Fingeret (1984) suggests that adult educators may also fall into a trap of accepting a deficit perspective of literacy. In this case, non-readers are seen as dependent and embedded in a culture of poverty. The oversimplified assumption is that once these individuals fill their literacy deficit by learning to read and write, they will be able to find gainful employment and they will no longer have a problem.

Sociocultural Contexts for Literacy Learning

I will now address both the home environment and the school and community as contexts for literacy learning. I highlight how the social realities and cultural characteristics of families must be taken into account, otherwise well-intentioned school practices aimed at involving parents may result in unintended discrepancies in educational outcomes (Auerbach, 1989). This is followed with a presentation of Auerbach's socio-contextual family literacy model in which she proposes a broader definition for family literacy than the common transmission of school practices model.

Home Environment

Research evidence suggests that families play a role in promoting academic achievement and improving school outcomes in their children (Heath, 1983). A variety of direct and indirect forces, including issues of power and identity, impact on the lives of families when they are making connections between literacy and society. D. Taylor and Dorsey-Gaines (1988) explore the ways in which home settings provide dynamic literate environments where writing and reading are an integral part of the family life. Similarly, Roscigno and Ainsworth-Darnell (1999) address the importance of household educational resources to help children prepare to participate in a classroom literary discourse.