Graduation Year
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Ph.D.
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Degree Granting Department
Childhood Education and Literacy Studies
Major Professor
Sophia Han, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Ilene Berson, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Jolyn Blank, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Lisa Lopez, Ph.D.
Keywords
culturally responsive teaching, multimodal approaches, prekindergarten teachers
Abstract
Children from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds are often expected to learn within different cultural contexts than those they have experienced in their families, homes, and communities. Some children are rarely exposed to the dominant culture and practices that are highly valued in schools before entering early education settings. When they start (pre)school, young children are often expected to immediately participate in cultural practices that may differ from those at home, which are considered indicative of being successful, ready, or capable. This research aimed to investigate the culturally responsive literacy practices used by teachers in a laboratory prekindergarten classroom. The study explored multiple perspectives: first, by observing teachers’ interactions with children, followed by semi-structured interviews, and third, through the researcher’s reflective journal. During classroom observations, the focus was on teachers’ read-aloud activities and morning meetings that promote oral language development and meaning-making. Conducting an in-depth descriptive case study was significant because prekindergarten may be the first setting where children encounter dominant sociocultural values and are expected to accept and represent them. The primary participants were two prekindergarten teachers at a public University Lab School in the United States. A constructivist approach was used within the framework of culturally responsive pedagogy. The findings indicated that teachers practiced culturally responsive methods through a multimodal approach that included art, stories, songs, technology, and math as different mediums to foster a sense of classroom community. The implications provide practical recommendations to guide both pre-service and in-service early childhood and elementary teachers.
Scholar Commons Citation
Aradhya, Deeksha Thonta, "Exploring Culturally Responsive Literacy Practices in Prekindergarten: A Multimodal Approach by Teachers" (2025). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10905
