Young Children and Their Mothers' Early Literacy Practices: A Case Study from Saudi Arabia

This study reports the findings of extensive ethnographic research in which six preschoolers were observed for 2 years at a preschool in Saudi Arabia. Drawing on the sociocultural perspectives of literacy learning, this study focuses on the early literacy practices in the Saudi home context of two preschoolers and their mothers. The data described in this study were derived from mind maps created with the children and interviews with their mothers. Several sociocultural concepts were used as analytical frameworks following a thematic approach. This study suggests that early literacy is a social and cultural practice embedded and constructed in a sociocultural context. Moreover, the findings indicate how children's early literacy practices at home occur within a social process through interactions with adults and siblings and how these practices reflect Saudi Arabian Islamic culture and identity. Furthermore, the findings highlight the significance of using participatory techniques (mind maps) to hear children's voices in research.