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1. Why is it important to bridge family literacy with school literacy? The process of building a bridge from the family literacy to the school literacy is important because it values the knowledge that the child has received in the home setting, and it then becomes possible to build a bridge that connects the home to the school experience, thus making the school experience more relevent to the child's life.

In my humble opinion, home literacy at an early age especially-- but at any age-- determines, or at least informs, school literacy. The strength of having parents, teachers, and children working together with literacy as a goal is going to have obvious results.

2. In what ways do classroom activities mirror family literacy practices? One can have read alouds, and a shared book list that encourages students to share their favorite books with one another. One can also have a flash light reading session as an activity that replicates some of the intimacy that is contained in the home setting.

For students in my class, the activities which mirror classroom activies are most likely to be discussions of what is being read. these discussions might include retelling of plot, comments about character motivation, theme, symbolism, etc.

3. In what ways do classroom activities not mirror family literacy practices? There may be a disconnect with the family literacy practices in a myriad of ways. The sheer number of students involved in the classroom is one way in which they differ.

4. How can I find out more about the family literacy practices of my students? Talk with the students about reading at home. It would be nice if you could make a home visit. Visiting

o read and write beyond homework?

6. What new thinking is surfacing?