Books and songs for children for developing multiple literacies

Abstract

Nowadays, the notion of literacy is not limited to the ability to read and write. It incorporates a multitude of competences which are important for the modern world. They are collectively referred to as multiple literacies and include social, health, environmental, visual, digital literacy, etc. All can be easily developed in the EFL (English as a foreign language) classroom by using books and songs for children. In the present article, I provide a descriptive account of books and songs for children regarding their potential for the development of children’s literacies. After reviewing the various literacy types, I refer to songs, more precisely freely accessible YouTube clips for young and very young learners, and picture books and e-books, as well as the literacy items they develop. They all develop visual literacy, and most of them also develop social, environmental, global, digital, media and information literacy. By availing ourselves of the opportunities modern materials provide, we can work towards the development of the child as a whole by realising various integrative (cross-curricular) links between subjects.