Playing to Our Strengths: Finding Innovation in Children’s and Teachers’ Imaginative Expertise

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Can’t use the file because of accessibility barriers? Contact us with the title of the item, permanent link, and specifics of your accommodation need.

Date

2018

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

National Council of Teachers of English

Abstract

This article reviews recent research on young children’s literacy learning, with a focus on innovative ideas that reclaim a long-standing ethos in early childhood education: child over curriculum. This means the emphasis is on learning with the young child rather than teaching to cover the curriculum. I begin by reviewing early literacy studies that take a strength orientation to development, diversity, and technology in order to highlight fresh approaches that use play to activate children’s imaginative expertise. In other words, this synthesis examines early literacy approaches that assume children are capable, curious, and active learners who learn through play, inquiry, and exploration and produce texts with technologies and resources that are in actual use in their families, communities, and cultures. I then discuss how to make space for innovative curriculum as well as provide suggestions for programs and policies that build on a strength orientation to teaching.

Description

Keywords

play, literacies, strength orientation to development

Citation

Wohlwend, K. E. (2018). Playing to our strengths: Finding innovation in children and teachers’ imaginative expertise. Language Arts, 95(3), 162-170.

Journal

DOI

Link(s) to data and video for this item

Relation

Rights

Type

Article