Cariblink

*A list that frames questions about Early Literacy and Caribbean children:  http://www.freewebs.com/cariblit/readinglistforchtbox.htm

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*I have always believed that when a speaker switches  speech between a Standard and a Creole variety of English it is a switch  that involves more than the speaking of linguistic structures. Depending on the topic, the purposes of speech and the other speakers and hearers in the situation it could be a psychological and attitudinal switch as well.  It is that  speakers must shift roles as well..shifting gears that place them into other roles. I  have to make more notes on this area and link it to Childhood Literacy.

   I am making a case here too for the introduction  and implementation of a  rich Children's Literature program at the pre-school and  primary  levels in Trinidad and Tobago: Some suggestions--

**Bring Caribbean Oral Tradition skills to bear on the texts

  *Reading-to and Reading aloud of texts--(Standard English texts)

*Mixing codes in discussing texts--accepting children's home language  and leading them gently into switching behaviors --to include question asking.

  *Music can also help--as background, as a thread to themes

**Having children assume roles of teacher, leader, listeners, readers of characters in the texts (Readers" Theatre)

  *Retelling stories--use Caribbean stories where there are dialect parts as well as S.E narrative text.

**From these Oral exercises for older children--lead them to writing

**For younger ones--teachers and volunteers  can help with the writing of the children's language/dictated experience stories.  P.S I advocate the writing of these stories in Standard English because the texts from which they are being read to are written in  Standard English--and they want their stories to be just like  these.  Lead them gently into a translation of their home language narratives with out stifling their expression. Read back these stories to and with them.

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**In all of the foregoing  there is movement between the codes/varieties in a variety of roles or stances where adults and children PLAY CREATIVELY with language in context instead than just the bare-bones learning of language structures and vocabulary items. There could be this too, but place it within a Literature-Literacy construct(?)  There are several advantages that can come with this type of program.

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Next (from Oracy to Writing)--for older children and even adults.

Search:  http://scholar.google.com/

**A consideration of some constructs here... in other words what teachers and children can do with Children's Literature texts....(later)

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