The Importance of Cultural Literacy:
Imagine never seeing your culture reflected in the literature you read in class, or picture a time when a message has been mixed up because there was unfamiliar words. Everyday students of different cultures have to go to school, and face tasks and activities that are in a dissonance with their cultural thinking. We need to strive to create a safe environment, where cultures are represented and celebrated in classrooms.
"[It is a] universal fact that a human group must have effective communications to function effectively, that effective communications require shared culture and that shared culture requires transmission of specific information to children. Literacy, an essential aim of education in the modern world, is no autonomous, empty skill but depends upon literate culture. Like any other aspect of acculturation, literacy requires the early and continued transmission of specific information" (Hirsch, 1988). Cultural literacy is so critical because it is the foundation of effectively communicating. Successful classrooms need successful communication, in order for information to be exchanged. It is important as teachers that we understand and share cultures, so each student has the opportunity to be successful. "David Lohman-a distinguished psychology professor at the University of Iowa-has pointed out, "how well we reason depends on how much we know" (Wai, 2011). We often take for granted culture knowledge, and how it benefits and effects us. "What I have come to recognize is that problem solving ability is without question important, but that the core knowledge that I have makes up the resources from which I can immediately draw upon to problem solve with" (Wai, 2011). Discussing and understanding cultural literacy we can see what knowledge and thinking we already have.
"[It is a] universal fact that a human group must have effective communications to function effectively, that effective communications require shared culture and that shared culture requires transmission of specific information to children. Literacy, an essential aim of education in the modern world, is no autonomous, empty skill but depends upon literate culture. Like any other aspect of acculturation, literacy requires the early and continued transmission of specific information" (Hirsch, 1988). Cultural literacy is so critical because it is the foundation of effectively communicating. Successful classrooms need successful communication, in order for information to be exchanged. It is important as teachers that we understand and share cultures, so each student has the opportunity to be successful. "David Lohman-a distinguished psychology professor at the University of Iowa-has pointed out, "how well we reason depends on how much we know" (Wai, 2011). We often take for granted culture knowledge, and how it benefits and effects us. "What I have come to recognize is that problem solving ability is without question important, but that the core knowledge that I have makes up the resources from which I can immediately draw upon to problem solve with" (Wai, 2011). Discussing and understanding cultural literacy we can see what knowledge and thinking we already have.