In the section above, it was argued that women became increasingly responsible for supporting children’s literacy in the context of their everyday work of mothering. This domestic literacy work was part of the cultural reproductive work of mothering and intimately connected to the habitus of the “ideal” family in which women’s labour was dedicated to the domestic sphere. In the first decades of the Nineteenth Century, this domestic literacy work was distinct from the work of formally teaching children to read. While mothers may very well assume this role, there was indeed great variety in advice for if and how children should be formally taught to read, and who should best take on this role. Lydia Child (1831) displayed insights into the processes of cognitive apprenticeship, and the important role that siblings and other adults play in children’s literacy practices that would not gain the full appreciation of reading researchers until far into the Twentieth Century7
As soon as it is possible to convey instruction by toys, it is well to choose such as will be useful. The letters of the alphabet on pieces of bone are excellent for this purpose. I have known a child of six years old teach a baby-brother to read quite well, merely by playing with ivory letters. …[I]n this, indeed in all other respects, an infant’s progress is abundantly more rapid, if taught by a brother, or sister, nearly his own age. The reason is their little minds are in much the same state as their pupil’s; they are therefore less liable than ourselves to miscalculate his strength or force him beyond his speed. (Child, 1931, p. 54)
In the following excerpt, Child suggested that while mothers should be concerned with their children’s literacy knowledge, it was not considered appropriate to display this by pressuring a child:
In all that related to developing the intellect, very young children should not be hurried or made to attend unwillingly. When they are playing with their letters, and you are at leisure, take pains to tell them the name of each as often as they ask; but do not urge them. When the large letters are learned, give them the small ones. When both are mastered, place the letters together in a small word like CAT; point to the letters, name them and pronounce cat distinctly. After a few lessons, the child will know what letters to place together in order to spell CAT. …Do not try to force his attention to his letters, when he is weary, fretful and sleepy, or impatient to be doing something else. (Child, 1831, p. 53)
7 For example, see Gregory, Long, and Volk (2004). Many paths to literacy: Young children learning with siblings, grandparents, peers and communities. London: Taylor & Francis.