Derby, M. (2023). Talking Together: The Effects of Traditional Māori Pedagogy on Children’s Early Literacy Development. Education Sciences 13(2), 207.
This article provides details of a research project that investigated a home-based literacy intervention trialled with preschool-aged Māori children in New Zealand. The project aimed to consider what culturally responsive literacy pedagogy might look like in a preschool classroom where many children were bilingual learners.
The program utilised approaches such as storytelling, songs, games, and other oral language practices in the homes of young bilingual learners, and was interested in the impacts of these strategies on vocabulary development and phonological awareness. The strategies used are described well and could be adapted for use in other contexts. However, more than detailing particular strategies, the overarching purpose of the article is to present an argument about the usefulness of home-based activities on the literacy development of young bilingual learners.