Harvey Graff And John Duffy's The Literacy Myth

Harvey Graff and John Duffy develop two corresponding contentions in The Literacy Myth: one, that literacy consists of more than a simple skill becoming a powerful social determinant of who does or does not enter into society, and, two, personal success is guaranteed only by the completion of literacy, but it has often been used to maintain control over the distribution of social and economic power. As Graff and Duffy argue, literacy does not always "level the playing field." Rather, access to literacy would depend on the social contexts in which it exists. Usually, this tends to promote privilege in some, while causing hindrance in others. Looking at literacy as a social tool and not just a skill makes me more often question what opportunities
In the book, Dehaene theorizes how reading influences the working of the brain and our development of cognition to which social interaction is tied. He proposes that literacy forms one of those "cultural inventions" which, over centuries, sculpted the human brain and enhanced certain intellectual abilities of human individuals, making them more flexible and with deeper reflection capabilities. Dehaene researches how early exposure to reading materials is crucial, especially in children, due to its connection with the development of the brain and further success in academics for their lifetime. What bothered me was the fact that something as fundamental as available books made such a difference in the cognitive development of a child. It makes me think about how many scientists, doctors, and writers are never going to be able to rise above their
This program puts together health and literacy by exposing the children to books early on that may have long-lasting results with regard to reading. Programs like Reach Out and Read illustrate very clearly that literacy is not only a school issue, but also a community one. What this has me considering is the complexity of our interconnected social systems and the idea that thinking about literacy should move beyond conventional educational systems. A program such as this speaks most directly to Graff and Duffy's concern about access to literacy via the distribution of books to families that otherwise might not have them. Such initiatives illustrate better how other healthcare, for instance, supports literacy and bridges social gaps in