Why Johnny can never, ever read Reading Response

1.      In the article, Why Johnny can never, ever read: The perpetual literacy crisis and student identity, by Bronwyn T. Williams, he discusses concern about young people’s ability to read and write throughout history. Williams also examines causes that vary over time and those that remember specifics throughout. Williams poses an interesting question to his readers that “If we identify these young people ‘“in crisis,”’ rather than confident and adventurous readers and writers, how does that influence how we approach our teaching and our means of assessment?” (180). With this, I believe the point he is trying to make is that now a day some teachers are not allowing for their students to be creative and not letting them think for themselves in a sense. I personally have had experience with a teacher that has similar teaching morals and needless to say, it was a rough class.

2.      I feel as if I can relate this reading to Bronwyn Williams’ other work called Another Opening, Another Show because in that particular reading he discusses the idea that teachers all have identities within them as they teach. I feel as if these two readings relate to each other because in the Why Johnny can never, ever read analysis, he investigates why the concern is repeated from one generation to the next when most people have acquired adequate levels of literacy by adulthood. This ties in with Williams’ other piece because it is because of the teacher’s identities that the students repeat from one generation to the next. With the same teachers reciting the same thing in the same structure, it could have a negative side to things depending on if their identity is helpful and successful.

3.      In the reading, Williams mentions that the majority of concern is from the middle class of society and he connects that concern to a desire for status and privilege. I feel as if I have experienced this view point because I have witnessed firsthand being a part of a middle-class family, but personally I think that it does not raise a concern for a desire of status and privilege. I have always worked hard towards getting what I wanted whether it be inside or outside of school. However, I was not doing that in order to raise my status or to feel more privileged in any way. It was simply just for personal satisfaction.