Story Creation in an Early Childhood Literacy Classroom

• In Event: AERA Research in Progress Roundtable Session One
  In Invited Roundtable: Research-in-Progress RT015 (Wednesday)

Abstract

This study uses a critical childhood studies (CCS) lens to explore young children’s story creation in an early childhood literacy classroom. Employing a qualitative research design, the study examines a teacher's practices and the varied storytelling modes of four- and five-year-olds in a diverse preschool setting. Preliminary findings suggest the teacher's deliberate cultivation of classroom conditions, balancing structure and play, empowers children as agentive and creative storytellers. The study aims to demonstrate how a teacher's stance creates an environment that aligns with CCS principles, thereby humanizing and empowering students despite the current US prescriptive literacy education policies and trends.

Author

• Maile M. Newberry-Wortham, University of Missouri