According to Julie Martello, educators' definition of children literacy need to be rearranged because literacy for children should no longer be limited in spoken and written forms. Literacy takes in many different forms in children's learning. Martello mentions that:
"Within social practices there are many different ways of making meaning, and one useful way of considering children's literacies is to identify these as different modes of communicatetion. Kress (1997, p.7) describes modes as ways of making signs, (a combination of meaning and form) using different materials such as linguistic system, sound, our bodies (to speak, or gesture) or graphics" (p.91).
Are these different modes of literacies separated in children's learning experiences? How do we know what mode children are using in different moments and different activities? How can we make children's meaning making processes visible to other people?
Children start to practice their multimodal meaning making from birth because even when infants are not able to speak, read and write, they can make different sounds and are able to communicate with others. As toddlers, they are able to use body language, gestures, and signs to communicate. As children grow older, they are making their own choices of communication forms such as speaking, writing, signing, drawing and acting. Some forms of literacy (reading and writing) are more valued than other forms (dancing and drawing) of literacty in children's learning. Educators limit children's learning possibilities. However, how do we know when a child is making meaning of what they have experienced in their plays? When we see a particular moment that we think that child is experiencing multimodal meaning making during play, is that only our interpretations?
Multimodal of meaning making cannot be separated into small pieces. They should all be put together to make the whole story of children's literacy learning experience. For example, if a child is drawing a picture, we can see this as only a visual mode of learning literacy. However, if we do not ask the story of the drawing, what that child is trying to express is going to be missed. Educators should encourage children to express the meaning of their drawing in other modes to make his/her story more complete and accurate.
I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to ask in this question, "Are these different modes of literacies separated in children's learning experiences?"
回复删除In response to your question which asks how we can "make children's meaning making process visible", I believe that the process of documentation is one that can engage children themselves, parents/families, and other colleagues to possibly see what literacy practices children are participating in. I think that documentation is also a possible solution to show us educators, the children, and again their parents/families that children are making meaning in the play they are engaged in, with the people they are engaged with, and specifically in the context of literacy, in the various literacy practices children engage in (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 2007). It is important to note the interactive quality we must engage with when using documentation so that we are able to create a dialogue between children, parents/families, and colleagues not just about the literacy practices they are using but in general, what children are interested in, what their theories are, and what their questions are (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 2007).
Reference:
Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (2007). Beyond Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care: Language of Evaluations. Second Edition. New York, NY: Routledge.