Laura Soto

March 4, 2014
Community Literacy Walk Reflection
LRC312C: Yi-Ping Fu

Unfortunately, I was absent the day that my classmates took their literacy walk around
Ocotillo. However, after getting the guidelines from my peers, I took a literacy walk around the
neighborhood of my case studys school. I observed many types of literacies throughout this
community. I have captured them in photograph below, however, simply because they are
symbolic doesnt mean that my case study would be able to read them. It depends on her funds
of knowledge and what she is exposed to. For example, one of the pictures that I took was of a
cross symbol but my case study goes to a Jewish private school. Another example of a symbol
that might not resonate with certain students is the picture of the wheel chair symbol. Not all
students have encountered a wheel chair at this age. Therefore, even though I identified with
these symbols when I was younger (and that is the reason I choose them) there is no guarantee
that my case study has observed them. This is an interesting concept considering that it is after
all one of my case studys communities. However, as was underlined in our reading by Orellana
and Hernandez, not all children identify to all things. In the beginning of the reading, the
authors asked multiple questions about certain signs but the children simply werent engaged.
They werent engaged because they didnt necessarily identify with it. They need to identify with
it in order to be exposed to it enough to read it.
I learned a lot of things about the community none-the-less. There were a lot of university
affiliated signs, not surprising since their school is located very close to the university area. I
have no other location to compare it to but if felt as if there were a lot of precaution signs. There
were also a lot of signs that revolved around transportation whether that is walking, biking, bus
or driving.
Laura Soto
March 4, 2014
Community Literacy Walk Reflection
LRC312C: Yi-Ping Fu

Every family is different based on their funds of knowledge, and what can be considered
a literacy resource for one family might not resonate with another. For example, some children
can be exposed to video games and others might be exposed to movie cases. Another child might
go to the grocery store with their parents a lot and might be exposed to coupons and signs there.
Other sources of literacy can include maps, flyers and print on clothing. As described in chapter
three, children begin to hypothesis what symbols really mean. At first children think that the
length of the word is directly proportional to its meaning and how big the object is. Therefore, if
they have no experience with the word, they might automatically assume that emergency is
something very big in size. This exposure and experimentation also has to do with the literary
resources that the family comes in contact with.
No matter how familiar the child is with the sign, I could always do more to include it in
my curriculum. We can put signs out in the playground to resemble a real street. Another idea
that I had was to include it in my lesson. At my placement I am currently focusing on
photography for my creative unit in Bridgets class. I could have the children take pictures of
things that resonate with them and then talk about why like they did in chapter three. Weve also
discussed in Doreas class and in chapter three the ability to make signs in everyday play
activities with our students. For example, the children can draw or write what they think a save
sign looks like. We as teachers could also provide menus, maps and food packages with both
print and pictures.


Laura Soto
March 4, 2014
Community Literacy Walk Reflection
LRC312C: Yi-Ping Fu


Laura Soto
March 4, 2014
Community Literacy Walk Reflection
LRC312C: Yi-Ping Fu