In(sites): Examining early literacy practices at home and school in rural Malawi and South Africa

This paper explores some of the insights gained from two early literacy research projects in rural areas in Southern Africa. It focuses on research in Malawian preschools in the Zomba district and primary schools in the Kwena Basin in Mpumalanga, South Africa. There are startling similarities between these two contexts, which are explored by drawing on the work of the New Literacy Studies and Comber et al.'s (2001) work on place, which applies a critical literacy framework. In contexts where children are failing to become literate, as a number of assessment studies show, understanding literate practices in communities is insufficient. Rather, a critical literacy framework provides additional insight into thinking about the conditions under which children live and learn and the impact of pedagogical practices on creating literate subjects. Although there are many lost opportunities for deep literacy learning, some practices already being implemented can be extended.