The Application of Culturally Relevant Factors to Literacy Programs in Appalachia

Appalachia is an American region characterized by a strong oral tradition. Ballads, ghotlore, minelore, herblore, riddles, and proverbs abound. It is not uncommon to have family members and neighbors visit for an entire day, filling the time talking. While the imposition of the mainstream technological society may be weakening the opportunities for the practice of such lore or the desire of the young people to learn the lore, the subculture continues to support a basically oral tradition