How to Develop Children's Early Literacy is a concise and very readable book that provides a wealth of useful information for anyone working with young children. It includes information on literacy for babies, toddlers and preschoolers; discussion of issues such as bilingualism and transition to school; and a list of useful resources.

Makin and Whitehead take a broad view of literacy—inclusive of visual literacy, techno-literacy and critical literacy as well as reading, writing and oral language. This perspective acknowledges the fact that literacy is constantly changing and that literacy learning is multifaceted and complex.

The authors identify the theories underpinning their book as being emergent literacy and social-constructivist theory. This approach emphasises literacy as sets of social practice that are embedded within daily events and that include interactions with texts of everyday life (Barton & Hamilton, 2000). Children's experiences with literacy and their emergent understandings of literacy differ according to the social practices of their families and communities (Heath, 1983; McNaughton, 1995).

The significance of partnerships between educators and families is emphasised throughout the book. The authors highlight the role of collaborative assessment and planning in providing meaningful literacy experiences for young children that reflect the diversity of children's experiences and that incorporate everyday literacy practices. This sort of ‘permeable curriculum' (Dyson, 2000), where children are able to connect their family and community experiences to the early childhood curriculum, is essential in enabling children to display their existing knowledge and to follow their own pathway of literacy learning.

The social-constructivist theory that underpins the book emphasises the important role of social interactions in learning. Interactions with both adults and peers support children as they co-construct understandings, create and exchange meanings, and develop shared understandings of their worlds. The authors advocate small group experiences and one-to-one interactions between educators and children where educators can engage children in sustained conversations and scaffold literacy learning.

In the current economic, social and political climate there is increasing government and community recognition of the importance of the early years. This often places pressures on early childhood educators to take a formal approach to teaching and learning, where the focus is on children's ability to demonstrate a narrow range of decontextualised skills such as letter recognition. Makin and Whitehead warn that the use of experiences such as worksheets, phonics drills and flashcards are inappropriate for young children. Instead of focusing on the mechanics of literacy, the authors encourage the use of literacy-enriched play experiences that promote exploration of literacy as social practice and that develop children's positive dispositions towards literacy. As Makin and Whitehead argue throughout their book, literacy learning is much more than just the acquisition of skills. Literacy includes processes, concepts, attitudes, values, dispositions and social relationships (Barton & Hamilton, 2000). The authors provide clear arguments that can be used by educators to advocate a play-based approach to literacy learning.

This book provides many practical strategies for enhancing literacy learning for children in the years prior to school as well as the first year of school. The many anecdotes and examples throughout the book clearly link theory and practice and make contemporary approaches to literacy learning accessible to both practitioners and students.

Leonie Arthur
University of Western Sydney

References

How to develop children's early literacy is available from Early Childhood Australia for $60.95 (inc. p&h within Aust.)
Call 1800 356 900 (freecall within Aust.) or order online.

AJEC, Vol. 31 No. 1, March 2006, p. 57.