Rethinking Literacy in the Digital Age: A UPK Director's Reflection
Reframing Literacy as Social Practice
Knobel & Lankshear (2007) invite us to expand what we mean by literacy. They define literacy not as isolated reading and writing skills, but as "socially recognized ways of generating, communicating and negotiating meaningful content through a medium of encoded texts withing contexts of participation in Discourses". In other words, literacy isn't just about mastering letters, it's about belonging to communities, sharing meaning, and creating together.
What strikes me most is their distinction between the "new technical stuff", digital tools, and the "new ethos stuff", values like participation, collaboration, remixing, and distributed expertise. This shift reminds us that simply having access to technology does not automatically transform learning, it is how we use these tools within a culture of shared meaning making that truly matters. It challenges educators to move beyond surface-level integration and instead foster an environment where children actively contribute, co-create, and reshape content in ways that reflect their identities and experiences.
(c) Shutterstock.com/Momma Key
A UPK Takeaway
When preschoolers "write" stories through drawing, digital images, or audio narration, they are engaging in literacy that aligns with the sociocultural view. Our youngest learners are already participating in Discourses, even before learning print, by telling stories, negotiating peers' ideas, and communicating through multimodal formats.
More Than Tools: Digital Literacy Toward Justice
The International Literacy Association or ILA (2019) brief emphasizes that digital literacy is not about having the latest device, it is about aligning technology with authentic learning goals, blending digital and analog experiences, and centering equity. This means educators must thoughtfully integrate technology in ways that enhance, rather than distract from, meaningful learning experiences. It also calls for intentional practices that ensure all students, regardless of background, have equitable opportunities to engage, create, and thrive in both digital and traditional literacy contexts.
A powerful point: Simply providing devices DOES NOT guarantee equity. Instead, we must enhance teacher expertise and craft learning environments where every learner can meaningfully participate, regardless of their background. True equity requires investing in teacher expertise to design inclusive, culturally responsive instruction that meets diverse needs. Only by creating learning environments where all students feel seen, supported and empowered can technology become a tool for equity rather than a false solution.
In Pre-K Context
Surprises & Challenges
Surprises:
Knobel & Lankshear's (2007), framing of literacy as deeply tied to identity formation and social belonging (even in online spaces) is richer that many frameworks I have encountered. Their perspective also pushes us to see literacy not just as a set of technical skills, but as lived, social practice where learners express who they are and how they connect with others. This framing challenges educators to move beyond standardized approaches and consider how digital and classroom literacy practices can affirm students' identities, cultures, and communities.
Challenges:
ILA's insistence that meaningful use of digital literacy requires deep professional learning (not just hardware) demands a serious shift in how we allocate resources and support staff. How do we invest in teacher capacity, not only devices? To truly support digital literacy, schools must prioritize ongoing, collaborative professional development that empowers teachers to integrate technology with purpose and equity. This means reallocating funding and time toward building educator expertise, coaching, and reflective practice, NOT just purchasing devices.
Real-World UPK Connections
Multimodal Storytelling
Pre-schoolers often tell stories through drawings, puppets, songs, or simple digital slides, practices that embody "new literacies in action (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007). Those multimodal expressions allow young children to communicate complex ideas, emotions, and narratives long before they master conventional reading and writing. Recognizing these forms as legitimate literacy practices honors their voices and lays a foundation for inclusive, creative, and culturally responsive literacy development.
www.mvpkids.com www.pbs.orgTeacher Scaffolding
When teachers help children combine media (i.e. drawing a picture and then narrating it into an audio recorder), they are aligning with ILA 's call for authentic goal-driven technology use. This approach not only deepens engagement and comprehension, but also empowers children to see themselves as storytellers and meaning makers form an early age.
Equity in Access and Identity Reflection
Offering books and digital resources in children's home language and symbolic systems affirms ILA's vision of equitable digital practices. It recognizes that language and culture are central to identity, and that honoring students' linguistic backgrounds supports both academic achievement and social-emotional development. By providing access to multilingual and culturally relevant materials, educators create inclusive learning environments where all children feel seen, valued and capable of success.
A Challenge for Educators
- What does literacy look like when a child "writes" a story through emojis, photos, or voice recording? Who recognizes that as legitimate?
- Are we supporting teachers to design learning experiences with digital tools or just handing them devices?
- What does equity look like when tech access is uneven AND how do we ensure we get full participation from all pre-k students?
- If literacy is about belonging to Discourses, how are we helping young children enter and create with digital communities, EVEN in prekindergarten?
Putting It All Together
- Literacy as identity rich social practice (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007)
- Digital literacy as purposeful, equitable, context rooted practice, not just technology deployment (ILA, 2018)
- Recognize and celebrate the rich literacy that happens in multimodal, often non-print ways.
- Invest in teacher training focused on integrating digital tools meaningfully, not replacing print literacy but expanding how children make and share meaning.
- Build equitable access to digital and analog tools that reflect children's languages, cultures, and ways of knowing.
- Honors oral language and emergent narrative skills
- Supports multilingual learners to express ideas in their home language
- Connects Knobel and Lankshear's (2007) idea of literacy as "social practice"
- Digital tools extend the storytelling NOT replace it.
- Combines print and digital literacy
- Enhances comprehension for auditory or visual learners
- Exposes children to diverse characters, settings, and cultures
- Reinforces ILA's call to blend digital and analog practices fluidly
- Supports expressive language development
- Encourages reflection and metacognition
- Allows non-writers to participate fully
- Promotes digital citizenship in a safe, guided way
- Validates linguistic and cultural identy
- Promotes equity and inclusion
- Helps children see themselves and their families as knowledge holders
- Aligns with ILA's justice-focused approach to digital practices.
- Invite families to contribute short audio or video clips, this will help to build the home/school partnerships and reflects real world literacies.
- Encourages curiosity and critical thinking
- Fosters early research and media evaluation shills
- Model's ethical use of information (with guidance)
- Connects with Vanek's definition of digital literacy as problem-solving and communication.
|
Teacher Move |
Why it
Matters |
|
Encourage
talk before |
Builds oral
language and ideas before digital work |
|
Co-create
digital texts with students |
Models
collaboration and composition |
|
Make space
for “tech-free” literacy too |
Balances
screen time and supports diverse learning styles |
|
Reflect with
children on their digital creations |
Fosters
awareness of purpose and audience |
|
Use tech to
amplify, not replace, student voices |
Keeps agency
with the learner |
- Are we using digital tools as a means for expression and connection, or just as entertainment?
- How can we ensure our youngest learners are seen as capable, creative meaning makers, even before they can write?
- What professional learning do teachers need to feel confident integrating digital literacy intentionally?
Wow, Yola, this blog post is ABOVE AND BEYOND! Great work! I agree with everything you said. Specifically, when you mention:
ReplyDelete"This means educators must thoughtfully integrate technology in ways that enhance, rather than distract from, meaningful learning experiences. It also calls for intentional practices that ensure all students, regardless of background, have equitable opportunities to engage, create, and thrive in both digital and traditional literacy contexts."
Some teachers I have observed in the past have simply used technology to claim they incorporate it into the classroom, but without any specific intent behind their approach. However, teachers who are more aware have a better understanding of the use of intention and the reasons for using technology, such as incorporating group work for shared documents, vocabulary assistance, or addressing student disabilities.
Which is why I also love that you included that next line about creating a more equitable class because students that may suffer from disabilities or language barriers will often be able to use technology to assist them in their learning as well!
Thank you so much Anthony for your kind words and thoughtful response. I am glad that my post resonated with you, specifically when you mentioned the intentional integration of technology in the classroom. You make such an important point: simply using tech for the said of using it does not necessarily support student learning.
DeleteYour mention of the difference between surface level tech use and intentional, purposeful application is spot on. Tools like shared documents, language support apps, or accessibility features can be incredibly powerful when used with clear goals in mind. I agree technology has the potential to not just enhance instruction but also to foster greater equity, especially for students who face language challenges. Thank you for your valuable insight to the conversation, and engaging so deeply with my post.
Good morning!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog post and the images you provided. From this I took away new insight on “Multimodal Storytelling”. Teaching students how to communicate effectively will not only help them day to day in their education but also for their future and advocating for themselves. My son is in Pre-K, and he mentioned that his favorite “center” is the “community” center. This is where they can choose different characters or stuffed animals to play with each other. This is absolutely a way that they can communicate and tell a story. You bring up another point about this being a way to express emotion. A therapist once told me that they have children choose a family member from a group of toys and act out how they would portray this family member. This tells a story of the family dynamic and how they are feeling in the home. I thought this was very interesting and creative way to communicate and express through play. Your post remined me that new literacies are ever changing and evolving as society grows and learns new ways to communicate. I also believe that given different and multiple children will express themselves and continue to learn to do so.
I would also like to say that your post inspired me to add images to my blog and step out of the box and get more creative! Thank you!
-Kelly.
Hi Kelly
DeleteThanks for your thoughtful and heartfelt response. I enjoyed reading about your son's experience in the community center, what a beautiful example of storytelling through play. It is amazing how even at such a young age, children are already engaging in multimodal forms of communication without even realizing it. That kind of imaginative play is such a powerful foundation for emotional expression and narrative development.
I also appreciate you sharing the insight from the therapist, what a moving example of how story telling can be used to surface emotions and give children a voice when they might not have the words yet. It is a great reminder that communication goes far beyond just writing or speaking, it is also about movement, role play, visual cues, and so much more.
I am so glad my blog post inspired you to think about adding images to your own blog. That is the kind of creativity and experimentation that helps all of us grow as educators and communicators. I can not wait to see what you create. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and commenting on it.