Children's Literacy Research Articles

Fostering Eco-literacy and Naturalistic Intelligence through Environmentally Based Education in Coastal Preschool

This research aims to analyze environmental-based education to increase environmental literacy and naturalistic intelligence. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method with interviews, observation, and document analysis as data collection techniques. Informants were selected using purposive sampling techniques. The criteria for selecting informants are teachers who have a minimum of five years of teaching experience and the ability to make environment-based learning plans. The sampling results were 15 teachers from five kindergartens in the coastal area. The research results show that Environment-Based Education (EBE) can increase children's eco-literacy and naturalistic intelligence which focuses on four main dimensions, such as knowledge, understanding, skills, values ​​, and attitudes. Increasing children's positive attitudes and behavior towards the environment can increase awareness of coastal environmental preservation. Results also show increased acquisition of practical knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes towards the preservation and sustainability of the coastal environment. The findings of the above studies allow recommendations for understanding the long-term impact of such teaching on environmental literacy in children that requires long-term studies. A more organized learning model that other educational institutions may employ, and includes the creation of unique curricula, including outdoor education programs, and efforts in environmental initiatives. Keywords: eco-literacy, naturalistic intelligence, environmental-based education, coastal ECCE

Peningkatan Keterampilan Literasi di Merauke: Program Baca-Tulis untuk Anak-Anak Pedesaan

This program aims to improve literacy skills in reading and writing among children in rural areas of Merauke, who still face disparities in access to quality education. Through a participatory approach, the program involves teachers, parents, and the local community in implementing literacy activities designed to foster reading interest and enhance children's writing abilities. Activities include providing relevant reading materials, training for teachers and volunteers, and interactive reading and writing sessions. Preliminary results show a significant improvement in children's literacy skills and increased community awareness of the importance of literacy education. This program is expected to serve as a sustainable model that can be replicated in other rural areas in Indonesia.

Digital Interventions for Combating Internet Addiction in Young Children: Qualitative Study of Parent and Therapist Perspectives.

Internet addiction is an emerging mental health issue in this digital age. Nowadays, children start using the internet in early childhood, thus making them vulnerable to addictive use. Previous studies have reported that the risk of internet addiction tends to be higher in lower-income regions with lower quality of life, such as Indonesia. Indonesia has high risks and prevalence of internet addiction, including in children. Digital interventions have been developed as an option to combat internet addiction in children. However, little is known about what parents and therapists in Indonesia perceive about these types of interventions. This study aims to investigate the experiences, perceptions, and considerations of parents and therapists regarding digital interventions for combating internet addiction in young Indonesian children. This study used a qualitative exploratory approach through semistructured interviews. We involved 22 parents of children aged 7 to 11 years and 6 experienced internet addiction therapists for children. The interview data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants in this study recognized 3 existing digital interventions to combat internet addiction: Google Family Link, YouTube Kids, and Apple parental control. They perceived that digital interventions could be beneficial in continuously promoting healthy digital behavior in children and supporting parents in supervision. However, the existing interventions were not highly used due to limitations such as the apps' functionality and usability, parental capability, parent-child relationships, cultural incompatibility, and data privacy. The findings suggest that digital interventions should focus not only on restricting and monitoring screen time but also on suggesting substitutive activities for children, developing children's competencies to combat addictive behavior, improving digital literacy in children and parents, and supporting parental decision-making to promote healthy digital behavior in their children. Suggestions for future digital interventions are provided, such as making the existing features more usable and relatable, investigating gamification features to enhance parental motivation and capability in managing their children's internet use, providing tailored or personalized content to suit users' characteristics, and considering the provision of training and information about the use of interventions and privacy agreements.

Exploring the Effects of Teachers’ Practices in the Early Childhood Literacy Classroom Environment on Children’s Acquisition of Literacy Skills

The primary focus of this study is to explore the relationship between the early childhood literacy classroom environment and teachers’ practices to promote an understanding of their influence on Arabic-speaking children’s acquisition of literacy skills. This study utilizes a quantitative methodological approach, whereby null and alternative hypotheses were formulated to examine the association between Arabic-speaking children’s acquisition of literacy skills and the early childhood literacy classroom environment. Data analysis was conducted using a statistical technique known as structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicate that the literacy classroom environment, teachers’ practices, and Arabic-speaking children’s acquisition of literacy skills affect each other and have an evidence-based interrelationship. Based on this relationship, the results and recommendations of this study may be considered inspirational ideas for teachers, researchers, and decision-makers working in early childhood who seek to make positive educational changes in this field.

Bimbingan Belajar Literasi Dan Numerasi Bagi Anak Tingkat SD Dan SMP Di Desa Nagori Sihalpe Kec. Haranggaol Horison

Community Service (PkM) Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) HKBP Nomensen University Medan is a service program carried out by a team of students and DPL lecturers with the title "Literacy and Numeracy Tutoring for Elementary and Middle School Level Children in Nagori Sihalpe Village, District. Haranggaol Horizon”. Implementation of literacy and numeracy guidance is a fundamental competency that has an important role in determining the quality of a nation. In the field of education, especially at the elementary and junior high school levels, literacy and numeracy competencies are made the focus of learning and set as competency standards that students must have. Literacy and numeracy can provide provisions for students to adapt to life outside the classroom. However, in fact, the literacy and numeracy competencies of students in Indonesia are still low and education is also not as developed as it should be, so it is far behind other countries. Community Service (PkM) in Nagori village is carried out by providing tutoring activities to improve literacy and numeracy for elementary school and junior high school aged children in the area where students live.

Program Kerja Rumah Pintar dalam Mengembangkan Literasi Budaya Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar di Yayasan Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia (YAFSI) Kelurahan Amplas

This research was conducted at the Smart House of the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village. The study aimed to determine the efforts of volunteers in developing cultural literacy programs at the Smart House of the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village, to identify the factors causing the low implementation of the Smart House's work program in developing cultural literacy for elementary school children at the Fajar Sejahtera Indonesia Foundation (YAFSI) in Amplas Village, and to assess the impact and benefits of the Smart House program on children and the community. In conducting this research, the researcher chose qualitative research with a descriptive approach. To obtain data, the researcher used interview, observation, and documentation techniques. Triangulation of sources technique was employed to test the validity of the data. The results of this study showed that: 1). The efforts of volunteers in developing cultural literacy work programs have been well-implemented, such as providing understanding and strengthening of cultural literacy, the availability of adequate literacy facilities, and collaboration with other organizational institutions. 2). There are several factors that cause the low implementation of the work program, including the lack of awareness or concern among children about information development related to cultural literacy, limited facilities such as reading materials, mutual understanding, and low interest and motivation among children. Therefore, the presence of the Smart House program aims to direct children to continue developing various literacy activities, especially cultural literacy. Given this, the YAFSI Smart House volunteers have introduced various positive and creative work programs to advance cultural literacy development, such as traditional dance activities, storytelling, singing, reading, and more. 3). The impact and benefits provided by the YAFSI Smart House program include children becoming character-based peer educators, having high literacy attitudes, and implementing various activities reflecting cultural literacy development. The impact and benefits for the community include the ability to transform the community to advance in building businesses and entrepreneurship based on local potential.

Health Literacy of Children and Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Parents of IBD Patients-Coping and Information Needs.

The number of children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Many chronically ill children and adolescents have low health literacy. Patient empowerment (PE) enables positive changes and control over one's disease through specific activities, information, and counseling. The CEDNA (IBD Needs Assessment) Survey aimed to provide the necessary data to improve PE in pediatric IBD (PIBD). Questionnaires were distributed to adolescent IBD patients and parents of children and adolescents with IBD throughout Germany. The answers were given anonymously. Based on the available data, a subgroup analysis was conducted in relation to the age of the patients and the period since diagnosis. For the parents' responses, the same age groups were analyzed for comparison with the patients' responses. From October 2021 to April 2022, 2810 questionnaires were distributed and 1158 questionnaires were completed (n = 708 parents [61.1%], n = 450 patients [38.9%]). The results indicate that health literacy in children with IBD is low. Significant gaps in knowledge of important IBD topics were identified, and a comparison of responses regarding preferred methods and timing of obtaining information revealed differences between patient and parent preferences. The greatest need for knowledge on IBD topics was found in the group of 16-17-year-old patients on transition (n = 214, 31.8%) and in the group of patients diagnosed 1-2 years ago on the causes of IBD (n = 288, 17.4%). The willingness to seek advice was unexpectedly low. The analysis of all findings according to the patient's age structure and duration since diagnosis can be used to enable age-appropriate communication at certain stages of the disease. This tailored information should increase patients' health literacy, improve their management of the disease, and reduce the burden on their families.

CRAYON: Exploration on Community-based Relayed Online Education Approach for Rural Children in South Korean EFL Context

Rural children in South Korea exhibit higher foreign language anxiety and lower English competency. For such marginalized contexts where local communities cannot support children's learning, we propose and explore a new pedagogical approach, CRAYON (Community-based RelAY Online educatioN). In CRAYON, a pool of non-professional tutors take turns to meet and teach rural children in short relay sessions through mobile technologies. It uncovers and promotes volunteers' internal willingness to participate in community-based teaching, which could otherwise be fragmented and dormant in their tightly-woven daily lives. It greatly lessens the barriers to participation from multiple dimensions, i.e., time, space, and expertise, and encourages interested volunteers to easily join without taking much burden. As such, the approach can create new learning opportunities and help rural children overcome their motivational and environmental hurdles. Tutors could approach each child and share short but precious time with her; helping her experience repetitive and sufficient exposure to the language, each time with a newly met tutor. We conducted a short relay session-based English learning program for 5 rural children for 4 weeks in South Korea with 15 tutors. From the field deployment, we find that the rural children and the undergraduate tutors engaged in effective interactions and scaffolding, despite the constraints of partitioned short sessions. A particular pattern of interaction, i.e., continuous learner engagement support, emerged as they drew out the interactions over a short period of time. It was highly encouraging to observe that all children, including those who were disengaged in their classroom environments, actively participated in the CRAYON sessions. The findings elicited from the study have important implications in multiple dimensions. They suggest the possibility of extending the scope of learning environments to include first-met tutors and learners beyond re-established relationship. In a larger perspective, the findings imply a new direction to overcome the challenges of low childhood literacy in under-resourced areas. With adequate and sufficient support from educational institutions and CRAYON, this study argues that volunteer tutors with less experience can deliver effective instruction by sharing just a short period of time, and help a child who has been lagging behind the pace of the school catch up and re-engage.

Digital literacy for children: An overview

Digital technologies have become a part of everyday life, taking center stage. It has dominated people's lives and changed the way they live life. The task of protecting and raising awareness of children from the negative effects of the digital age, which especially affects the psychological, physical, social and cognitive development of children, is again on the family, school and society. For this reason, this study aims to define the concept of digital literacy for today's children by presenting a different perspective and inspiring new research to be conducted. In the study, the literature review model, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. Articles, theses, dissertations, professional publications, research and research reports on the subject were examined. In the findings section of the study, the importance of the child and the family raising him/her, the digital age and its impact on education, the importance of digital literacy in education, and the advantages and disadvantages of digital literacy are discussed. In conclusion, in order to shape the future of societies with solid foundations, it is very important to teach children digital literacy skills, which also means understanding technology and using it appropriately, in the light of customs and traditions.

The content of the «social literacy» concept in pedagogical theory and practice

Scientific research in recent years has documented a violation of the mechanism for the inclusion of young citizens in adulthood and the dominance of consumer attitudes among modern youth. It is quite obvious that one of the indicators of civil society is the desire of people to be its full members, responsible and capable of socially useful activities. The ongoing change in the geopolitical situation in the world has particularly acutely actualized the problem of children and adolescents developing social literacy as a special criterion for the development of society. The need to solve this issue determined the research problem, which lies in the insufficient knowledge of the content of social literacy of children and adolescents in modern pedagogical discourse and the demand for a theoretical justification of this term from the standpoint of the modern sociocultural situation. Accordingly, the purpose of this research is to reveal the concept of “social literacy” in pedagogical theory and practice. The research methods used in the work are the following: analysis of teaching experience and theoretical approaches to the problem under study, synthesis, differentiation, methods of visual presentation of the data obtained. The results of the research. The content of social literacy in pedagogical scientific and scientific-methodological research has been revealed; components of social literacy have been proposed. Key conclusions: social literacy is understood as an individual’s readiness to socialize safely in the environment; possession of an interdependent set of knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as the necessary personal qualities that ensure the formation of this readiness; social literacy includes a set of interrelated components: personal, activity and reflexive, identified on the basis of systematization of axiological, environmental, competence and multi-subjective approaches.

‘The toys you sleep with’: Embracing otherwise literacies in early childhood wor(l)ds

Early childhood literacy is pervaded by dominant discourses telling children both what to say, how to say it, and what is worthy of adults' attention. These discourses are affected by the need to constantly see language through solely representational accounts, and children as still progressing, developing and becoming literate while excluding the strong presence of more-than-humans and the diverse ways of being child. However, the field of posthuman studies has introduced other perspectives on literacy that are neither solely exclusive to humans nor solely representational or intentional. They trouble the dominant frames of literacy that can serve to diminish children, especially those from minority groups. Building on this framework, we propose to address how otherwise literacies are created among children and objects, such as toys. Our data come from a current research project being developed in a school in Seville (Spain). The children in our research are 4 to 5 years old and come from different socio-cultural backgrounds. In our research, our data are written as a vignette which describes different affective encounters in a classroom. These encounters are part of an action that required children to bring from home a treasure box with cherished elements inside. We diffract these data through theories of affect to consider what otherwise synergies emerge between children and toys and what we can learn about literacy through them. We claim that the toys you sleep with bring otherwise (political) ways of being and becoming through literacies embedded in more-than-wor(l)ds. They recall how literacy practices involve objects that affect (with) us in unpredictable and not easy to describe ways, but that are essential to consider more justice-oriented practices.

Exploration of latent early literacy profiles in German kindergarten children using a newly developed app

IntroductionThis study explores the effectiveness of the tablet-based EuLeApp© assessment tool in identifying distinct latent early literacy profiles among German kindergarten children aged between 4.0 and 7.0 years. Additionally, the study investigates how factors such as age, biological sex, and language impairment contribute to the manifestation and prevalence of these latent literacy profiles.MethodsUtilizing latent class analysis on a diverse sample of 285 children, we administered a prototype of the EuLeApp© assessment tool to measure early literacy skills (i.e., print awareness, concepts of print, word awareness, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and narrative skills). The sample included children aged between 4.0 and 7.0 years from various demographic backgrounds. Analysis involved identifying distinct early literacy profiles based on the assessment results. We also examined the influence of age, biological sex, and language impairment on the manifestation and prevalence of these profiles.ResultsThe analysis revealed four stable and interpretable early literacy profiles: Exceptional Performers (17%), Typical Performers (41%), Marginal Performers (35%), and Subpar Performers (7%). These profiles were found to be shaped by the complex interplay of age, biological sex, and language impairment status among the children.DiscussionThese findings underscore the importance of employing person-centered methodologies to characterize early childhood literacy profiles, providing a framework for tailoring intervention programs to suit the unique characteristics and requirements of individual children.

A better start to literacy for bilingual children in New Zealand: findings from an exploratory case study in te reo Māori and English

ABSTRACT This article details findings from an exploratory case study that examined the efficacy of a phonological awareness and vocabulary programme with children educated in a bilingual immersion context of English and te reo Māori (Māori language) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The current paper discusses changes in the development of early literacy skills in English and te reo Māori in two groups of children aged from 5 years 0 months to 7 years 5 months. Twenty-six children from two bilingual classrooms in a rural school participated in a programme implemented by teachers over 15 weeks. The programme included explicit instruction in phonological awareness and vocabulary. One classroom was from Level 1 te reo Māori immersion, and one was from Level 3 te reo Māori/English. Results were analysed at cohort and class levels. Analyses indicated that both groups of children significantly improved in phonological awareness skills, non-word reading, and expressive vocabulary. Correlational analyses indicated that growth in te reo Māori skills was positively associated with growth in English skills. These findings suggest that further investigation into how the explicit teaching of te reo Māori can benefit the development of phonological awareness and print-related skills in English.

Wealth and learning achievement of pupils in primary schools in Uganda: Implications for government economic empowerment programs

This paper examines the possession of family wealth and its impact on the academic achievement of primary school students in Eastern Uganda. A correlational survey design was employed to analyse UWEZO secondary data collected from eight districts in the eastern region of Uganda, encompassing 6,302 children and 6,031 families. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that socio-economic factors positively influence children's literacy and numeracy achievements. Families possessing solar lighting, mobile phones, tables, chairs, textbooks, and a reliable source of water demonstrated higher proficiency in literacy and numeracy skills. It is likely that children in households with these possessions were able to engage in private study at home, given the conducive study environment, well-lit rooms, essential furniture, and access to textbooks. Furthermore, these children were more likely to receive additional tutoring after school and had access to the internet through mobile phones and computers, allowing them to access crucial educational information. Based on these findings, we recommend that the government provide sustainable livelihood options for struggling families.

Print-Rich Speech Sound Therapy Sessions: The Theory Behind It and Plans for Implementation

Purpose: Print knowledge is a powerful predictor of later reading abilities, which are crucial to children's academic success. Children with speech sound disorders (SSDs) are at risk for literacy difficulties. Speech sound therapy is an opportune time to address not only speech sound production but also the connections between speech sounds and their associated letters and letter patterns. This tutorial aims to provide a rich source of evidence to support the use of print and print-referencing in speech sound therapy sessions. We include feasible suggestions for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to facilitate print-rich experiences for children with SSDs. Incorporating orthography into therapy sessions, through activities such as shared book reading, allows SLPs to address speech sound errors while supporting children's literacy development. Conclusions: This tutorial provides an overview of the risk of literacy deficits in children with SSDs and describes the theoretical underpinnings of why incorporating print is a powerful learning tool. We expand on the research behind print referencing in preschool classrooms. Finally, we provide detailed examples, including book lists and therapy ideas for a variety of ages, to help SLPs add print referencing to their therapy toolkit.

Unpacking the relationship between screen use and educational outcomes in childhood: A systematic literature review

The increasing digitization of society has led to the growing immersion of children in virtual culture, raising concerns about how screen use affects their educational and personal development. Through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Textual Data Mining (TDM), this study explores the profile of digital technology use, behaviour, and effects on childhood. We identify three distinct periods in the study of these effects: pre-2016, focused on addiction and health; 2016–2020, focused on educational applications and the role of families; and post-2020, with an emphasis on negative repercussions for identity construction, health, well-being, and behaviour. Our findings reveal a growing concern about the cognitive and emotional impact of screen use, underscoring the importance of teacher training and digital literacy for children and parents for appropriate and healthy use of technology. In contrast to what has been previously known, this study highlights the dynamic change in issues of concern about childhood screen use over time and emphasizes the need for educational strategies adapted to emerging digital cultural realities. This comprehensive approach offers a deeper insight into the dual role of technology as both an educational tool and a source of risk, providing a foundation for the development of informed and responsible educational practices in the digital age.

Innovations in Language and Literacy for Children and Adolescents With Language Disorders

Innovations in Language and Literacy for Children and Adolescents With Language Disorders

The Autoethnography of a Teacher Educator

I turn to evocative autoethnographic storytelling as a means to experiment with the text of teacher education and re-imagine my role as a professor of education and early childhood literacy. When I feel that the rigidity of rubrics and standards designed to evaluate my students is creating an uncomfortable distance between us, I invite the formation of a literate thirdspace. My stories convey the feeling of being in-between states of authority and imagination, and question the image of the child’s fragility, including my own. As my students respond with their own memories through discussion, commentary, and writing, my autoethnography emerges as more personal and concrete. The inevitable death of my mother collides in my mind with the university’s literacy curriculum as I am teaching it, and I am forced to revisit the absence of friends, and my mentor to cancer. The denial of death as part of our own, and our children’s experience, is challenged by a child’s words at the end of this paper, where I finally learn to accept loss and the painful act of saying goodbye.

Prevalence, Pattern and Factors Associated with Developmental Delay amongst Under-5 Children in Nigeria: Evidence from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2011-2017.

Children develop dynamically, and when a child fails to reach age-appropriate developmental milestones compared to their peers, it is considered a developmental delay. In developing nations like Nigeria, several demographics, socioeconomic, childcare and external factors may influence the highly individualised process. This study assessed the prevalence and pattern of developmental delay, across Nigeria's geopolitical zones including identified factors associated with developmental delay, providing insight for appropriate interventions to prevent disability in affected children. This was a secondary analysis of data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), which was carried out in rounds 4 (2011) and 5 (2016/2017). Every 5 years, the UNICEF-supported MICS cross-sectional household survey is carried out using the cluster sampling method. A semi-structured, questionnaire administered by the interviewer was used to obtain individual and household-level data. This study comprised a weighted sample of 17,373 under-5 children who had complete data from both survey rounds on characteristics deemed significant for the study. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23. Using the Chi-square test and multivariate binomial logistic regression, factors linked to developmental delay were identified, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) provided and the significance level set at 5%. The mean age and sex distribution of the children surveyed in both rounds was comparable, with a male preponderance of 51.2% in round 4 and 50.4% in round 5. In both round 4 (51.2%) and round 5 (49.0%), the Northeast zone had the highest prevalence of overall developmental delay while the least prevalence was seen in the Southwest zone (20.3%) and the Southeast zone (14.7%) in round 4 and round 5, respectively. Across all the zones, delay in the literacy-numeracy domain of development was the most prevalent, with the highest (91.3% and 86.7%, respectively) in the Northeast zone during both rounds of the survey. Delay in the physical domain was, however, the least prevalent form of developmental delay across the zones, with the least in South South (20.6%) and Southeast (5.4%) in rounds 4 and 5. The odds of developmental delay were 1.5 and 1.7 times higher amongst children 4 years old than 3 years old in both rounds of the survey. The likelihood of having developmental delay was found to increase with the severity of stunting amongst the children during both rounds of the survey (odds ratio [OR] =1.5; 95% CI = 1.20-1.78 in round 4 and OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.16-1.58 in round 5). Children from the poorest wealth index had higher odds of developmental delay (OR = 5.8; 95% CI = 4.92-6.82 in round 4 and OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.99-3.10 in round 5). The prevalence of developmental delay is high across all zones; however, the burden varies amongst them. The age of the child, nutritional status and wealth index were indicators of developmental delay in Nigerian under-5 children. This underscores the need for surveillance and interventions focussed on improving child literacy, nutritional status and household standard of living across the zones.

Literacy Alley: Efforts to Enhance Literacy Passion Among Students at Kanisius Demangan Baru Yogyakarta Elementary School

This study aims to explore and evaluate the efforts made in increasing literacy love in students of Kanisius Demangan Baru Elementary School (SD) in Yogyakarta. Literacy plays a crucial role in students' intellectual and social development, and an understanding and appreciation of literacy can enrich their educational experience. This research method involves collecting qualitative data through classroom observation, interviews with teachers and students, as well as analyzing documents related to literacy programs that have been implemented, and finally drawing conclusions. The results showed that efforts to increase love for literacy involve innovative teaching strategies and integrating literacy into the curriculum. Teachers actively promote students' interest in reading through activities such as book discussion groups, story and storytelling performances, library visits, promoting literacy corner projects in classrooms, and enlivening school walls and hallways with student literacy works. In addition, science literacy programs can also improve students' knowledge of nature, and storytelling teacher programs can improve teachers' and students' abilities with literary appreciation. The evaluation results showed a positive increase in students' reading interest and literacy understanding. The findings may provide insight for other schools looking to increase the love of literacy at the primary level, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between teachers, students, and parents in creating an educational environment that supports children's literacy development.