Barclays Formula for Literacy Narratives

CLAIM (main idea) – What’s the paragraph going to be focused on?

The literacy narratives of child prodigies often connect how their excellence in literacy as a child has molded them into successful student that they are in the current day.

INTRODUCE QUOTE – Establish a little context for the quote, through a full sentence introduction, a signal phrase, or a clause that works to set up an embedded quote. (Resources: TLS E4; TSIS, CH3)

In his literacy narrative Tyler discusses how strongly his aunt reading to him from a history book had impacted his academic career,

QUOTE 1 – This is a quote from one of the scholarly sources we’re putting into conversation. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the INTRODUCE QUOTE material above.

“I was just 4 years old when something significant happened to me and what I learned in that moment I have taken with me to this day. The excitement and confidence I had in that moment was indescribable. To some people this might not seem too significant but to me this was a big foundation for my education. I have only but my aunt to thank. Debby made a big impact on me early in my education and still to this day has a big influence on me.” (3)

EXPLAIN QUOTE 1 – Elaborate/explain/rephrase Quote 1 above in a way that helps move the reader along towards the next quote. By doing this well, you’re establishing HOW this existing conversation works. Additionally, you’re positioning yourself in it through your effort to NAME the issue as one that’s important in the field of study.

Tyler believes that without this exposure to literacy as a child he would not be the successful student that he is today. Like many child prodigies discuss in their literacy narrative he believes that this literacy experience was crucial to his future academic success.

TRANSITION TO QUOTE 2 – Establish a little context for the quote through a full sentence introduction, a signal phrase, or a clause that works to set up an embedded quote. (Resources: TLS E4; TSIS, CH3) Try to do this in a way that begins to signal HOW quote 1 and 2 relate. They may be saying very much the same thing; there may be some slight difference; there may be something else.

This idea is discussed by Alexander in her paper on different types of literacy narratives. She explains how this idea of child prodigy literacy equalling academic success later in life is perpetuated by the authors of literacy narratives.

QUOTE 2 – This is a quote from a DIFFERENT scholarly source than the one in quote 1, and it helps us build a paragraph that puts those texts into conversation. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the TRANSITION TO QUOTE 2 material above.

“The child prodigy narrative, the fourth most common cultural narrative, promotes the idea that unless children are exposed to (middle class) school literacy and learn these values at an early age, they will not be academically successful.” (Alexander, 619)

EXPLAIN CONNECTION/RELATIONSHIP – The entire paragraph is about advancing a point you’re making that relates ideas in two scholarly sources. You’re showing HOW a conversation exists between two texts. In this part of the paragraph, you explain what the source material shows us about the specific idea in play.

Tyler is one of the many students that displayed a child prodigy narrative in his literacy narrative, his ideas regarding his literacy as a child align directly with what Alexander discussed regarding child prodigy narratives. Those who write about child prodigy narratives believe that without these experiences and exposure to literacy at a young age they wouldn’t be as successful as they currently are. While I agree with the idea that exposure to literacy at a young age can help someone to be academically successful in the future this is not always guaranteed.

Worksheet II – Build a Barclay’s paragraph that relates a concept in the scholarship to the data (evidence in the archive)

TLS = The Little Seagull; TSIS = They Say, I Say

CLAIM (main idea) – What’s the paragraph going to be focused on? What does the data show us about the concept?

Children who are exposed to literacy and defined as child prodigies at a young age often experience an identity shift in relation to literacy.

Sometimes, it’s good to begin with the concept quote, especially if the application is straightforward: LN a shows us that Alexander’s view on how victim narratives work is a solid one. Other times, the data complicates or challenges the concept, and it might be good to reverse the order: Show the part of the LN that reveals something complicated about the victim idea in Alexander, then in Quote 2 show the part of Alexander that you’re complicating or challenging.

Many children who are child prodigies begin to lose interest in the subject very quickly as it begins to bore them or they don’t want to read or write about the topics they are assigned, they begin to adopt a victim identity at a certain point within their literacy experience.This is a theme that appears very often in child prodigy literacy narratives.

QUOTE 1 – This is a quote from either a scholarly source OR a literacy narrative. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the INTRODUCE QUOTE material above.

I continued to read when one of my parents had the time to sit down and help me with new books I’d bring back from the book fair at school. As I went onto second and third grade, I found other things to occupy my time like making friends and spending time playing outside with the neighborhood kids, rather than reading. Reading was only so exciting for me for a short time period. After a while it wasn’t as exciting because it was no longer a new skill, it became basic knowledge for everyone as I grew older. As my elementary years went on, I didn’t read much because I felt as though I could always find something more entertaining to do.

EXPLAIN QUOTE 1 – Elaborate/explain/rephrase Quote 1 above in a way that helps move the reader along towards the next quote. By doing this well, you’re establishing a stronger sense of the ways the evidence shows what you’re claiming in the topic sentence. This helps the reader stay focused on YOUR idea.

This quote shows how the students who were once defined as child prodigies quickly lose interest since once they master the topic. Once a child prodigy has mastered something it no longer interests them and they move on to find a new challenge.

TRANSITION TO QUOTE 2 – Establish a little context for the quote through a full sentence introduction, a signal phrase, or a clause that works to set up an embedded quote. (Resources: TLS E4; TSIS, CH3) Try to do this in a way that begins to explain the relationship you’re establishing. Does the relationship involve Agree (AND), Disagree (BUT), Agree with a Difference? (Resources: TSIS CH4; HCM 100-104)

Child prodigies often experience an identity shift from child prodigy to victim. They only want to work and focus on topics that they find interesting and compelling, things they aren’t interested in they don’t want anything to do with.

QUOTE 2 – This quote is either the scholarly one OR the data one for you, and it helps you build a paragraph that shows how the ideas do/don’t play out in the data. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the TRANSITION TO QUOTE 2 material above.

“Is a victim of negative literacy experiences, in or out of school; casts blame for negative literacy experiences; discusses how someone took the fun of reading and writing.” (Alexander, 615)

EXPLAIN CONNECTION/RELATIONSHIP – The entire paragraph is about hammering home the point you’re making as you try out the relationship between an idea in the scholarship AND evidence in our archive. You’re showing WHAT the data reveals and HOW it contributes to what is already known about some aspect of literacy acquisition. Explain what the source material shows us about the specific idea in play.

Child prodigies quickly lose interest in literacy once it is no longer new or exciting for them. The adopt the victim identity and want to place blame on someone for making literacy not fun anymore.