Home as a primary space: Exploring out-of-school literacy practices in early childhood education in a township in South Africa

Abstract

Post-1994, the democratic South African Government was not only concerned with the desegregation of the education system, but also with addressing poor literacy levels, specifically in primary schools (Bloch 2009). Of concern, South Africa still produces learners with very low literacy and numeracy levels (Fleisch 2008;Howie et al. 2012;Spaull 2013). Reports on educational achievement in South Africa demonstrate that far too many children in primary schools are performing poorly, often failing to acquire functional numeracy and literacy skills. They are classified as not only Background: Early childhood education is essential in bridging home and school literacy practices; however, recognising the home as a literacy space remains a challenge to educators in South African schools. Aim:The aim of this article was to explore children's literacy practices, often through play, and the potential implications this might hold for their future careers as readers and writers. The article conceptualises home as the primary domain where literacy develops. Setting:The study was conducted in a multilingual township in South Africa. Methods:We engage with key theories in sociocultural studies and new literacy studies, as well as key ideas from young children's learning experiences with family members and peers during play. Methodologically, we undertook a case study in which we conducted interviews with parents, guardians and educators, as well as conducting home observations of the children's literacy practices. Results:We confirmed that children's out-of-school practices have the potential to support literacy development in school, and we concluded that children interact with multiple discourses during their everyday practices and play. Conclusion:Although there is a general lack of knowledge and understanding of these discourses by educators, these interactions have the potential to enhance schooled literacies.

Learning through Play in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…In addition, parents appreciated the quality of hygiene level and facilities in pre-school that was up to the mark and standard and can be further improved. These results contradicted the experiments of Sibanda and Kajee (2019) who considered children's out-of-school practices with the potential to sustain literacy development in school. Sibanda and Kajee concluded that children interact with multiple discourses during their everyday practices and play.…”

Neuroscience and Literacy: An Integrative View

“…This is confirmed by the body of early literacy evidence detailing young children's emergent reading and writing prior to formal schooling (Whitmore et al 2004, Nutbrown 2018, Carroll et al 2019, Teale et al 2020. Observations of young children reveal much time and effort spent with voluntary skills practice when these skills interest children and form part of play or other authentic purposes -and this includes children from poor communities (Sibanda andKajee 2019, Bloch andMbolekwa 2021).…”

Influence of Family Environment on the Scientific Fitness Literacy of Preschool and School Children in China: A National Cross-Sectional Study

“…People go through a process of transition towards a larger life setting during childhood, from preschool to primary education [ 22 , 23 ]. Compared to the unorganized quality of preschool education, characterized by high parental involvement and less curricular input [ 24 ], children entering elementary school for systematic schooling undergo a shift in their life scenario, education methods, and the role of the primary instructor [ 23 , 25 ]. This will inevitably have various effects on the influence of the home environment on SFL.…”