What is "emergent literacy"? The various definitions of "emergent literacy" from this week's readings clearly identify the image of educators and children from different cultures fitting in the Western style of how to involve children in learning literacy in their early years. For instance, storybook reading and language are more valued when they are in print-based form. Children are able to gain concepts and phonemic awareness when reading those texts. Is this understanding of literacy undervalue other forms and possibilities of literacy practice?
According to Stanovich (1986), "children who have good vocabulary and are reading well learn more words and read better[; conversely], children who have smaller vocabularies read slowly and without enjoyment, and have a slower development of vocabulary, which further inhibits reading ability" (as cited in Makin, Jones Diaz & Mc Lachlan, 2007, p.21). Emergent literacy can be better practice when children are reading the words from the books because they are able to make meaning of the images present in the books if they understand the words. On the other hand, children who do not have the vocabulary will be at risk in literacy learning. I question this assumption because what about chidlren who come from other countries and just start to learn English as a second language? If children are not able to understand the meaning of the words, can they, by reading the images or the pictures in the storybooks, make sense of what they are reading about without knowing the words?
Evans (2001), highlights the importance of defining the "emergent literacy" with culture sensibility by asking a significant question, "who owns the learning process" (p.8)? When children are making meaning of what they are reading, are teachers or parents the one who decides what childen should read and what words are appropriate for them to learn? Do they only learn literacy in schools? What about the language that children or others use everyday, is this literacy learning? What about drawings, images, are these literacy as well?
When reading Yu's (2006) article, it reminds me of my literacy learning experience when I was in Kindergarten in China. Students were asked to repeat exactly what the teacher was reading. This is the method that Chinese teachers often use in childen's literacy practice which is totally different from the concept of "emergent literacy". When Yu (2006) indicates that applying "emergent literacy" to children's learning make better results of children's early literacy ability, I question it because children are all different and they have their own ways of learning. How can we making all the children to fit into one particular learning style? Are we forcing children to fit in what we think is "best" practice for their learning?
From my understanding of "emergent literacy", it is trying to be aware and accommodate the varying literacy practices that do exists outside of reading and writing, perhaps even reading and writing in English-"Western style". However, I do see your point in that it seems that ''emergent literacy" can be used as a stepping stone or simply a tool to help educators creatively teach children the overly valued reading and writing practices. It is as though the end goal is to have children master the abilities to read and write, especially in a Westernized context or it can also be argued in our globalized world.
回复删除I was also provoked by Evan's (2001) question, "who owns the learning process?" To answer this question in sequence with your questions in the end, I believe that more often than not, adults are the ones that take over the learning process for children and hence dictate what children should learn, how they should learn, and when they should learn. What becomes a problem (and there are far more to consider) is that children get left behind if they cannot go at the (adult-) prescribed pace, risk failing, and be seen as inadequate (intellectually, emotionally, physically, etc.). If we really think about it, with all the pressures that adults impose on children whose standards are children really trying to meet? I believe that the answer to this is the very same answer to Evan's (2001) question.