Abstract
Dana Frantz Bentley and Mariana Souto-Manning provide a timely reminder of the inherent possibilities of young children and the expertise of early childhood educators in their book Pre-K Stories: Playing with Authorship and Integrating Curriculum in Early Education. The authors reflect on a semester-long integrated project that harnessed the literacy potential of children in an organic and meaningful way. They do this while making a statement against growing discourse around the push to “academize the early childhood classroom” (5).
What jumps out in this collection of narrative and analysis is the authenticity and beauty that Bentley (also the lead teacher) brings to the pages. Bentley’s ability to reflect transparently on her methodology and positionality is a major strength of this book. As readers are treated to this behind-the-scenes perspective from Bentley, Souto-Manning is able to interlace theoretical commentary for a richer understanding. This approach allows for a complementary reading that offers something to many different audiences. The final impact is a deep exploration of authorship, writing, and poetry, and what it means to make words publishable within an early childhood classroom.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I sets up the foundations and inspiration behind what the authors refer to as The Book Project. It is in this section that Bentley and Souto-Manning situate their context and make clear that this is not a prescribed curriculum to implement in any early childhood setting, but more of a road map to see how it was done in a particular classroom with diverse experiences and needs. The authors remind readers of the importance of contextualization, stressing that each classroom is unique and the curriculum should always emerge with care from the children and their passions (8).
In the second part of the book, The Book Project is in full swing and the micro-moments of classroom discourse are magnified. Through a focus on “emergent curriculum, culture circles, and project work” (11), the classroom community explores many fundamentals of conventional literacy education. One particular example that stands out is in chapter 6 when the classroom explores the concept of genre. With a developing fascination for paper-airplane manufacturing, the children were able to reproduce (with teacher support) their methodology in a how-to book. This specific project opened many avenues for developmental milestones. One that Bentley highlighted in the classroom was the many purposes that books can serve, and that there are different types or genres (67–80).
Bentley and Souto-Manning provide a guide in seeing growth out of chaos and that educators must be responsive to a “child-guided timeline” (81) rather than the mandates of a semester. This can be challenging in educational settings that expect progression to look a specific way. Yet what this project shows is how educators can meet the demands placed on them by larger structures but also push back to create space for children to engage with literacy development on their own terms. This, of course, takes an immense amount of support from administration, educators, and the school community. The more these successful encounters are shared and seen by those in positions of power, the better we can forge ahead with systematic change.
Part II also offers readers an example of this impactful experience by highlighting an elegant poem about the seasons of the year. Aspects of ownership and creativity relating to this poetical experience are seen in ways often lacking in ready-made curricula. Bentley details the circumstances that led to the creation of this piece of art and the many hours of work that go into fostering such environments. This not only documents the work that early childhood educators put into their lessons, but also provides a model for what this could look like in other classrooms, given contextual adjustments.
The book’s final section offers reflection from both authors and how The Book Project contributes to larger ideas around early childhood literacy and the continued push to advocate for these critical and context-based approaches. Bentley and Souto-Manning continue a long line of work within education that celebrates and builds on what individuals bring to formalized classroom spaces. These concepts stem from monumental figures such as (but not limited to) John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, Paulo Freire, Gloria Ladson-Billings, Vivian Paley, and Anne Haas Dyson. Through these continued efforts, the voices and rights of children can be amplified in the often intangible world of academia, leading to structural change.
In situating this text alongside movements that ask us to look deeper into everyday literacy practices (Comber, 2013; Cope and Kalantzis, 2013; Dyson, 2013; Street, 1995; Vasquez, 2004), Bentley and Souto-Manning make clear the need for reflective and critical educational research. The space created by such research is especially important for educators in the USA as our classrooms continue to grapple with social injustice, political turmoil, and abuses of power. It is only in acknowledging the multiple ways people make sense of their worlds that we can truly begin fighting for changes to the unrealistic expectations that tend to marginalize certain groups.
Bentley closes with a story of a special moment that reaffirms the essential work of early childhood professionals. Two former students (finishing 2nd grade at the time) sit huddled together reminiscing about some of the stories they published in the Pre-K East class. Bentley watches this unfold as the students are able to look back on what they have accomplished and take pride in these moments of time that have contributed to their personal and academic development (135–139). Just as it is important to amplify children’s experiences, it is also crucial to do the same for the tireless and caring work done by educators. This book contributes eloquent and elucidating documentation of exemplary practices.
Pre-K Stories: Playing with Authorship and Integrating Curriculum in Early Education is an invaluable resource for many different audiences. It can be used as a road map for current classroom teachers, an inspiration to those interested in multiple forms of literacy, and as fuel to continue the push of rethinking current expectations within early childhood education.
