Brandt, Deborah. “Sponsors of Literacy.” College Composition and Communication, vol. 49, no. 2, 1998, p. 165., doi:10.2307/358929.

In the article Brandt talks about how orality and writing are one in the same, and how they b0th contribute to literacy. She also talks about how she went all the way back to the 20th century to find literary sponsors, and she related them to how they influenced Americans to read and write. These sponsors that she mentions in her article are the people that influence how we read and write. A sponsor can be anyone, especially a teacher, who contributes to the way we have understood literacy. She also speaks about how people who are less fortunate have more of an issue with literary sponsor, because of them not having the necessary resources.

Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.

Sponsor of Literacy- “Sponsors are delivery systems for the economies of literacy the mean by which these forces present themselves to and through- individual learners.”

Orality-the quality of being spoken or verbally communicated.

How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?

In “Sometimes the Tough Teen is Quietly Writing Stories”, Matt de la Pena talks about his first experience being introduced to literature and how his college professor approached him and gave him a book and wanted him to converse with her once he was done. He states that after reading this book it made him cry and ever since he fell in love with books. In that article, Matt’s teacher is his literary sponsor, because she introduced him into this book that influenced his outlook on literature.

Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.

 Instead of a literary sponsor being a person persay, can it be an overall life experience?