‘I'm rewriting the law’ When children bring literacy into nursery school

The study investigates how children’s literacy practices are incorporated in their social and linguistic activities in kindergarten. The researchers want to understand how children use language and writing as part of their daily lives, including in play and interaction with other children. The study aims to challenge traditional skill-oriented approaches to literacy by highlighting children’s own initiative and creative exploration of language. The research questions are:

1. How do children use language and literacy in different contexts in kindergarten?
2. What characterises the children’s language practices?
3. What seems to encourage or inhibit the children’s desire to express themselves?

The research results show that children bring literacy into play in creative and meaningful ways, often without adult intervention. Through three specific events, the study illustrates how children use literacy to explore social relationships, express authority and create inclusion or exclusion in interaction. The study highlights that literacy for children is more than technical skills – it is an integral part of their social, physical and emotional experiences in everyday life.

The study used ethnographic fieldwork in two Danish kindergartens, with observations spanning 25 days, a total of 175 hours. The study included observations of several children aged 3-4 years, where the researchers specifically followed a sample of six ‘normal’ children who did not receive extra attention from employees or parents. The data collection included field notes, video and audio recordings, as well as photographs of children’s language use and activities. The focus was on following children’s daily interactions to analyse how literacy is incorporated in their social practices and what promotes or inhibits their desire to express themselves.

Holm, L., Laursen, H. P., & Ahrenkiel, A. (2024). ‘I'm rewriting the law’ When children bring literacy into nursery school. Literacy, 58(1), 72–82.

Online year: 2023

Issue year: 2024

Review year: 2023