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COMPARE - Collaboration with parents and Multiliteracy in early Childhood Education

Research team: Claudine Kirsch (PI), Gabrijela Aleksić, Sascha Neumann (January-March 2020), Valérie Kemp, Laura Colucci, Džoen Bebić-Crestany
Duration: January 2020-December 2023
Funding: Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, de l'Enfance et de la Jeunesse, Service National de la Jeunesse, Fonds National de la Recherche, University of Luxembourg

International assessment studies continue to show that children of ethnic minority background and low socioeconomic status are more likely to have poor literacy skills and weak academic achievements. Preliteracy skills are strong predictors of literacy development, and, therefore, it is essential that parents and early childhood educators engage children in literacy activities from an early age. In trilingual Luxembourg, the non-formal sector of early childhood underwent important changes. In 2017, a multilingual education programme was implemented, requiring educators to develop children’s skills in Luxembourgish, familiarise them with French and value their home languages. The programme builds on language education, partnership with parents and networking with various institutions. Currently, home-crèche collaboration and multiliteracy activities in crèches are underdeveloped.

This project examines the multiliteracy practices in crèches as well as partnership building in Luxembourg. To help educators develop their understanding of the importance of literacy and collaboration, design multiliteracy activities, and establish partnerships, we offer professional development to educators in 20 crèches. The project aims to examine, firstly, the ways in which educators, parents and children engage in multiliteracy activities and adults establish home-crèche collaboration and, secondly, the influence of the multiliteracy practices and collaboration on the actors’ attitudes and literacy engagement.

The mixed-method study uses questionnaires to identify the current state of partnerships and literacy practices as well as the educators’ and parents’ (changing) experiences of and perspectives on collaboration and multiliteracy. We also conduct a qualitative ethnographic study with observation, video-recording, interviews and documentation in three crèches to gain insights into multiliteracy practices and the establishment of partnerships. The findings should address research gaps in relation to partnership building at the micro-level, the engagement in multiliteracy activities of three-year-olds, their parents and educators, and the influence of collaboration and multiliteracy on attitudes and engagement. In addition, the study should contribute to the development of partnerships and multiliteracy in crèches and homes.

Articles & chapters

Kirsch, C. (2021). Bildungspartnerschaften und Literacy: Erste Ergebnisse aus dem Projekt COMPARE. In Service National de la Jeunesse, Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern und Literacy im mehrsprachigen Kontext (pp. 8.17). Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Ministry of National Education, Childhood and Youth.
Kirsch, C. (2021). Partenariats éducatifs et literacy: premiers résultats du projet COMPARE. In Service National de la Jeunesse, Collaboration avec les parents et littératies plurilingues (pp. 19-32). Service National de la Jeunesse.
Kirsch, C., & Aleksic, G. (2021, April 19). Multilingual education in early years in Luxembourg: a paradigm shift? The International Journal of Multilingualism. 18:4, 534-550, https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2021.1905643
Kirsch, C., Aleksić, G., Colucci, L., Kemp, V. (2020). Rapport intermédiaire du projet COMPARE. Luxembourg: University of Luxembourg

Films

Kirsch, C., Colucci, L., Lutgen, P., & Mortini, S. (2022). Cinq films du projet COMPARE : 1. Introduction ; 2. Literacy – Qu’est-ce que c’est ?; 3. Développer la literacy – Comment et avec qui ?; 4. Visite des parents – un enrichissement ; 5. Vers un partenariat avec les parents. Visionner les films sur Youtube
Kirsch, C., Colucci, L., Lutgen, P., & Mortini, S. (2022). Fënnef Filmer vum Projet COMPARE: 1. Aféierung; 2. Literacy – Wat ass dat?: 3. Literacy entwéckelen – Wéi a mat weem?; 4. Elterebesuch – Eng Beräicherung; 5. Um Wee zum Partenariat mat den Elteren. Filmer op Lëtzebuergesch op Youtube
Kirsch, C., Colucci, Lutgen, P., & Mortini, S. (2022). Five Films of the project COMPARE: 1. Introduction; 2. Literacy – What is it?; 3. Developing literacy – How and with whom?; 4. Developing literacy – How and with whom?; 4. Parent visits – an enrichment Towards a partnership with parents. Watch the films on Youtube

Conferences & workshops

Kemp, V., Colucci, L., Bebić, D. D., & Kirsch, C. (2021, September 07). Head, shoulders, Knie et pés – singing one’s way into multilingual practices. Language policies and practices in ECE. Paper presented at ECER, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kemp, V. (2021, April 21) Diana’s meaning-making in multiliteracy activities. Conference “Developing Multilingual Literacies - Exploring the role of communities for literacy development in multilingual families. EERA network. Esch-sur-Alzette: University of Luxembourg.
Kirsch, C. (2021, September 07). First steps into developing multilingual practices in ECEC in Luxembourg: Insights from the projects MuLiPEC and COMPARE. Paper presented at ECER, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kirsch, C., & Aleksic, G. (2021, September 06). Collaboration between home and crèches: perspectives, experiences and expectations of educators in Luxembourg. Paper presented at ECER, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kirsch, C., Aleksic, G., Bebić, D. D., Kemp, V., & Colucci, L. (2021, September 04). Perspectives on multilingualism and multilingual literacies from early childhood educators in Luxembourg. Paper presented at Crossroads of Language and Cultures CLC 6, Cyprus.
Kirsch, C., & Aleksic, G. (2021, August 17). Developing multiliteracies in early years education in Luxembourg. Poster session presented at AILA 2021 Worldcongress, Groningen, Netherlands.
Kirsch, C., Aleksic, G., Bebić, D. D., Kemp, V., & Verba, I. (2021, April 21). Multilingual practices and literacies in Luxembourg: perspectives from teachers, parents and children. Paper presented at EERA Presentation. Developing Multilingual Literacies – Exploring the role of communities for literacy development in multilingual families, Esch-Alzette, Luxembourg.
Little, S., Günther-van der Meij, M., Kirsch, C., Usanova, I., & Duarte, J. (2021, September 06). Developing Multilingual Literacies – Views from four countries. Paper presented at ECER, Geneva.
Seele, C., & Kirsch, C. (2021, August 17). From language policy to educational practices: early multilingual education in Luxembourg. Poster session presented at AILA 2021 Worldcongress, Groningen, Netherlands.
Kirsch, C. (2020, October, 5.-6) Multilingual literacy practices in crèches in Luxembourg: preliminary findings from questionnaires. Online conference Developing Multilingual Literacies – Exploring the role of communities for literacy development in multilingual families. Sheffield: University of Sheffield
Kirsch, C., Neumann. S., & Aleksić, G. (2020, September 09) Bildungspartnerschaften in Crèches in Luxemburg: Erfahrungen, Erwartungen und Wünsche. Online conference Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern und Literacy im mehrsprachigen Kontext. Esch-sur-Alzette: University of Luxembourg and SNJ.