Multiple Modes of Communication of Young Brazilian Children: Singing, Drawing, and English Language Learning

Abstract

A series of home visits with a group of Brazilian immigrant families of three and four year olds refutes the premise that financially disadvantaged immigrant children do not receive support for their learning at home. Parents and other family members participate in developing their children's literacy skills, and were observed engaging in a variety of communicative practice, such as singing, drawing, or dramatic play. In this qualitative study approximately 60 home visits were conducted to observe the focal children in their daily home environments. Observed communicative events were coded for type of modality, such as dramatic play, singing, drawing, video, photographs, and art. Data derived from observations of multimodal literacy events revealed that the greatest frequency of such literacy events occurred in dramatic play. In addition, themes identifying the purpose of the multimodal literacy events, often related to relationship building between parent and child, as well as themes related to maintaining relationships and connections to the homeland. Implications for practitioners involve recognizing the numerous multimodal literacy experiences children experience at home before formal schooling, as well as the need for sensitivity on the part of teachers regarding the importance of extended family relationships and connections to the homeland.