Investment-Based Literacy Activities (Example)

Ultimately, literacy is about making meaning in and of our worlds. We all have things we do that are important to us, and these things are
rich with literacy!
Guiding Questions
Think of something you do on a regular basis that is really important to you.
Where do you do this activity and with whom?
What kinds of texts do you engage with or create?
What texts are involved (written, oral, visual)?
How do you do it (practices)?
Why do you do it?
Why do you do it? How important is it to you? Why? What would your life be like without it?
Space/Activity
Texts
Practices
Purposes
Who
(written/oral/visual (talking/listening, singing, playing, viewing, reading, writing)
(Why is it important?)
)
Knitting group
- Telling stories
Talking & Listening
- Reprieve from my work/school
- Our group talk requires a lot of listening because the
At the yarn store - Sharing
life
topics can vary quickly!
- Stress reliever
Fieldtrips
finished works
- Asking questions about knitting and personal lives.
- Enjoying
- Challenging
Old and new
finished work
- Allows me to be creative
knitting friends
Singing
Experienced and - Discussing
- I make things for others
- We have been known to share chants or
patterns, fiber,
inexperienced
- A place to make friends in a
rhythmic/rhyming sayings that accompany knitting
knitting tools
knitters
new place
techniques
- Reading charts
- When I dont go, I miss my
and written
friends, I tend to knit less and
Viewing
patterns
be stressed more, and I feel like
- Sample knitting, each others projects, videos of
an important way I contribute to
techniques on our iPads/Smartphones
this world is missing.
Reading
- Patterns, books, charts, reading aloud, stitches/patterns in
the project, measurements
Writing
- Keeping track of stitches, rows, repeats; re-writing
Melanie Reaves, Northern Michigan University & George Kamberelis, Colorado State University, 2014

patterns, writing measurements

Investment-Based Literacy Activities

Ultimately, literacy is about making meaning in and of our worlds. We all have things we do that are important to us, and these things are
rich with literacy!
Guiding Questions
Think of something you do on a regular basis that is really important to you.
Where do you do this activity and with whom?
What kinds of texts do you engage with or create?
What texts are involved (written, oral, visual)?
How do you do it (practices)?
Why do you do it?
Why do you do it? How important is it to you? Why? What would your life be like without it?
Space/Activity
Texts
Practices
Purposes
Who
(written/oral/visual) (talking/listening, singing, playing, viewing, reading, writing)
(Why is it important?)

Melanie Reaves, Northern Michigan University & George Kamberelis, Colorado State University, 2014

Melanie Reaves, Northern Michigan University & George Kamberelis, Colorado State University, 2014