Language Place and the Body in Childhood Literacies

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>