Like Father Like Son Analysis

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Recommended: Understanding and solving the problem of illiteracy

Like Father, Like Son: Can the cycle of illiteracy be broken? Other People’s Words: The Cycle of Low Literacy by Victoria Purcell-Gates recounts the author’s two-year journey with an illiterate Appalachian family. Purcell-Gates works with Jenny, the mother, and her son, first grader Donny, to analyze the literacy within the household. Throughout the journey, we learn the definition and types of literacy, the influences of society and the environment, and the impacts of literacy on education from the teacher’s perspective. In order to evaluate literacy in the household, one must study multiple types, including functional, informational, and critical literacy. As the name implies, functional literacy incorporates reading and writing as tools for everyday survival. Informational literacy is used through text to communicate information to others. The highest level of literacy, critical literacy, requires critical interpretations and imaginative reflections of text. In her study, Purcell-Gates strives to teach Jenny and Donny functional literacy. Other People’s Words proves the significance that one’s community and culture have on one’s use of language and literacy. As with many children of illiterate parents, Donny was being raised in a home without books, library cards, bedtime stories, and …show more content…

According to Payne, casual language is a form of Registers of Language defined as, “Language between friends and is characterized by a 400- to 800-word vocabulary. Word choice is general and not specific” (27). The family was able to communicate throughout their community using casual language; however, they could not switch from register to register when needed. As validated by Donny’s story, children are greatly influenced by those around them. Children are most likely to follow in their parent’s footsteps, which contribute to the cycle of low

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