Building Bridges book and DVD pack

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Parents of Indigenous children want their children to have access to the same educational opportunities as other Australian children. At the same time, it is important to recognise the culture intrinsic to the context in which Indigenous children grow up.

Building bridges: Literacy development in young Indigenous children builds the bridge between what Indigenous parents and their communities see as important about what their young children know and are able to do, and the teaching and learning process currently followed in preschools.

Early Childhood Australia recognises the importance of this relationship in bringing together relevant and respectful learning processes and teaching methods. Building bridges will set the pace for better educational outcomes for young Indigenous children and help make a better future for us all.

Building bridges was a unique project involving Indigenous preschool-aged children and their families from different regions of Australia. Seven families videotaped their child undertaking normal every day activities at home, in the community and in preschool. The edited tapes were shared and discussed at a workshop, first with the other families, and then with a broader group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous early childhood professionals. These narratives provide an insight into the differing cultural experiences of these families and provide a rich and unique framework for thinking about the many ways that literacy develops.