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This article focuses on the question of access and design in literacy education. Drawing on an ethnographical study, two children's experiences of texts1 and socialisation in relation to literacy are mirrored through the Four Resources Model (Luke & Freebody, 1999). What does access and design mean in relation to this model and how is it manifested through the perspectives of Elin and Hassan? The empirical findings indicate that the text resources distributed in school are limited and that more possibilities for meaning and identity making through texts related to own experiences – and differences – are needed. It is concluded that the paradox of access to dominant forms of literacies as well as new alternatively literacies is not a question of either-or, but the complex core of a dialogical, dialectical and democratic literacy education where the possibilities of design in order to re-write and re-read the world are necessary and crucial.

Theoretically based conversations are not sufficient to closing the elusive performance gap between different education environments, but we believe they are a necessary part, and our hope is that the content of this book can contribute to worthwhile dialogues. A conclusion from this study is that the encounter between the teaching content, the social learning environment and the student is central to a student's opportunity to develop new knowledge, develop a sense of citizenship and develop individual potential. The teacher's democratic stance in the authoring of teaching content in the classroom makes a difference for what the student gets the opportunity to co-author and learn. We argue that the much-debated concept of powerful in connection with knowledge might be misleading as a basis for curricula and teaching and suggest a shift from matters of facts to matters of concern, as well as a shift from powerful knowledge to meaningful knowledge, if we really want different groups of students to direct their interest towards the teaching content and become involved in their own education.