Within this family environment there is a young child aged 3 years, a baby aged 1 year and a mother and father. The cultural background of the family is Asian. During the course of the day the parents read frequently to themselves, from magazines and daily newspapers. At times the child will ask to read a book to the family. The child then will either (1) attempt to read the book to a parent, (2) have a parent read to her or (3) "read" to her younger sibling. Reading is clearly an important part of this child's upbringing. During the course of the day the family will also watch TV together, listen to the radio, and shop together. .

             All of these experiences provide ample opportunities for literacy development for the young child. Literacy is much more than reading; more and more educators and researchers are beginning to realize that early experiences including playing with other children, shopping and even changing the channel on the television provide contexts for early literacy development and learning. The key here is that parents actively engage their children during activity, asking them questions about their activity and encouraging children to communicate their interpretations, feelings and attitudes about various events. .

             Literacy as a Social Practice.

             More and more administrators and social theorists are recognizing that culture influences literacy as do societal changes that dictate what knowledge is and how it should be acquired (Arthur, 2001). Studies suggest that literacy is a multi-dimensional function and that children who are more literate are more likely to experience multiple forms of literacy in their homes and communicate frequently with members of their household in various ways (Luke, 1993; Arthur, 2001). Other studies suggest that literacy draws from social practice suggesting that critical literacy is influenced by socio-cultural factors, and that children learn or acquire their literacy ability as they take part in every day social activities and practices including playing, commuting, viewing TV, and engaging in other activities with their families (Makin, et al.