Partnership in Promoting Literacy: An Exploration of Two Studies in Low-Decile Early Childhood Settings in New Zealand

  • Claire Mclachlan
  • Alison Arrow
  • Judy Watson
Chapter

Abstract

Reading and writing skills serve as the major avenue for achieving the essential learning areas of the “New Zealand Curriculum” (Ministry of Education, 2007a) and are the foundation for learning in all subjects studied at school. If children do not learn to read, their general knowledge, spelling, writing, and vocabulary development suffer (Stanovich, 2000). The National Early Literacy Panel Report (NELP) (2009) identified some critical understandings that children need to develop in early childhood in order to become literate at school, which include knowledge of the alphabet, phonological awareness (being aware of sounds in words), the ability to rapidly name letters, numbers, objects, and colors, the ability to write their own name and to be able to remember spoken information for a short period of time. In addition, children need to understand print conventions and concepts, have strong oral language and the ability to match and discriminate between visual symbols. It is not surprising then that many countries have looked at what experiences children should have to develop literacy before school entry and the implications for teaching practice (McLachlan & Arrow, 2011).

Keywords

Early Childhood Phonological Awareness Professional Learning School Entry Emergent Literacy 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Arrow, A. (2010). Emergent literacy skills in New Zealand kindergarten children: Implications for teaching and learning in ECE settings. He Kupu, 2 (3), 57–69.Google Scholar
  2. Arrow, A. W. (2007). Potential precursors to the development of phonological awareness in preschool children. Unpublished Doctoral thesis, University of Auckland, New Zealand.Google Scholar
  3. Cullen, J. (2006, September). Literacy education in the early years: Policies, polemics and practices. Keynote speech to the Politics of Early Childhood Education Symposium. Auckland, New Zealand.Google Scholar
  4. Cunningham, A. E., Perry, K. E., Stanovich, K. E., & Stanovich, P. J. (2004). Disciplinary knowledge of K-3 teachers and their knowledge calibration in the domain of early literacy. Annals of Dyslexia, 54 (1), 139–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Cunningham, A. E., Zibulsky, J. & Callahan, M. D. (2009). Starting small: Building preschool teacher knowledge that supports early literacy development. Reading and Writing, 22, 487–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Doubek, M. B., & Cooper, E. J. (2007). Closing the gap through professional development: Implications for reading research. Reading Research Quarterly, 42 (3), 411–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Dunn, L. M., Dunn, L. M., Whetton, C., & Burley, J. (1997). The British picture vocabulary scale (2nd ed.). Berkshire, UK: National Foundation for Educational Research.Google Scholar
  8. Education Review Office. (2011). Literacy teaching and learning in early childhood. Wellington, NZ: Education Review Office.Google Scholar
  9. Foote, L., Smith, J., & Ellis, F. (2004). The impact of teachers’ beliefs on the literacy experiences of young children: A New Zealand perspective. Early Years: Journal of International Research and Development, 24 (2), 135–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Hedges, H. (2003). A response to criticism and challenge: Early literacy and numeracy in Aotearoa/New Zealand. New Zealand Research in Early Childhood Education, 6, 13–22.Google Scholar
  11. Justice, L. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2003). Promising interventions for promoting emergent literacy skills: Three evidence based approaches. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23 (3), 99–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Justice, L. M., Kaderavek, J. N., Fan, X., Sofka, A., & Hunt, A. (2009). Accelerating preschoolers’ early literacy development through classroom-based teacher-child storybook reading and explicit print referencing. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 40, 67–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. McGill-Franzen, A. (2010). Guest editor’s introduction. Educational Researcher, 39, 275–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. McLachlan, C., & Arrow, A. (2011). Literacy in the early years in New Zealand: Policies, politics and pressing reasons for change. Literacy, 45 (3), 126–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. McLachlan, C., Carvalho, L., de Lautour, N., & Kumar, K. (2006). Literacy in early childhood settings in New Zealand: An examination of teachers’ beliefs and practices. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31 (2), 31–41.Google Scholar
  16. McLachlan-Smith, C. J. (1996). Emergent literacy in New Zealand kindergartens: An examination of policy and practices. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North.Google Scholar
  17. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki: He whāriki matauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.Google Scholar
  18. Ministry of Education. (2005). Kei tua o te pae. Assesment for learning: Early childhood exemplars. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.Google Scholar
  19. Ministry of Education. (2007a). Literacy learning progressions: Meeting the reading and writing demands of the curriculum. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.Google Scholar
  20. Ministry of Education. (2007b). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.Google Scholar
  21. Ministry of Education. (2010). Literacy learning progressions: Report on feedback on the draft document. Available at: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/literacy/43632.Google Scholar
  22. Ministry of Education. (2013). PIRLS 2010/2011. Retrieved from http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/topics/research/pirls/pirls_201011Google Scholar
  23. Mitchell, L. & Cubey, P. (2003). Professional learning in early childhood settings: Best evidence synthesis. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education.Google Scholar
  24. Moats, L. C. (2000). Speech to print: Language essentials for teachers. Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brookes.Google Scholar
  25. National Early Literacy Panel. (2009). Developing early literacy: Report of the national early literacy panel. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.Google Scholar
  26. Nicholson, T. (2005). At the cutting edge: The importance of phonemic awareness in learning to read and spell. Wellington, NZ: NZCER Press.Google Scholar
  27. Nuttall, J. (2005). Looking back, looking forward: Three decades of early childhood curriculum development in New Zealand. Curriculum Matters, 1, 12–28.Google Scholar
  28. Nuttall, J. (2010, November). The contribution of the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative to building knowledge about teaching and learning: A review of early years projects, 2004–2010. Paper presented to TLRI Early Years Symposium, Wellington, NZ: Teaching and Learning Research Initiative.Google Scholar
  29. O’Connor, R. E., Notari-Syverson, A., & Vadasy, P. F. (1996). Ladders to literacy: The effects of teacher-led phonological activities for kindergarten children with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63, 117–130.Google Scholar
  30. Phillips, B. M., Clancy-Menchetti, J., & Lonigan, C. (2008). Successful phonological awareness instruction with preschool children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 28 (1), 3–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Phillips, G., McNaughton, S., & MacDonald, S. (2002). Picking up the pace. Effective literacy interventions for accelerated progress over the transition into decile 1 schools. Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education.Google Scholar
  32. Piasta, S. B., & Wagner, R. K. (2010). Developing early literacy skills: A metaanalysis of alphabet learning and instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 45 (1), 8–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Stanovich, K. (2000). Progress in understanding reading: Scientific foundations and new frontiers. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
  34. Tagoilelagi-Leota, F., McNaughton, S., MacDonald, S., & Ferry, S. (2005). Bilingual and biliteracy development over the transition to school. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8 (5), 455–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Taylor, N. E., Blum, I. H., & Logsdon, D. M. (1986). The development of written language awareness: Environmental aspects and program characteristics. Reading Research Quarterly, Spring, 132–149.Google Scholar
  36. Tunmer, W. E., Chapman, J. W., & Prochnow, J. E. (2004). Why the reading achievement gap in New Zealand won’t go away: Evidence from the PIRLS 2001 international study of reading achievement. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 39 (1), 127–145.Google Scholar
  37. Tunmer, W. E., Chapman, J. W., & Prochnow, J. E. (2006). Literate cultural capital at school entry predicts later reading achievement: A seven year longitudinal study. New Zealand Journal ofEducational Studies, 41, 183–204.Google Scholar
  38. Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Child Development, 69, 848–872.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Wong Fillmore, L., & Snow, C. E. (2000). What teachers need to know about lan-guage. Special report. Washington, DC: Eric Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Judith Duncan and Lindsey Conner 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Claire Mclachlan
  • Alison Arrow
  • Judy Watson

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations