Reading Journal
| Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page | Fishman, Andrea R. “A Lesson from the Amish.” Literacy and Cultural Context, National Council of Teachers of English, pp. 842–849. |
| Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words | “A Lesson from the Amish” by Andrea Fishman opens with a description of an evening in an Amish household, explaining the different literary sponsors that are typical of such families. In closing the description, Fishman goes on to explain the means by which an Amish child acquires literacy, telling of his acceptance into the community as a literate before ever learning literacy through a typical education. In doing so, it almost feels as if Fishman is selling the idea of Amish society as she makes clear the advantage that the child has upon entry of the educational system, having been granted said acceptance previous to the necessity of what is accepted in western culture as education. |
| Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.
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Intonation (noun) – The rise and fall of the voice while speaking
Inflection (noun) – The modulation of pitch in the voice Tacit (adj) – understood without saying Pedagogy (noun) – the method and practice of teaching, especially as an academic subject or theoretical concept. |
| How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?
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I found that I can relate this article to James Gee’s description of discourses. In “A Lesson from the Amish”, Andrea Fishman tells of the various discourses an Amish child is exposed to on his path to literary control. Another way that these texts are related is in their comparison of acquired literacy and learned literacy. In Fishman’s text, it is explained that an Amish boy acquires all he needs to become technically literate before even beginning school. He does so by actively engaging in the various discourses to which he belongs. |
| Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion. | In wake of today’s reading, have you felt any attraction to the Amish religion as a means of raising your own children (in the future)? |