Abstract

Readers of E. D. Hirsch's work on cultural literacy may be unaware that it is informed by the same theory of interpretation proposed by his much earlier book in literary studies, Validity in Interpretation. Understanding how the concept of genre functions in both projects clarifies why prior knowledge—not formal skills—is indispensable to all reading comprehension.

Journal
Pedagogy
Published
2009-10-01
DOI
10.1215/15314200-2009-010
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References (6)

  1. Bloom, Allan. 1987. The Closing of the American Mind. New York: Simon & Schuster.
  2. Clark, Lorraine. 1992. “Allan Bloom and Gerald Graff: On Mimesis as Freedom.” In Beyond Cheering and Bashing:…
  3. Graff, Gerald. 1979. Literature against Itself. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  4. Hirsch, E. D., Jr. 1967. Validity in Interpretation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
  5. ———. 1987. Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
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  1. ———. 2006. The Knowledge Deficit: Closing the Shocking Education Gap for American Children. Boston: Houghton …