Literacy as a social practice in the early years settings and the effects of the arts: A case study

Article

Theodotou, E. 2017. Literacy as a social practice in the early years settings and the effects of the arts: A case study. International Journal of Early Years Education. 25 (2), pp. 143-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2017.1291332
AuthorsTheodotou, E.
Abstract

Literacy as a social practice has a fundamental role in children’s lives especially in the early years context, in which social interactions are in the centre of knowledge achievement. Several pieces of research investigate the positive contribution of the arts in children’s literacy development in the early years settings. However, most of them focus on the aspect of emergent literacy and phonological awareness, with some indirect arguments about literacy as a social practice. Having this in mind and the importance of literacy as a social practice, this project was designed. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the arts in the development of literacy as a social practice in the early years settings. The intervention used the ‘Play and Learn through the Arts’ (PLA) programme for a full school year in a case study with 5-6-year-old children in Greece. The outcomes were measured using authentic assessment techniques and a semi-structure interview. The findings showed the positive contribution of the arts in the development of literacy as a social practice in the early years setting.

KeywordsLiteracy as a social practice; Play and Learn through the Arts; Literacy events; Literacy practices; Early Years education
JournalInternational Journal of Early Years Education
Journal citation25 (2), pp. 143-155
ISSN0966-9760
1469-8463
Year2017
PublisherTaylor & Francis (Routledge)
Accepted author manuscript
License
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2017.1291332
Publication dates
Print19 Feb 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited10 Feb 2017
Accepted01 Feb 2017
Copyright informationThis is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Early Years Education on 19/02/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669760.2017.1291332
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