Preservice Teachers Envisioning Diverse Family Literacies to Guide Instruction in U.S. and Israeli Contexts

• In Event: Diversifying Field Experiences to Prepare Preservice Teachers to Teach All Learners

Abstract

Teachers play a valuable role in integrating students’ funds of knowledge into the classroom (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005). This paper presents a comparative case study of family literacy practices across two contexts and how preservice teachers’ visions for teaching literacy to diverse populations of students developed. Thirty preservice teachers in an American teacher preparation program observed an Ethiopian family literacy event to explore family literacy assets, and twenty-five preservice teachers in an Israeli college of education attended an Eritrean family literacy event to identify literacy practices. Findings highlight how teacher educators can provide opportunities for preservice teachers to learn about specific cultures and families in order to widen their visions for integrating students’ funds of knowledge into the classroom.

Authors

• Jennifer Albro, Johns Hopkins University

• Dolly Eliyahu-Levi, Levinsky College of Education

• Michal Ganz Meishar, Levinsky College of Education