Teacher as 'centoist' : fostering intertextual connections in the kindergarten classroom

This paper describes a qualitative study focussing on intertextual connections made by students in the first year of formal schooling, where the author was both classroom teacher and researcher. Intertextuality is a term used to describe the connections made between texts. Using the New South Wales Department of Education and Training's definition of text: any meaningful act of communication, of any length, whether written, spoken or visual (2000) to examine discourse in a kindergarten classroom, the study revealed that students used intertextual connections to construct meaning and enhance the collaborative relationships in their classroom. Fostering these connections has practical implications for the classroom teacher. The theory of intertextuality, the study, and implications for the teacher as facilitator are explained in this paper