A Five-Year-Old's Unsanctioned Digital Literacies in the Home

• In Event: Reading and Writing in Personhood and Childhood

Abstract

Parents with preferences for print-based literacy activities monitor and restrict screen time. Less is known about young children’s “unsanctioned literacies” (Ives, 2011)—literacy practices that go unnoticed or undervalued—in their homes. This paper describes the ways a five-year old male circumvented the strict limits placed on his digital technology access in his home. Three vignettes are used to highlight how the participant found moments to extend his digital technology time, including when his mother was busy (i.e., making lunch); by ‘sneaking’ moments; and, by incorporating digital technology into paper-based activities. As more curricula prioritize digital literacy competence, it is important to understand the burgeoning digital literacy practices of young children whose access to digital tools is limited by parents.

Author

• Laura Teichert, Western Michigan University