Young Children’s Knowledge-Building and Literacy Development through Knowledge Forum®

This study examined how the use of Knowledge Forum (KF)®, a networked, internet-based learning environment, was related to the literacy development of children in a 4-year old classroom in a laboratory school affiliated with OISE/University of Toronto. //Junior K is not a common term in US. If you use “Kindergarten” only, it would cause confusion. I would suggest that you get rid of any reference to “kindergarten.”//. Over the course of the year, the children participated in a longitudinal photo journal project. With adult support, children posted their photo journals and ideas to Knowledge Forum in the form of electronic “notes,” which allowed children to view each other’s work and to build on ideas by posting their responses and comments. Results showed that children were motivated to read and to respond to the notes of their peers using invented spelling. Gender differences were found in the number and type of notes posted. Implications of the study were discussed regarding the motivation for literacy among boys and girls and the benefits for teachers and children in having electronic archives of literacy development in a comparison to a non-KF® class