Analyzing Critical Literacy in Early Childhood Education Programs

This essay explores the significance of critical literacy in early childhood education, arguing for its integration in play-based learning environments. It defines critical literacy as the ability to critically analyze power dynamics and societal norms, emphasizing its role in fostering critical thinking, language development, and communication skills. The essay highlights the benefits of incorporating critical literacy, such as enhanced reading comprehension, questioning techniques, and the ability to assess the authenticity of information. It also addresses the challenges, such as the potential pressure on young minds and the need for mature understanding. The essay emphasizes the importance of interactive discussions and debates to encourage students to share their ideas, improve communication skills, and develop a deeper understanding of the world. The integration of critical literacy in play-based settings is presented as a method to encourage students to look at things from multiple perspectives, fostering critical analysis and imaginative thinking.

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In a broader perspective, the term ‘critical literacy’ as such do not seem to adhere with
the situation of play based education. However, a deep delve into the concept of critical literacy
and its corresponding impacts on nascent minds would imply its need since the initiation of early
childhood education (Luke, 2018). Popular culture on the other hand has a huge band of
creativity and challenges to offer to students if included in educational module (Ntelioglou &
Peterson, 2017). To begin with, the best description of critical literacy would be an approach or
the ability of an individual to critically about the unequal distribution of power between the
citizens of a particular place. Popular culture can be defined as adapting a culture that is based on
taste and choice of individuals. It is also an ever-changing trend.
The inclusion of critical literacy in the educational system has shown noticeable impact
on children’s learning process (Morrell, 2015). Owing to the changing political and social
circumstances in this era, it has become imperative to include critical literacy and popular culture
as mainstream syllabus in the educational system since the very early stage of learning. Critical
literacy offers an understanding of the constant chance in the politics of the nation and the
concentration of power (Luke, 2017). It keeps its primary focus on language and literacy in the
backdrop of concentration of political powers. Emphasizing on powers and its relation with
politics, it enhances a student’s idea regarding the fact that everything is subjected to change and
it is only through proper literacy and proper knowledge that firm social constructions can be
reconstructed. Inclusion of critical literacy in the regular syllabus makes belief each student that
all of them are worthy, important and responsible citizens and must also make equal contribution
towards the development of the nation. In play based education, since there is no pressure of
reading and learning of the topics mentioned in the syllabus, the students can learn about critical
literacy more freely that would make an ever lasting impression in the nascent minds. The impact

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of critical literacy does not end here rather has a lot more. The practice of Critical literacy since
play based childhood learning endows students with an ability to judge an interpret texts keeping
at par the critical theories and methods that they have learnt (Pyle, DeLuca & Danniels, 2017).
Having a deep insight on the concept of critical literacy helps the students to understand the
difference between the literal and the lateral meaning of textual books (Provenzo & Apple,
2015). Apart from that students are also able to draw a critical analysis of all the societal norms.
For instance, the choice of apparels and the endorsement of the type of apparels would be
critically analyzed by a student of critical literacy to inspect the type and choice of society. It
would reflect on the structure and norms of the society and all these qualities would develop
since childhood. A deep insight on critical literacy empowers a student with dense, deep and
accurate knowledge regarding related matters. A student of critical literacy is confident and
capable enough to question the authenticity of power structures as explicitly represented in texts.
Incorporation of critical literacy in early childhood learning majorly affects and shapes a
child’s mental structure and his or her vision. Whatever the students read or learn, are placed
against the theoretical framework of critical literacy to get a clear understanding of the
discordant social issues prevalent within the nation. Such students are hard to convince with false
hopes as the entire education is fact based and can be molded only through reasoning. Another
important criteria that the students with critical literacy achieves is the assessment of role of
language in politics (Janks, 2017). Students also draws a reflective connection with whatever
they reads and tries to dive deep into the situation in which the author might have written. Such
students makes an assessment of the author’s viewpoint and the existing mental state that the
author was in. The students crosscheck any political context before believing it. Incorporation of
critical literacy and the execution of the same through play based approach helps the students to

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reflect on their own life while continuing with the study of any particular topic. That is, in
critical literature, the students not only read and learn for the sake of reading and learning. The
entire approach is play based where the facilitator provides the students with real life situation to
practically read and learn through experiences. Since play based learning has no text books or
limited study materials, whatever the students are learning are entirely based on personal
experience and discussion. It induces the students with a sense of responsibility towards the
country and thus makes responsible citizens. It must be asserted that critical literacy gives way to
interaction among the students. For instance, when a student deciphers a text in different module,
he or she without any iota of doubt discusses the same with the teachers and the facilitators and
with the other fellow students (Alvermann et al, 2018). This again calls for a discussion among
the other students, since, the other students also draws a different meaning than the lateral
meaning of the text.
In later phase, that is in the secondary school too, critical literacy through play-based
learning is immensely advantageous. Since the students already holds expertise in the evaluating
and analyzing the underlying meaning of a text, it helps the students to understand and examine
the course better. Critical literacy is a concept that cannot be learnt or mugged, but can be
nurtured and developed. This development essentially happens with practice. In this particular
context, it is needless to assert that, since, critical learning is already incorporated at the grass
root level the students are more or less equipped with all the methods and the tools required
analyzing a text and deciphering its meaning in a different way. Assuming a hypothetical
situation in order to assess the importance of incorporating critical learning in grass root level, it
can be well understood the immense contribution that critical literacy holds in enriching the
knowledge of the future generation (Peterson, Forsyth & McIntyre, 2015).

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True to all the modes of learning, critical literacy and its incorporation in play based
learning too has some positive and negative impacts on students and society as a whole. Critical
literacy is majorly advantageous to students. It reflects on the working process. It enables the
students to think and question the working of a process or function. The students automatically
while coming across a new subject examines the authenticity and validity of the claims made by
the author. They also cross examine the information laid down. Students if taught critical literacy
since the very grass root level encourages them to evaluate texts through reading comprehension.
It must be noted that all the knowledge gather through the process of critical literacy are explicit,
comprehensive and detailed. Since the students do not go through a monotonous mugging
process, they are able to retain the learning in long term. Another astounding benefit of critical
learning is that it also helps students having reading disabilities. Taking into account that critical
literacy is all about facts, philosophies and ideologies, it needs only intelligence to understand
and adhere to the topic (Jahoda & Lewis, 2015). Learning or mugging of the topics or f the
syllabus is not required and hence, it is beneficial for the students having reading disability.
The drawbacks of critical literacy are limited since it is an approach, which majorly
benefits students. The only disadvantage that can be talked of is the immense pressure that it
creates on the nascent minds. In the context of play-based child learning, it can be asserted that
critical literacy is a concept that requires maturity to understand. Its values and importance and
the corresponding analysis calls for a matured brain. Not all children would be intelligent enough
to understand texts in the context of critical literacy (Roskos, 2017).
One of the most researched teaching method is questioning techniques. It is found that
the teachers in various institutions spend 35% to 50% of the time of instruction in question and
answer sessions. The questioning techniques are both ways important. The teachers understand

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the level of learning achieved by the students by asking questions to the student on the other
hand the student is allowed to ask question on the account of filling the learning gaps that still
may have been remaining in the student’s mind. The involvement of the student increases and
also the interest level rises because the student finds it interactive to question and get answers. It
also increases the level of critical thinking in the students.
The essence of children’s learning is majorly concentrated in their language and
communication. The more children communicate, the more they are able to retain the knowledge
in the long-run (Roskos, 2017). The discursive manner of critical literacy promotes debates,
arguments and discussions regarding the same. It thus, enhances the language and
communication power of children from an early age. Critical literacy treats language and
communication as an essential tool that is used for enriching the values of all the courses learnt
through critical literacy. The fact that holds the prime interest in this context is that critical
literacy here in integrated with play based approach. The language is focused here through a
number of actions of play-based approach like critically thinking, analyzing, evaluating,
discussing, debating and interacting with other fellow learners.
It is an interesting fact to know that the incorporation of critical literacy in regular course
in kindergarten lets the children to have enough topic of discussion. Since it has been noted that
critical literacy majorly focuses on the deeper interpretation of texts and tries to emphasize on
the details of actuality of information, it creates a wider aspect of discussion among the children.
The students get an opportunity to share their own individual ideas that acts as an effective
language and communication method. It is needless to assert that the ideas and thought process
of all the children in a cross are not alike and hence it calls for a cross or clash. However, this
clash is taken in a positive manner and the facilitator or the teacher allows the cross and clash in

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an organized manner. That is, the difference I ideas and thought processes calls for debate ad
argumentation. Debate and argumentation are a never ending process and gives students topic
enough to carry on the discussion. The students are benefitted with new ideas while they share
their own with others (Leland, Lewison & Harste, 2014).
The teachers and the educators also evaluate and examine the discourse of the students to
get an insight of their understanding regarding the matter. Apart from that, the teachers and the
facilitators are also able to note the strength and improvement in language and communication
within the students.
The implementation of critical literacy into play based will be achieved in the following
ways. The students will be from the very beginning taught to look at things from both ways.
They must be judging on both the positive aspects and negative aspects of a particular literature.
By literature here all kinds of academic means to impart knowledge is meant. A person should
understand the underlying meaning and purpose of texts and speeches. Therefore, from the very
beginning there will be encouragement of critically looking at things. Example of such method
is, when the children are there in the classroom discussions and interactive sessions may be held,
where the teachers will talk about positive and negative aspects of simple things. The children
will be allowed to present their own interpretation of things and theories, and their imaginative
power will be allowed to flow. The system must not be one sided where the teacher will force
feed information to the students in a one sided manner.
At the concluding part, it can thus be asserted that critical literacy is imperative to enrich
and enhance the learning process of students. Critical learning if incorporated in the very initial
phase of education, that is, in the kindergarten would not only help the students to develop their

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moral responsibilities towards the society but also at the same time would bestow the students
with the gift of critical thinking ability. It is thus needless to assert that play based approach of
education at kindergarten if incorporates critical literacy would mould the mindset of the
students, sharpen their ideological framework and enshrine the students with power to dissect
established and proven ideas and principles.

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Reference List
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