LITERACY COMPETENCES IN CULTURAL DIVERSE CLASSROOMS:EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS

This contribution takes a closer look at literacy competence-related problems in socially andculturally diverse classrooms. Diversity in language and reading socialization both contribute significantlyto differences in literacy competences, which is something that surfaces in daily teaching practice. Asurvey among 169 primary and secondary school teachers in the Netherlands focused on the perspectiveof the teachers, since they are the ones who have to deal with the diversity in literacy. The extent ofthe problems the teachers indicated as being caused by their students’ lack of literacy competences isconsiderable in all classes. During their day-to-day teaching, teachers of multicultural classes experiencemore problems related to literacy competences than do teachers of monocultural classes. The resultsindicate that it is desirable if not vital to pay attention to the acquisition of literacy competences indiverse, multicultural classrooms in teacher training and refresher courses