Language, Place and the Body in Childhood Literacies: Theory, Practice and Social Justice

Challenging dominant views of early childhood language development and knowledge, this thought-provoking volume illuminates the importance of place, the body, and movement in opening space for young children’s improvisatory, creative, playful language practices.

Bringing together a rich collection of contemporary research and diverse perspectives, the book centers on the premise that ’where’ talk happens--be it spoken, mimed, signed, or assisted through one or more communication tools--is not a neutral backdrop or controllable variable. Rather, it is deeply entangled in the emergence of language from bodies, in how these vocalizations make their way into the world, what they might feel like and set into motion, and how they are received, heard and listened to by other humans and by non-humans. Chapter authors introduce theories about language, body, and place, while also providing examples of what this work may look like in practice.

This book is key reading for those who work with young children and families, including teachers, pre-service teachers studying child development, speech and language therapists, support workers, and those in the arts, cultural and environmental sectors. It is also highly relevant to researchers, literacy education scholars, and anyone who endeavors to think more expansively and critically about language and literacy in early childhood contexts.

Khawla Badwan is Reader in TESOL and Applied Linguistics at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Ruth Churchill Dower is a PhD scholar at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, exploring young children’s nonlingual ways of being through experiments in movement.

Warda Farah is a Social Entrepreneur, Speech & Language Therapist, Writer and Consultant.

Rosie Flewitt is Professor of Early Childhood Communication at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Abigail Hackett is a Professor of Childhood and Education at Sheffield Hallam University.

Rachel Holmes is a Professor in the Education and Social Research Institute of Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Christina MacRae is a Visiting Research Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Vishnu KK Nair is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences at University of Reading.

David Ben Shannon is a Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Sheffield.