Exploring play-based writing in a hybrid bilingual preschool classroom

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative action research project was to explore using an emergent literacy perspective to provide play-based writing opportunities for preschool bilingual children. For this dissertation, I focused on the following research questions (1) What does play-based writing look like in a hybrid bilingual preschool classroom? (2) How does the medium of instruction (virtual or in-person) mediate children's engagement with writing during the COVID-19 pandemic? Through the utilization of a funds of knowledge approach, I explored play-based writing within my hybrid bilingual preschool classroom, and examined how the medium of instruction guided students' engagement in play-based writing. I argue that (1) The development and maintenance of confianza directly related to students' involvement in play-based writing;(2) The incorporation of students' funds of knowledge and interests into play-based writing opportunities facilitated motivation for students to engage in play-based writing;(3) Scaffolding play-based writing was possible via in-person and virtual instruction;(4) Technological barriers affected students' abilities to engage in play-based writing;(5) Caretakers' perceptions of emergent literacy shifted throughout the course of the study. My work can be used to inform future research about the effectiveness of virtual home engagements in building confianza with families. It can also be used as a reference to how children's play is interconnected between home and school. Future research that examines play-based writing may benefit from using my example on recipe-writing to help build an understanding of how students' lived experiences influence their motivation to engage in play-based writing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)