Lester L. Laminack
pio
“Possibilities, Daddy, I
think it says possibilities”:
A father’s journal of the
emergence of literacy
Laminack, who teaches under-
graduate and graduate courses in
early childhood education and
reading language arts at Western
Carolina University, Qullowhee, has
kept a journal of his son's literacy
development since he was 13
months old.
536
ctually it said North: American Van
Lines. The text, printed on the side of
an 18-wheel moving vam, was two
Jarge interlocking circles with an enormous.
white arrow running through the center. 1
thought the truck would serve ay the: context
thet would overshadow the graphic cues, but
was mistaken. As we pulled alongside the
‘moving van at a traffic light my 24-year-old
son Zachary pointed to the truck and asked,
“Whats that say on that big: truck?" re-
sponded that 1 couldn't read it because | was
riving and asked him to read it for me. He
paused, looking-at the truck for a few seconds
then straight ahead as if watching the traffic
The Reading Teacher April 1990
when out of nowhere he nnounced,
“Possbilides, daddy, 1 think it says possibi
TEnow that must have hadi puzzled
look on my face because at that moment 1
could see absolutely no connection between
North Amer cl =possibilties”
However, 1 knew: that T needed to be postive
and supportive of his atempt so I said, “Very
food buddy, thas for reading the track for
sme? Teouldat be more specific and T wasn't
She how io respond in # way that would reine
force whatever strategy he was attempting to
employ. 1 did-not want 10 seinforce logical
misconceptions eities, bur T had discovered
Catlier that Zachary's responses tended to
‘make sense, even (0 the adult, when I could
{get at his perspective. Since inthis situation I
ould not connect with his perspective, 1
chose. to be positive even though somewhat
‘Vague in my Tespanse-
PE teaaPtnr of tie creing or meio eal.
ize why Zachary had responded “possibili-
ties" When it came together I was relicved
thal 1 had not tried to “clarify” with some
feedback for him. Smith (1983)
notes that although feedback is an essential
part of all learning, it can core too soon or
too often. Smith's point, as Tinterpret it, is
thatin becoming 8 feat the CRI etme 10
‘Sepend on his or her Knowledge of Tanga
‘Sepend on his or her Knowledge of TanguigeAnd innate need for things to make sense. Ibis
this abilgy tha will enable the child to be-
come selfemonitoring. As Smith (1983) pus
it, "Tolne of the beautiful advantages of read-
ing sense js that it provides its own feedback;
errors become self-evident” (. 34.
Zachary’s response was tied to television
sdvdzteetents costal to ite Ue tee
in and use a Mastercard via repeated