However, Venezky tells us they are not equal partners. Reading is clearly primary to any definition of literacy and, in some sense, the others are secondary. Literacy is developmental. Literacy is learned. Literacy is cultural.
Literacy is complex.
These beliefs presuppose the importance of early literacy programs which prepare students to speak, listen, read, write, and reason in a social context. They assume the need for students to have instruction just beyond their current acquired knowledge, regardless of the students' age. These beliefs underscore the sophisticated role of the school and staff in teaching students to become literate individuals. They support programs that allow students to become literate in English while valuing their first language or dialect. Most importantly, these beliefs set the stage for specialized literacies that our students will need to function in the 21st century and beyond.