Inquiry #8

Which Things Matter Here?

Close examination of non-human elements such as space, time, and artifacts can reveal situated literacies and make nexus visible. The materials in a place reflect everyday uses and social practices, frozen into familiar objects and embedded in daily routines. For example, a schedule of daily activities posted on a classroom wall is a key indicator of which literacy practices are valued and where time is invested, at least discursively. (Of course, more observation is needed to see whether participants actually use time and space in the ways stated on the schedule.) Similarly, the floorplan and layout of furniture suggests particular interaction orders—a row of individual desks suggests solitary students working independently under the supervision of a monitoring teacher while a round table enables a small group engaged in talk in a collaborative task or discussion.

Locating Discourses in Place

Photo Surveys and Literacy Environment Scales

To find a classroom with rich potential for both literacy and play, I took digital photographs of the physical space in each classroom (after school when children had left for the day), documenting the layout of furniture, the walls, and materials as well as posted artifacts such as daily schedules, classroom maps, and children’s drawings. I wanted to compare not only the availability of scheduled time and space for play and literacy but also children’s access to and use of materials. I first took photographs and then asked teachers about daily practices, guided by two established classroom literacy scales that assessed the print-richness of the environment, evidence of child-produced writing, or use of trade books. Next, I developed a play checklist to assess learner control, access to play materials, quality of materials, and regular time and space for play. The chart below shows a sampling of some of the attributes and descriptors.

In designing your own survey of a learning environment, think of categories that can provide indicators for key attributes in the literacy nexus you’re seeking. Definitions and criteria from the research literature can be useful for identifying these. For example, it was helpful to have several definitions of play as well as the teachers’ focus group discussion in establishing that learner control should be a key indicator of whether an activity is actually play. Other resources included environmental literacy scales designed to assess the learning potential of the classroom environment developed for accreditation of childcare centers.