Literacy Narratives fun with reading and writing
Literacy: “competence, knowledge and skills;” “to be able to gather and construct meaning using written language;” “the ability to manipulate any set of codes and conventions”
Narrative: “an account of a series of events, facts, etc., given in order and with the establishing of connections between them. A story.” (OED) A good narrative often “joins memory and analysis.”
Some Famous Personal Narratives: Ben Franklin: Autobiography 1789 Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 1854 John Neihardt: Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux 1932 Tucker Max: Belligerence and Debauchery: The Tucker Max Stories 2003 Andre Agassi: Open 2009 Others?
What makes an engrossing narrative?
Literacy Narrative An autobiographical narrative of a specific event or series of events that demonstrates your understanding of literacy (broadly defined). A piece of narration that describes a meaningful, personal interaction with language. The story of your development as a reader, writer, or member of a community. An account of your development as the literate person you are now.
Literacy and language Literacy involves mastering (or even becoming familiar with) a specific set of language codes and becoming comfortable using those codes or conventions to interact productively with others. Literacy is most often understood in the context of reading and writing, although it can encompass other modes of expression and interaction.
Other types of literacy:
Consider: What linguistic development has been important in your life? What do you remember about learning to read and write? What story tells an audience about your development as a reader, writer, or member of a certain community? What type of literacy is most important in your life and why? What claim will you make about your literacy development? What cultural or personal specifics organize your relationship with language? What about your literary development do you want to explore or challenge?