Double Journal Entry #3

Literacy development begins at a very early age. This early development is dependent upon a child's interaction with and knowledge of reading. Though early interaction is beneficial to the child's learning, it is not the only factor in the child's ability to read. Every child is capable, some may just need some extra instruction or consideration. I remember being corrected all the time in school for using double negatives (can't never, etc) in my speech but I never wrote that way. My brother (who, as discussed in an earlier post, had a bit of a speech impediment as a child) had it worse than I did. He would come home crying from school saying that his teacher told him if he couldn't talk right, not to talk at all.

I think it is important to embrace the cultural dialect of the Appalachians. It is important that this dialect not be lost, because people tend to lose their identity when they are forced to be someone they are not. It directly corresponds with inclusion because no child should be excluded because of the way they speak. Students should embrace their heritage and not be ashamed or embarrassed when speaking with their natural accent.

In this article, writer Bob Plott discusses how his Appalachian heritage influenced his writing subject and style.



Resources:
Epstein P., H. (2011, September 15). Honoring dialect and increasing student performance in standard english. Retrieved from http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3655