I am a Senior Lecturer in Childhood and Education and an active researcher in the area of diverse early literacy practices in home, school and community settings. In my research I explore opportunities for connecting the multicultural and multilingual practices in children’s homes to the literacy practices within primary classroom contexts. Within this I build on research which takes a repertoire approach to language and communication – acknowledging that children’s communication is distributed across a variety of modes, often across more than one language, is embodied and connected to the places and spaces within which it unfolds.
I aim to connect this work with the oracy agenda and opportunities for dialogic teaching in primary schools. The current government has placed a focus on oracy in the curriculum and this will feature in the upcoming curriculum and assessment review. This focus on oracy is expressed as developing ‘the confidence and skills to use their voice to overcome barriers and make the most of their lives’ (Oracy Education Commission, 2024). However, in describing skills the current framing of oracy in curriculum guidance rarely acknowledges children’s full communicative repertoire (beyond speaking monolingually and listening attentively). Further, in discussing barriers, there is rarely an acknowledgement that these can be structural and require change in the way children’s and parents’ cultural backgrounds and knowledges are represented and valued in institutional contexts.
I build on my previous work with migrant and multilingual families and work co constructively with teachers in primary schools and parents and carers whose children access these settings. We seek ways to consider oracy and dialogic teaching differently, taking into account cultural, relational, embedded and embodied aspects of children’s communication. The evidence emerging from the research will be communicated to school leadership teams and governing bodies as well as to parents and caregivers, in this way engaging local communities in culturally responsive and cohesive practices.