A section entitled Pedagogical Influences on Literacy Development follows the discussion of the literacy experiences at home. In this section, I examine the social organization of the school. Then, I specifically focus on power relations and how the code of the mainstream academic discourse that is used at school is understood and transferred to household literacy activities. I seek answers to my question about how literacy is embedded in families' social practices and relationships between schools and homes.

In the final section, Children's Enculturation into Literacy Practices, I look at conditions and factors within the family that contribute to the enculturation of children into these practices. I present ideas on how the consequences of certain actions of those in power serve to maintain the status quo and reproduction of class structure. Finally, I conclude the chapter with a brief summary.

Profile of the Participants

Participants in this study were eight families, the school principal, the resource teacher and three classroom teachers. The families will be introduced first, identified here by the adults in the home, followed by the school participants. Each profile begins with a carefully selected quotation using the word heart that gives an overview of the participant or his or her beliefs.

Family Participants

Julie