Rethinking Notions of Space and Place in Literacy Education: Narrative in Palestinian and U.S. Preschools

• In Event: Equity and Diversity in Literacy Learning and Teaching

Abstract

This one-year, collaborative qualitative study examined preschool literacy practices in the San Francisco East bay, CA, USA and the West Bank, Palestine. The study examined children’s conversations with teachers during read-alouds and storytelling sessions, children’s dictated stories and drawings, and children’s stories and artwork from their homes. The findings show that narrative supports children’s early literacy learning through the promotion of imagination, curiosity, mental imagery, and linking home-school literacy practices. The study extends existing research on cross-cultural, international research by focusing on interrelationships between narrative, space, and place in early literacy education. Project implications include rethinking global early literacy standards and policies to provide more equitable access to high-quality literacy education.

Authors

• Daniel Meier, San Francisco State University

• Majida Dajani, Al-Eman Schools and Al-Quds Open University