Project Leader: Dr. Victoria Purcell-Gates

The Cultural Practices of Literacy Study (CPLS), directed by Victoria Purcell-Gates http://educ.ubc.ca/research/cpls/content/vpg.html, is situated at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education. CPLS is an "umbrella" study that includes a series of case studies of literacy practice in socio-culturally-defined communities. Each case study is framed by theory that views literacy as social and cultural practice, patterned by institutions, historical events, values, beliefs, and power relationships. Each case study is also designed with the goal of developing early literacy instruction, particularly for marginalized and underachieving children, that builds on community literacy practices. Thus, CPLS also studies literacy practices within schooling contexts through either retrospective interviews or direct observations.

Another project within CPLS is the development of a large data base of literacy practices within different socio-cultural contexts. Essentially, this data base will serve for future meta-analyses across case studies. We have recently added a research site in Oaxaca, Mexico. We are working with professors from the Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juarez" de Oaxaca, Facultad de Idiomas C.U. in Oaxaca. The case studies will bring to the CPLS project a focus on indigenous literacies through study of literacy practices of marginalized communities of practice and the connections of these literacy practices to issues of language choice, identity and agency performances, and social and cultural diversity.Finally, we are creating a practitioner handbook for teachers who wish to construct socio-culturally responsive early literacy instruction in grades K-3. Chapters within this handbook are written by teachers who provide models for such instruction.

Funded by:
SSHRC
Spencer Foundation
Canada Research Chairs Program
Faculty of Education, UBC

Project website: http://educ.ubc.ca/research/cpls/

Duration of the project: 2004 - 2011