ABSTRACT
At a time when literacy has become more of a political issue than a research or pedagogical one, this volume refocuses attention on work with young children that places them at the center of their literacy worlds. Drawing on robust and growing knowledge which is often marginalized because of political and legislative forces, it explores young children’s literacies as inclusive, redefined, and broadened—encompassing technologies, the arts, multiple modalities, and teaching and learning for democracy, cultural sustainability and social justice. Highlighted themes include children’s rights to grow through playful engagements with multiple literacies to interrogate their worlds; adults who expand and inspire children’s consciousness and awareness of others and the world around them; the centrality of meaning making in all aspects of language and literacy development; a deep respect for diversities, including languages, cultures, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and more; and an expansive understanding of the nature of texts.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|67 pages
Learning
chapter I|3 pages
We Use a Lot More “Dots” in Arabic Than You Do in English
chapter 2|14 pages
Reclaiming or Reframing?
chapter I|4 pages
4 Extension: Innocence, Intersectionality, and Normativity
part II|44 pages
Teaching
chapter 6|10 pages
“Doin' School in the Orchard”
chapter 8|11 pages
Infusing Meaning and Joy Back into Books
part III|61 pages
Curriculum
part IV|31 pages
Language
chapter 13|10 pages
“I Got Angry BirdsTM in My Story”
chapter 14|11 pages
Maybe Henry Did It! Maybe Chester Did It!
part V|68 pages
Sociocultural