Open AccessThe Techno-literacy Practices of Young Children from Diverse Backgrounds
Author(s) -
Nicola Friedrich,
Laura Teichert,
Zipporah Devadas
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
language and literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1496-0974
DOI - 10.20360/g2gm35
Subject(s) - ethnography , literacy , refugee , sociology , digital literacy , class (philosophy) , order (exchange) , information literacy , pedagogy , gender studies , political science , computer science , anthropology , business , finance , artificial intelligence , law
To complicate the notion of a digital divide along economic and cultural lines, this paper describes techno-literacy practices within the homes of children from diverse backgrounds. Data were drawn from two ethnographic case studies examining the home literacy practices of pre-school aged children. Participants were three Karen refugee families and two English-speaking, middle-class families. The findings suggest that children initiate interactions with digital tools within the cultural and economic landscapes of the home. In so doing, they develop operational competencies to access digital texts in order to scaffold their current learning and enable their participation in 21st century society.