Critical Literacy

There is no single one way to define literacy or a literacy program. In the Australian culture of reading four very specific roles have been defined, these roles include; Code breaker, meaning maker, text user, and text critic. But these roles are also more defined by those using them such as the teachers, students, and school systems that have put them into effect. Different strategies may work very well with one group in a classroom but not with another so that the individualization of this system plays a major role in its success. Cultures and rituals also have major impact of this programs effectiveness, but this is true about any program relying on people. This is why teaching literacy cannot be a scientific practice because there is no one set guaranteed way of working a program. Teachers should pick a program but always be flexible to change depending on literacy needs of students and the same program may not work for everyone. Teacher control is also important in implementing these practices even though it sometimes goes against the correct political opinion teacher support is needed. Teachers need to be able to incorporate reading and writing practices into what they teach. Teaching practices do need to be varied to meet the varied needs of the students. The same practices will not always work which is why varied practices are needed within the educational system. There are all sorts of combinations of practices, which will work in more effective ways for different teachers and their students. There are all kinds of varieties and combinations of everything that can be implemented that the system needs to be flexible in order to accommodate these types of differences and ideas into the curriculum.