It takes a village

Investigating the scaffolding strategies of writing development to support early literacy among Nova Scotians of African descent communities

Authors

  • Dr. Sylvia Chanda Kalindi Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Dr. Susan M. Brigham Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Dr. George Frempong Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29743

Keywords:

Africentric approaches to learning, literacy competence, parent-child interaction, literacy scaffolding strategies, schooling of black students

Abstract

Several stakeholders, such as community groups, government officials, parents, guardians, and educators have shown concern about the achievement gap between Nova Scotia learners of African descent and their predominantly White peers. Using the African proverb ‘It takes a village’ as a framework, this study involved parents, extended family members and caregivers of children aged 4 to 6 years to explore the scaffolding strategies employed as well as the experiences of participants when supporting children’s emergent writing skills during COVID-19 pandemic. Survey and focus group sessions demonstrated how participants frequently scaffolded emergent writing using highly effective strategies including Africentric approaches. The importance of ‘It takes a village’ proverb in enhancing literacy development
has also been established.

Author Biographies

Dr. Sylvia Chanda Kalindi, Mount Saint Vincent University

Sylvia Chanda Kalindi obtained her PhD degree in Developmental Psychology and is an Instructor at the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU). She worked in different portfolios as a postdoc fellow and is a recipient of the Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship - Industrial Postdoctoral Fellow. Focusing largely on child development, Chanda’s research interests include exploring literacy development and early literacy support, in the form of parent/family/community support including support rooted in Africentric views as well as technology related support. She conducted and presented her research in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Her work has been published in journals such as Frontiers of Psychology, Reading Research Quarterly and Computers and School.  

Dr. Susan M. Brigham, Mount Saint Vincent University

Susan M. Brigham, PHD is Full Professor in the Faculty of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU). Her research interests include adult education, higher education, immigration, critical theories, and arts-informed research methods. Susan has conducted research and presented her work in North America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Her co-edited books include Adult Education and Learning in Canada: Critical Legacies (2021); Building on Critical Traditions: Adult Education and Learning in Canada (2013) and Africentricity in Action (2012). She is associate editor with the Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, the Alberta Journal of Educational Research (AJER), and New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development.

Dr. George Frempong, Delmore “Buddy” Daye Learning Institute

George Frempong, Ph.D., is the inaugural Director of Research at the Delmore "Buddy" Daye Learning Institute (DBDLI), a Non-for-Profit Organization in Nova Scotia, Canada, with expertise in Africentric research. Over the past five years, he has provided exemplary leadership for the institute, developing Ubuntu-inspired vision and collaboration, leading to several transformative research initiatives. Dr. Frempong received his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, and his M.A. in Mathematics Education, both from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Over the past three decades, he has worked as a classroom teacher, university professor and researcher with publications in accredited journals that have provided an understanding of how education systems should function to provide opportunities for all learners to succeed.

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Published

2024-07-02

How to Cite

Kalindi, S. C., Brigham, S., & Frempong, G. (2024). It takes a village: Investigating the scaffolding strategies of writing development to support early literacy among Nova Scotians of African descent communities. Language and Literacy, 26(2), 78–100. https://doi.org/10.20360/langandlit29743