At the preschool and elementary level, previous Loyola researchers have learned about the unique role of the family in facilitating literacy education. Interviewees related a great emphasis on oral story telling both of familiar stories and invented stories. Teachers of Scuola Materna and Scuola Elementare focus their lessons around telling and reading stories. Dramatization is an important aspect of this focus. Many Italians reported that most families eat dinner together every night.
Few activities conflict with the dinner hour in Italy.
Dinner is their opportunity for conversation. Children are expected to participate in conversation, and as a result their oral skills are highly developed upon entering school. Overall, previous researchers have collected voluminous support for the proposition that family and cultural priorities contribute strongly to early literacy effects. In the course, qualitative research data collection opportunities will be made available to Loyola participants by bringing them into personal contact with Italian teachers. Data will be tape recorded for subsequent analysis.