Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education at the Intersection of Early Learning, Literacies, and Multilingualism

• In Event: Roundtable Session 32
  In Roundtable Session: Rethinking Traditions in (Normative) Literacy Practices: Heteronormativity, Multilingualism, and Dialogue

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine early childhood learning and literacies experiences of multilingual children. Using data from a two-year longitudinal qualitative study exploring multilingual children’s learning simultaneous writing systems, we ask what conceptualizations of writing and strategies might emerge through multilingualism. Multiple Literacies Theory is coupled with rhizoanalysis to rethink and re-imagine learning and literacies in early childhood in the context of multilingual learners. Vignettes presented in this paper provide new directions for thinking differently about early learning experiences highlighting what might happen at the intersection of early learning, literacies, and multilingualism.

Authors

• Diana Masny, University of Ottawa

• Maria Bastien, University of Ottawa