Entry #1 - Literacy: More Than Just Reading?

When asked how I would define literacy now, I would describe it as this:

"Literacy, to me, is the ability to read, comprehend, and use text in a language. To be literate is to be able to not only take in the written word, but use it to learn and navigate the world."

When asked how I would define a literate person now, I would describe them as this:

"A literate person is one who is able to read, comprehend, and use the written word in a particular language in real life. They are able to take in information through reading. They do not necessarily need to be able to comprehend all written language, but they should have the ability to utilize resources to supplement knowledge they are lacking."

I used a variety of experiences to come up with these definitions. Some of these experiences were in my primary school; some were in college courses. As a child learning to read, "literacy" was a definite goal; it had a clear end. One day, I would just be able to read. However, during the process of learning to read, I realized that there is no end. Being literate is a misnomer; it is a continuous process of becoming. In college, as a linguistics major, I had to grapple with more ideas of what literacy is. I was forever being asked if I knew another language (people's understanding of what linguistics is is quite disappointing), and I had to decide what it means to "know" another language - and if I could consider myself literate in another language. Was it enough to be able to read a few words? Short stories? If I could read something but couldn't understand it, was I literate? Then, in my first semester of grad school, I read Gholdy Muhammad's Cultivating Genius (2020). She had a multimodal approach to literacy; she saw it as more than just being able to read. 

When it comes to people who have been influential in helping me develop these definitions, I would have to strongly say my teachers, my classmates in college (especially those who were bilingual), and Gholdy Muhammad: my teachers because they taught me to read - or rather the process of reading, as it is ever growing; my classmates for making me question what it means to be literate and biliterate, therefore changing my perspective to literacy as a continuum; and Gholdy Muhammad for making me include aspects beyond just reading as important elements of literacy.

Given my definition, I think I would consider myself a literate person - or on the continuous path of being one. While I am far from being able to comprehend all written language (sometimes, science journals look like gibberish to me), I am able to read, comprehend, and use the written word in my academic and daily pursuits. I can take in information through reading, write my thoughts, and speak about what I read. When I do not understand something, I have the ability to use resources to augment my knowledge and learn new vocabulary. 

References

Muhammad, G. (2020). Cultivating genius: An equity framework for culturally and historically responsive literacy. New York, NY: Scholastic.