ISBN: 978-1-927231-98-2
This book is about young children who learn through more than one language in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A considerable body of knowledge exists on second language learning but this work charts new territory in its focus on the experience of young children who learn in a home or heritage language other than English. This includes children learning in te reo Māori, as well as children with Pasifika and immigrant community languages.
A central theme of the book is that early childhood educators can foster and validate the multiple languages children and their families bring, through thoughtful planning, pedagogy and practice.
The book is based on research done through the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) and draws on the experiences of four very different early childhood education centres. It offers innovative strategies for representing and incorporating the languages and cultural practices of children and their families into the curriculum.
This book is full of passion and insights that respect the richness and importance of language diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Review of Teachers Voyaging in Plurilingual Seas in Early Education.
Review in The First Years: Nga- Tau Tuatahi. New Zealand Journal of Infant and Toddler Education. Volume 19, Issue 2, 2017
About the editors
The four editors are from the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland.
Nola Harvey is an honorary academic in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Nola specialises in the area of languages and literacies in the early years. She worked in close collaboration with several partnership centres in this Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) research and in writing chapters of this book.
Helen Hedges is an associate professor in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Her research programme focuses on children’s and teachers’ knowledge, interests, and learning, and ways these coalesce to create curriculum responsive to partnerships with families and communities.
Peter J. Keegan (Waikato-Maniapoto, Ngāti Porou) is a senior lecturer in Te Puna Wānanga. His research interests include Māori and indigenous languages documentation and conservation, and the education and achievement of Māori and minority group students. He focuses on quantitative approaches to research and data.
Valerie N. Podmore, as a visiting associate professor in the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy, supported early childhood research and led this TLRI research and book writing. Her research programme in the area of learning and teaching in the early years has been overarched by a commitment to culturally responsive work.
