Finding the Right Fit: How Foundational Curriculum Sits Alongside Bilingual Literacy Pedagogies and Practices

• In Event: Interrogating Reading Policies and Practices for Emergent Bilinguals in Changing Political and Instructional Contexts

Abstract

Overview:
According to Lindsey (2022), teaching foundational literacy skills should be culturally sustaining, yet approaches, including linguistic diversity in phonemic awareness and phonics, are virtually absent. Duke and Cartwright (2021) argue that socio-cultural factors are crucial to reading, and thus should be fundamental to foundational literacy instruction. Current approaches to early literacy instruction often neglect EBs’ diverse language resources and learning profiles.

A translanguaging approach emphasizes how readers assemble meaning-making resources in reading (Author, 2022). For young EBs, understanding sounds, letters, and words across languages is crucial for acquiring foundational reading skills. This study aims to align foundational reading practices with EBs’ language practices through collaborative design involving bilingual teachers in phonics and phonemic awareness instruction.

Research Question:
In what ways do teachers position and build upon young EBs’ language resources during foundational reading instruction?

Theoretical Framework:
Recent work has warned that many educators’ understanding of how students learn to read and learn what it means to be a reader is often framed from both monolingual perspectives and thus presents a limited understanding of what reading is and can be for EBs (Ascenzi-Moreno & Seltzer 2021; García & Kleifgen, 2019; Kabuto, 2017; Zoeller & Briceño, 2022). Nowhere is this most true with regards to phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. The push for Science of Reading (SoR) approaches in early literacy has gained traction, driven by narratives of 'learning loss' exacerbated by a post-pandemic educational landscape. There is a danger in overly prioritizing monolingual approaches to these aspects of literacy to address perceived setbacks among EB readers, potentially imposing reforms that fail to meet their specific needs.

Research on translanguaging in early childhood focuses on oral language development through play and read-alouds (Bengochea & Gort, 2000; Gort, 2019; Osorio, 2020), valuable for multilingual environments but lacking in critical multilingual perspectives for phonemic awareness and phonics (Bengochea & Gort, 2000; Gort, 2019; Osorio, 2020). Understanding these concepts from a multilingual standpoint is crucial for advancing a nuanced, responsive approach to diverse learners' needs (Souto-Manning et al., 2021; Zoeller, 2022).

Methods & Data Sources:
A case study approach using observations and interviews captured teachers’ attitudes, experiences, and interactions with students during instruction. Two bilingual early childhood teachers participated: Teacher 1 for one year and Teacher 2 for two years. Each teacher was observed multiple times annually, generating observational reports, and interviewed at least once per year. Research memos were compiled after each visit. Grounded theory, known for its systematic data collection and analysis leading to emergent theories (Charmaz, 2014), suited this study. It aligns with translanguaging in early literacy, emphasizing emergent outcomes through interaction.

Findings:
While expected to follow a foundational curriculum faithfully, teachers adjusted it based on students’ diverse profiles, resources, and histories. They navigated integrating foundational curriculum with their understanding of early childhood, bilingualism, and literacy development.

Significance:
Early childhood educators lack guidance on adapting foundational reading for young emergent EBs. This research highlights teachers’ challenges and opportunities in designing and adapting reading instruction for EBs through a translanguaging lens.

Author

• Laura Ascenzi-Moreno, Brooklyn College - CUNY