Lisa Delpit: A Conceptual Analysis

Upon doing research, I have also read a few great pieces of literature that share some insight on successful literacy development and parental involvement aiding in that success. Lisa Delpit is an extraordinary author and educationalist who offers so much insight into the school systems and shares what works and does not work. I have had the pleasure of reading a few of her texts, but the one that fit this thesis best in her book called "Multiplication is for White People: Raising Expectations for Other People's Children". In chapter 3 of this book, Delpit discusses how learning does not just take place at school, but also does at home. At home learning is just as important as it is when it is being used in classrooms. Delpit (2013) states, "I have never presented myself as a reading researcher, only as a teacher who has "taught" reading. Yet, the more I explore research on reading, the more I realize that I understand our limited knowledge of what actually transpires during the learning-to-read process" (p. 60). Delpit is stating that many teachers and even parents only go by the book on

the ways of learning literacy. People honestly believe that there are specific ways of doing things instead of realizing there are endless ways of developing literacy. This statement here proves as to why this thesis was designed, and the importance behind this thesis. There are many people out there that are uneducated and do not have enough knowledge to make judgments on the proper way of literacy development. There are a few shy of two dozen scholarly sources used in this thesis to show the endless amounts of strategies, techniques, and skills offered to benefit both the children, and the parents. Reading has become such a huge take-home concept, and parents need to be educated on how to get their selves involved in their children's success. The outcome will lead to benefiting everyone in the household.
Moving along to the next piece of literature, Mem Fox's book, "Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever", explores some of the same ideas as Delpit, but does so in a different form. Fox explains why reading aloud has an incredible impact on children's ability to read. She believes that the earlier you start reading to your children, the better readers they will be. Fox has a way of creating scenarios filled with techniques and strategies to implement success with literacy at home - "When I see a read-aloud session in my mind's eye, there's either an adult sitting in a big old chair or on a sofa, with a child on the adult's lap or snuggled up close, sharing a book, or an adult sitting or lying on a bed with the child tucked in, wide-eyed, as stories are being read. And the experience is always fantastic" (Fox, 2001, p. 39). Her extensive use of imagination just cannot go unnoticed, and if her painted pictures do not set up enough imagery for you, then I do not know who else will. Fox's scenarios she creates in her text are beneficially for both the children and parents, but especially the parents. Her writing provides so many great ways to implement developing each child's literacy, and also paints a picture of exact moments that parents can capture with their children. Simply put, having a book in their hand, creating a happy and memorable moment for the family is something to not only cherish, but considered to be successful.

This thesis explored the overall benefits, strategies, and techniques for parental involvement in aiding the development of children's literacy. Lisa Delpit and Mem Fox offered their pieces of literature to help aid this thesis, and also offered a lot of personal experiences that helped make this thesis strong. The findings of the research conducted took some time, but, overall, had a great outcome of credibility. All of the writers and researchers benefited this thesis whether they saw changes in literacy development of children based on parental involvement or if they say little to no changes; regardless, each source factored into the findings and limitations of this thesis. This thesis explored the possibilities and opportunities for parents to get involved, and it is safe to say that parental involvement plays a factor into the development of children's literacy. The extensive research that went into this thesis was designed to direct parents' attention towards how important their involvement is in aiding the success of their children's academic growth.
Through the conducted research, it has be noted how important literacy is not only inside the classroom, but outside of it as well.

Also, there have been many involvement strategies given throughout this thesis, along with empirical data, to benefit and incorporate into children's lives based on their individual needs. There were some limitations that this thesis presented, but it did not affect the overall outcome of the research. It was a challenge trying to discover research that is mindful of the inherent pitfalls in conceptualization. The research discovered for this thesis did not offer specific grade levels to back up the research, but instead would say lower elementary, upper elementary or just children in general. The research never got too specific with the age group being targeted, but the evidence of the articles made it easier to pinpoint the approximate age

group.
Parental involvement and literacy development take time, consistency, and patience to see children grow and excel. Without having a support system behind every child, then those children will suffer and fall short of the learning experience that they deserve. Parental involvement goes beyond just helping them with their homework or giving children the answers because you do not have the time to help. It is about creating bonds at home where both the parents and the children are sharing and enjoying the time spent together. It is much more than a learning opportunity; it is about creating memories that will last a lifetime. Parental involvement takes a great deal of work that involves patience, passion, joy, and love to encourage and aid in the development of children's literacy, but the work is well worth the time.