Introduction
“Teachers' recognition of the multimodal practices available to children through their homes, communities and popular culture enriches and extends the possibilities for literacy teaching” (Martello, 2007).
In this modern technological world, there have been significant changes occurring where children are exposed to an abundance of literacy experiences, well before they enter school. Children’s experience of literacies is shaped by their personal, social, and cultural factors. Although some would argue Martello’s statement is entirely correct; educators can have a positive impact on children’s emergent literacies and deliver literacy lessons using various forms of multimodal practices. This paper will explore the current perspectives on literacy, the diversity of literacy practices that impact literacy learning, the implication of current perspectives on early language and literacy learning in educational settings, and lastly professional peer portfolios containing four handouts about sociocultural theories of literacy and language learning. It is paramount for educators to be mindful of the different types of literacies children are engaged in before they enter school, so educators can deliver the best possible outcome of literacy lessons in a positive learning enriched environment.
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Current Perspectives of Literacy
There have been various perspectives on literacy that have changed over time. The most current perspective of literacy is socio-cultural; this perspective emerged in 1990 when children are involved in a range of activities in the home, communities, and cultures. Fellows and Oakley (2014) argue; that some children already have the experience and attitudes when attending formal education of “what is needed in literacy context” (p. 8). Therefore, giving those children the advantage of adapting to the school environment, compared to children that do not have the appropriate cultural capital experience or attitudes; leaving gaps in children’s literacy knowledge (Barratt-Pugh, 2000)
From a socio-cultural perspective, Gee (1996) explains there is a “notion of discourse” (p. 127) in our society. Discourse has different ways of belonging in the world through “words, acts, values, beliefs, attitude, and social identities” including, “gestures, glances, body positions and clothes” (p. 127). There are two parts of a Discourse: primary and secondary. Gee (1996) distinguishes between both Discourses explaining primary Discourse is acquired early in life, through primary socialization with “members of particular families or cultural groups within their social-cultural settings” (p. 137). Primary Discourse is like an ‘identity kit’, it constitutes the way we talk, write or take on a role that others will be able to recognize.
Gee (1996) further delves into this by explaining that an individual “serves as a framework for their learning of other Discourses later in life” (p. 141). Gee (1996) continues by saying “secondary Discourses are people who are a part of various local, state, and national groups and institutions, including churches, gangs, schools, offices” (p. 137). It is somewhat important for educators to respect and appreciate socio-cultural differences, so children have the best opportunity to reach their full potential.
Diversity of Literacy Practices that impact on Literacy Learning
Children begin to develop literacy competence well before they start school, they grow up in vast diverse homes, families, and communities; each child has their own distinctive set of social and cultural features (Fellows & Oakley, 2017). Fellows and Oakley (2017) explain “it cannot be assumed that all children are provided with the experiences, the types of literacy models and oral interactions that satisfactorily develop emergent literacy and contribute to later literacy success” (p. 588). Home and community practices vary from family to family. For some families, the importance of literacy may apply through an oral form or where the parents speak another language or are illiterate and less engaged with print-based text (Fellows & Oakley, 2017). The importance in other families may lie where the child’s engagement is with a variety of digital forms of literacy including hand-held electronic devices, computer games, television, movies, and mp3 players. These digital devices create many multimodal forms of literacy including linguistic (spoken and written language), visual (images), audio (voice, music), gestural (body language, facial expressions, and movement and spatial (placement and layout) (D. Haynes, personal communication, November 26, 2019).
It is becoming more uncommon to turn a page from a book than to flick your finger to turn a page on hand-held electronic devices, and overuse of a computer and mousepad. Fine-motor skills are no longer the center for skills children develop when gripping a pencil or pen for handwriting; instead, educators are now faced with significant changes where children develop a set of skills in the use of multimodal modes and are more competent than educators in the use of digital devices before they enter school (Martello, 2007). Martello (2007) believes educators need to shift away from the one idea of what counts as literacy (print-based literacy focusing on reading and writing), otherwise, they will miss the opportunity to help children “acquire and learn school literacies as meaningful practices they make use of language for real purposes” (p.18). Besides the innumerable forms of technology available for children, they are also developing four components of oral language including phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics (Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl, & Holliday, 2010).
One of the four components of oral language is phonology which is developed through children experimenting with words and sounds or whilst a child listening to someone speak. Morphology is developed through the meaning of words and word parts i.e. sign, signage, and signal. The syntax is developed through the structure of a sentence and how they are sequenced to convey meaning. Pragmatic is developed through the rules of language: eye contact, body language, and turn-taking whilst using oral language (Winch et al., 2010). There are many other literacy forms children can observe in the home and community. Literacy experiences in the home and community can be achieved by observing parents read the newspaper, helping with reading a recipe, ticking off a shopping list, and sending Christmas cards or birthday invitations. When families interact with their children through reading and talking with a literacy focus on “songs, rhymes, games, and activities, children’s knowledge will be further raised” (Fellows & Oakley, 2014, p. 586). These types of emergent literacy skills have many implications for educators in the way children learn literacy once they reach school.
The implication of Current Perspectives
The implications of the current socio-cultural perspective have educators reconsidering their pedagogy style and the way in which the curriculum is designed in literacy learning. Children come to school with different funds of knowledge where their home and community experiences develop their “understandings, abilities, practices and interests” (Fellows & Oakley, 2017, p. 588). Therefore, educators need to get to know their students and what existing knowledge and experiences they have prior to school, by building on their strengths and weaknesses and working towards the things that are not yet known to them (Fellows & Oakley, 2017). An example explained in Fellows & Oakley (2014) is a teacher in a remote Aboriginal community who was getting to know the class; he began by asking a question about the types of activities students do outside of school. The majority of students regularly fished. The teacher extended the student’s knowledge and encouraged them to write about their experiences. The teacher incorporated new areas of learning and highlighted new concepts and literacy skills. Activities and additional resources were incorporated and supported by other curriculum areas including books, posters, photographs, computers, and internet usage. Students were motivated and engaged as it was relevant to their lives outside of school.
Some strategies educators can use in the classroom to support children’s oral language includes social-dramatic play, open-ended questions, investigations, reading aloud to children, storytelling, using everyday opportunities: greeting time, show and tell, drama and conversations, and discussions (D. Haynes, personal communication, December 3, 2019). With increasing numbers of children becoming proficient users of multimodal technologies and text, educators are required to “rethink how they teach basic skills and what those basics should be” (Carrington, 2001, p. 97). Educators need to take into account the means behind the ‘basics’ of teaching and match that to the primary literate Discourse of children. “It is no longer appropriate or even educationally responsible to privilege print-based linear texts in the classroom” (Carrington, 2001, p. 98). Therefore, educators need to value diversity in the home and community rather than view it as a deficit and teach technology in the classroom because that is what students experience before school.
Other significances are that educators need to build genuine parent-educator partnerships working together to provide the best opportunity for children to “achieve optimal developments and learning” (Fellows & Oakley, 2014, p. 590). This can be achieved through addressing important issues around children’s language and literacy development, by giving parents a voice in the decisions of the school through parent-teacher meetings, parent involvement and decision making in parents and friends association, helping out in the classroom, and reading to children. Educators need to take into consideration their pedagogies in the classroom and in the way the curriculum is designed in literacy learning, this is so children can have the best opportunity to learn literacy in various forms. This confirms Martello’s statement is entirely correct, where children’s knowledge is extended with the possibilities for literacy teaching infinite, and multimodal technologies are of significance for educators in this modern society.
Conclusion
To conclude, literacy has come a long way since paper and pen and is continuing to evolve. Martello’s quote is correct that children are learning many forms of multimodal practices through their homes, communities, and popular culture. If educators do not recognize multimodal practices and take that into consideration, then their teaching practice does not reflect that; but if teachers do recognize and use multimodal practices, they are extending literacy learning. It is imperative that educators have a genuine parent-educator partnership and work together to provide children with the best opportunity to achieve optimal development and learning; so, that each child has a greater chance of success in the future.
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