasha a springboard into future home-school literacy experiences.

Family stories combined with Family Message Journals demonstrate the power of bringing students, families, and teachers together. As we value the 75% of time students spend outside of school, families can begin to value the 25% of time spent in school. Janet explains how parents and teachers need each other:

“The more families share with me, the better we can partner together towards the goal of helping the child become a better reader. I realize I need to become an expert at asking the right kinds of questions. I need to learn to listen to parents’ responses.”

When teachers become listeners not just to students but students’ first literacy partners and use these insights to make more informed decisions, they find greater success. These Family Message Journals offer teachers a rare window of opportunity, enabling them to combine reflections from home and school to create a more productive literacy environment.

I see many other opportunities for building more complete literacy communities beyond family stories and message journals. JoBeth Allen (2007) considers options like storytelling and cultural memoirs in Creating Welcoming Schools. In my book Becoming Teammates (2008), teachers use home surveys and family literacy gatherings to understand parents Additionally I wonder how to value other family literacy practices (e.g., grocery lists, text messaging, calendars, bedroom door signs, fund raising orders, videos posted on YouTube).

I must thank Alicia, Alisa, Anne, Janet, Jennifer, Joanna, Pam, and Tasha for their continuous energy that sustained this inquiry. We are especially grateful to 38 families who inspired us with glimpses of their lives.

This family story exploration began with a compelling idea from a literacy coach, “Reading is life.” I hope these posts encourage you to find essential windows and mirrors for building bridges of understanding, as you strive to combine family and school literate lives.

*How can you demonstrate to families that their lives and literacy practices matter?

References

Allen, J. (2007). Creating welcoming schools: A practical guide to home-school partnerships with diverse families. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Beeler, S.B. (2001). Throw your tooth on the roof: Tooth traditions from around the world. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Bishop, R.S. (1990, Summer). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and using books for the classroom. 6,3. Also available at www.rif.org/multi_campaign_windows_mirrors.mspx.

Diakite, P. (2006). I lost my tooth in Africa. New York: Scholastic.

Endrizzi, C.K. (2008). Becoming teammates: Teachers and families as literacy partners. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Available at www1.ncte.org/store/books/elem/129823.htm .

Gerdner, L. (2008). Grandfather’s story cloth. Walnut Creek, CA: Shen’s Books.

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• Themes: Charlene Klassen Endrizzi
• Descriptors: Books & Resources, Debates & Trends, Student Connections, WOW Currents