The Elementary Years: A Longitudinal Look at Literacy and Language Practices of Immigrant Children

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This 5-year, collective case study involves 10 children from immigrant families who came to the United States from various parts of the world. As a study focused at the intersection of literacy and identity construction, our data speaks to how children from different parts of the world experience literacy learning in American schools. In this symposium, we focus on three critical slices of data: 1) children’s conceptualizations of reading; 2) the role of writing; and 3) the experiences of be-ing bilingual. This symposium extends beyond a snapshot in time, offering insights into the unfolding experiences and complex perspectives of culturally and linguistically diverse children throughout their elementary years.

Sub Unit

• Division G - Social Context of Education / Division G - Section 3: Social Context of Multiple Languages and Literacies

Chair

• Catherine F. Compton-Lilly, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Papers

• Leveling Texts or Leveling Students: A Longitudinal Look at Literate Identities - Laura Hamman, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Dana L. Hagerman, Edgewood College

• Young Writers' Identities: Elementary Perceptions of Self as Writer Over Time - Kristin Papoi, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Stephanie Shedrow, University of Wisconsin

• Be-ing Bilingual: Navigating Linguistic Binaries and Power - Erin Quast, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Jieun Kim, University of Wisconsin - Madison; Brooke Ward, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Discussant

• Patricia E. Enciso, The Ohio State University