"Not in My School!" Understanding Early Childhood Education Principals' Willingness to Allow Diverse Literacy Experiences in Schools

• In Event: Current Topics in Early Childhood Literacy

Abstract

Tender Topics are issues “difficult to explain or discuss with children”(Mankiw & Strasser, 2013, p. 84) but should be. Early childhood teachers can read children’s literature to students to introduce/extend children’s knowledge about concepts they may encounter in themselves or their community, and engage students in meaningful discussions (Meller et al., 2009). Principals act as gatekeepers to allowing these important experiences and can create barriers to reading about and engaging children in discussion about tender topics. Interviews from four principals indicated that willingness to address different tender topics at schools was determined by their individual levels of perceived risk, determined by their estimated backlash from school partners. Risk could be mitigated through curriculum tie-ins, teacher training, and communication with school partners.

Authors

• Erin Casey, University of Oklahoma

• Emily Spivey, University of Oklahoma