CHILDREN'S SOCIOPSYCHOGENESIS OF LITERACY

The social context in which the teacher and children are mutually engaged in written language is examined to explain the teacher's use of sociocultural, sociopsycholinguistic,and sociopolitical knowledge bases. An explanation of the psychogenetic theory of the alphabetic writing system is offered, and one bilingual whole language first grade classroom's literacy and biliteracy sociopsychogenesis is analyzed. The findings reported here are based on preliminary analyses of bilingual children's literacy and cognitive development in the social context of interactive dialogue journals. The database includes monthly (September-May) samples of 30 children's bilingual journal entries (270 pieces of written text). It is shown how first-grade bilingual 5 to 6-year-olds engage in the social-cultural process of recreating knowledge about the alphabetic writing system in both Spanish and English. It is noted that, by April and May, all 30 children use the alphabetic writing system and their conventional spelling exceeds their invented spelling. Many apply their alphabetic knowledge from their first language without instruction. It is suggested that language minority children may do better when teachers abandon traditional beliefs, practices, and low expectations. Twenty-four journal samples are presented. Contains 29 references. (LB) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that cam be made * * from the original document.