Language and Literacy (Journal)
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Readers’ interactions in an online reading group
No full textThis study is an investigation of readers’ posts to an online discussion forum devoted to the discussion of short stories and poems. It was conducted in an online reading group, which is an electronic version of a face-to-face reading circle. The ELT Online Reading Group (ORG) aimed at promoting the development of reading skills and the reading of literature among teachers, trainee teachers and other professionals in the field of English language teaching (ELT). This paper focuses on the multi-layered relationships between readers in the group by looking at the distinctive features of participants’ posts. Results suggest that there is a dialogical orientation in the communicative strategies participants employ in the forum and that factors that contribute to successful discussions include the selection of texts, a range of different opinions in the group, and the diversity of background contexts and information that participants brought to the discussions
Elementary School Language and Literacy Education for Civic Engagement: An Evolving Playbook for Postmodern Times
No full textThis paper argues for the need to postmodernize literacy education for civic engagement in an emerging new world order where humans are globally-connected in an invisible digital dimension, yet physically dispersed in greater degrees of complexity. The paper summarizes a university-school collaborative learning community’s evolving playbook on experimental multimodal and plurilingual language and literacy education, and illustrates project-based learning, inclusion of children’s linguistic and cultural knowledge in classroom learning, immersive ludic activities, collaborative problem-solving, and agentive participation in an elementary school classroom project
Speaking Mennonite at School: A Narrative Analysis of the Role of Language in Immigrant Educational Experiences
No full textThis paper examines the ways in which 1.5-generation immigrant mothers from a marginalized minority group (Low German-speaking Mennonites from Mexico) construct school experiences in relation to language. Starting from the perspective of identity as being constructed in language, analysis of audio-recorded interviews and focus group discussions collected during 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork demonstrates a connection and an inherent tension between the ways in which participants construct their own experiences and how they construct their children’s experiences. Results illustrate the impact of language and literacy on their identity constructions, the use of language as an act of civic engagement, and how the agentive capacity demonstrated through these constructions both engages with and contests broader social processes
Start with a Seedling: Uncovering the Kindergarten Language and Literacy Curriculum One Leaf at a Time
No full textWhile recent research has documented a myriad of benefits to school gardening and food programs, many educators and administrators voice concerns that such programs detract from the provincially mandated curriculum and few researchers have investigated how school gardening and food programs may support language and literacy curriculum expectations. Using a content analysis of transcripts of audio data from a school gardening and food program that matched 24 kindergarten children with 17 adult and young adult volunteers, this study illustrates how such a program may help support mandated language and literacy curriculum. Analysis suggests the children involved in the program practiced important oral language skills, such as asking questions and expressing experiences with their garden buddies at a high frequency.
To Digital or not to Digital: How Mothers are Navigating the Digital World with their Young Children
No full textWe know many children are using digital tools, such as mobile phones and tablets. Much has been debated about the appropriateness of these tools in the lives of young children (e.g., American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001, 2011; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2012). Yet, parents are engaged in digital practices. Adults’ beliefs about the appropriateness of digital media for children influence the environments they create for young children and potentially influence children’s exposure to and interactions with digital tools. This paper describes the digital literacy practices of three families and reports on the tensions mothers felt in whether to allow their children to participate in these practices
Using a Graphic Novel Project to Engage Indigenous Youth in Critical Literacies
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to present the experiences of Indigenous youth when a critical literacies/Indigenous knowledges (IK) approach was used in a graphic novel creation project. We conducted research over a six-week period in two alternative high schools in British Columbia. In this paper, we look primarily at research findings from the Indigenous program. We analyzed classroom observations, the graphic novels, and transcripts of semi-structured interviews according to four principles of critical literacy: understanding power, control, and equity of information; collaboration using multiple perspectives; authentic and multimodal learning; and enacting social change and civic engagement
Becoming Literacy Leaders: Teacher Candidates Initiate a Community-Based Literacy Program
No full textThis paper presents a case study of a community-based literacy program that was initiated by teacher candidates. Program goals, purposes and opportunities for ongoing learning beyond coursework and practicum are explored. Key themes for discussion include: literacy as social and life-long; moving beyond print literacy; capitalizing on strengths; freedom in planning and freedom from assessment; feedback from the community; and, the opportunity to become literacy leaders. Mentorship roles are explored, along with questions for ongoing reflection and conversation
Revision and Participation Patterns in Grades 5 and 6 Wiki Writing
No full textOur study examined middle grade students’ participation in wikis during their two-month social studies unit co-taught by two teachers as part of a larger action research project. Using an analysis of 42 grades 5 and 6 students working together in eight wiki writing groups, we report on the frequency and types of revisions they made to collaboratively-written essays, and the distribution of the workload across group members in each of the wiki groups. Discussion data with 16 students from these wiki groups helps contextualize our analysis.Our findings suggest that given their extended time to write, students revised frequently, making replacements more often than they deleted, added or moved content. Students indicated a willingness to change others’ contributions and to have their own contributions revised by others in order to improve the quality of the essays. The majority of their revisions were at the word level, rather than at sentence, paragraph, and whole-text levels. One student in each group contributed significantly more frequently than any other group member. There were no gender or grade patterns in the frequencies or types of contributions that students made to the wikis
Éléments clés, enjeux et retombées d’une démarche de rédaction inclusive réalisée avec des adultes ayant de très faibles compétences en littératie
No full textLes personnes présentant une déficience intellectuelle ont souvent de faibles compétences en littératie. Les organisations doivent s’interroger sur les meilleures façons de rendre accessible l’information qui leur est destinée, de rehausser leurs compétences à comprendre les messages et de contribuer aux services qu’ils reçoivent. L’article présente les résultats d’une recherche-action ayant regroupé des concepteurs, des personnes présentant une déficience intellectuelle et leurs accompagnateurs. Ils ont coconstruit du matériel dans le but de le rendre signifiant et compréhensible. Cette coopération a permis d’identifier les éléments clés et les enjeux de la démarche de rédaction inclusive ainsi que ses retombées chez tous les participants.
Quelle place pour l’oral dans les centres de littératie?
No full textLes centres de littératie sont un dispositif d’enseignement-apprentissage qui permet l’enseignement et l’apprentissage de la lecture, de l’écriture ainsi que de la communication orale (Diller, 2010; Nations et Alonso 2001; Owocki, 2005; Swartz et all, 2003). Toutefois, on en sait bien peu sur l’enseignement et l’apprentissage de l’oral dans ces centres. À l’aide d’une recherche exploratoire, nous décrivons la place et le statut de l’oral dans ces centres dans une classe de deuxième année du primaire à partir de l’entrevue de deux enseignantes et d’observations dans une classe