Suhor ("Journal of Curriculum Studies" 16, 247-257, 1984) defines "transmediation" as the "translation of content from one sign system to another" (p. 250). Research has shown that encouraging learners to transmediate meanings across modes provides them with opportunities to represent meanings in multiple ways. In…

This article analyses plays written for child performers in the early twentieth century. The plays chosen are classified as "instructional" and aimed at developing pupils' knowledge of the curriculum. The focus is on understanding why these plays were useful for Froebelian educators in the period. Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) was a…

Early childhood education, particularly through the influence of the Reggio Emilia model, traditionally has a strong affinity for arts-based, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary pedagogy. However, in the US, as standardized testing and curricula creep into early childhood classrooms, they marginalize arts-based learning and the kinds of playful,…

Encouraging relaxed and playful interaction over stories naturally fosters language interaction and both preliteracy [hereafter (pre)literacy skills] and literacy without anxiety. Reading for pleasure is valuable for young hearing children -- we know that, it is among the most beloved family rituals. In this article we argue that reading for…

Purpose: This paper aims to interrogate the place of literature in the digital world and the way a narrative is represented in digital spaces. In the changing landscape of digital, mobile and virtual texts, the authors aimed to examine how multimodal and animated elements in digital narratives engage young readers and encourage affective and…

In this paper, we explore the affordances of literature-based, arts-infused and digital media processes for students, as multimodal practices take centre stage in an English Language Arts unit on fractured fairy tales. The study takes up the challenge of addressing multimodal literacy instruction and research in ways that utilize a range of…

Case illustrations of a six-year-old boy's adventures with a missing tooth are used in this paper to re-define a broader notion of authorship. Drawing on theories of social semiotics, New Literacy Studies (NLS), and critical positioning, this notion of authorship not only interweaves the boy's preferred modes of meaning-making and communication,…

Literate practice in the arts encompasses both aesthetics and creativity. It is also multimodal in nature and often collaborative. This article presents data collected from a small multi-age school, with children from Prep to Year 7, during their preparation for an end-of-year show. The children had studied the topics of conservation and…

The imaginative and interactive modes of communication available for children today, above and beyond print, indicate a profound shift to the nature of reading education as a whole. This article reviews the theoretical landscape involved in multimodal education, and then examines the practices that make multimodal education feasible in the…

Describes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modes and suggests children's literature that corresponds with each mode. Characteristics of students who prefer one of the three modes are given, and examples of children's literature appropriate to each group are provided. (KRN)

Noting that reading may inspire a child's natural curiosity, creativity, and imaginative behavior, this book presents 54 units of study designed to meet the needs of children's imagination, to use play as a basis for learning, and to explore the lives and writings of well-known authors and illustrators. Each unit in the book identifies objectives…

Third-grade students were exposed to a literature passage, The Red Carpet, via one of three modes of presentation. The teacher read aloud from a book, showed a filmstrip, or showed a film. A listening retention test was administered, and results showed that the differences were statistically insignificant. (Author/GDC)

In response to practical questions about bilingual student needs, this paper addresses three issues. First, it describes a conceptual framework identified as "educational cognitive style" whereby the characteristics of bilingual learners and the modes of understanding of an educational task can be modeled and therefore matched. Second, it…

The articles in this collection approach the theme "Reading in the Year of the Child" in a variety of ways. The topics covered in the 23 articles include the following: the school as a center for human development; mainstreaming across nations; mainstreaming and the learning disabled child; a Jungian perspective on reading behavior; the arts and…

Maintains that historical fiction provides children with the opportunity to vicariously live the events of the past, learn about their heritage, and develop a sense of the sweep of history. Recommends several books covering different historical periods and includes related instructional activities. (MJP)