Communicative Belonging in Early Literacy: Who Is Heard, Whose Literacies Matter, and Who Belongs
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| Title: | Communicative Belonging in Early Literacy: Who Is Heard, Whose Literacies Matter, and Who Belongs |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Mariana Souto-Manning, Ayesha Rabadi-Raol (ORCID |
| Source: | Reading Teacher. 2026 79(6). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Intended Audience: | Teachers |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Emergent Literacy, Literacy Education, Teaching Methods, Sense of Belonging, Early Childhood Education, Justice, Caring, Listening, Diversity, Inclusion, Code Switching (Language) |
| DOI: | 10.1002/trtr.70044 |
| ISSN: | 0034-0561 1936-2714 |
| Abstract: | Early literacy teaching and learning shapes whose voices are heard, whose ways of communicating are valued, and who belongs in school. Yet, early literacy classrooms are often governed by white, monolingual norms that marginalize multilingual and multidialectal children, positioning linguistic difference as a problem. This article advances communicative belonging as a justice-centered framework that reframes literacy from gatekeeping to a relational practice grounded in listening, affirmation, and care. We articulate four interrelated commitments--intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and communal--and illustrate how teachers can activate communicative belonging by listening for meaning, inviting translanguaging, and affirming diverse literacies in everyday teaching, learning, and assessment. When early literacy is designed for belonging, it becomes a shared practice of agency, dignity, and connection. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504103 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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