Tracking+Trackton

~ Kelly and Tanesha

//Directions:// As a pair, discuss and decide what the important and defining characteristics of the **Trackton** community members are in terms of their “ways with words.” What does this mean for the children of this community in the context of their being prepared for school? List your characteristics and findings here on this wiki page. When time is called, your team will present your findings to the class.

Defining Characteristics:
 * "Adults and children read what they have to read to solve practical problems of daily life: price tags, traffic signs, house numbers, bills, checks."
 * "Community literacy activities are public and social."
 * Writing to support their memories or to substitute for an oral message (ex. tardy note)
 * Oral performance
 * They interpret beyond the text for their own context (they do this by bringing in prior knowledge related to the text).

What does this mean for children in the context of being prepared for school?
 * The children of Trackton read to learn before they go to school to learn to read
 * Reading is almost always set within a context of immediate action (words are actions: hymn, prayers, songs, instructions)
 * Their ways with the written word does NOT prepare them for the //school's ways//