ROMLIT: Empowering Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) children through Early Years (EY) Literacies is a pioneering research project that helps unlock the potential of all children's reading and writing (or literacies). Focusing on GRT children, ROMLIT will delve deeper into their Early Years education experience, paving the way for inclusive and, crucially, empowering educational practices.
Project Objectives:
A) Theoretical Insights: To dive into the rich tapestry of literacy approaches employed by EY-stage Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children at school, home and in their communities, shedding light on their daily literacy practices and the broader environmental influences.
B) Participatory Exploration: To embrace, model and promote participatory and child-appropriate methodologies that explore the multi-faceted ways in which Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children engage with and navigate various literacies (i.e. reading and writing approaches) within their homes, communities, and EY classes. We aim to explore their strategies for negotiation, adaptation and resistance to mainstream approaches, in order to gain a rich understanding of their literacy journeys.
C) Promoting Positive Relationships: To identify and cultivate strategies aimed at fostering positive relationships with diverse reading and learning approaches among GRT children, their families, early years settings, and primary schools. By fostering inclusivity and understanding, we strive to empower every child to thrive in their literacy development journey.
Why It Matters:
The ROMLIT project recognises the importance of embracing diversity and inclusion within educational settings. By amplifying the voices and experiences of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children, we not only enrich our understanding of early years literacies but also pave the way for more equitable and nurturing educational environments for all children, regardless of background or cultural context. The project will be run across four stages:
Stage 1. Laying the groundwork-getting access: Building relationships with schools is fundamental to this project. Once this is established, we will start connecting with young children and school staff.
Stage 2. Learning from past research and observing literacies: We will then look at what other research and resources are out there by doing a big search called “scoping literature review” to see what experts have already said about Early Years literacies, especially for GRT children. We will also observe how EY children are interacting with diverse reading and learning approaches in schools.
Stage 3. Immersing into literacies in school, communities and at home: This stage involves gathering more information about reading and writing approaches. We will talk to teachers and other important people in schools, including governing bodies. We will also talk to parents, caregivers, and community members from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller backgrounds and we will observe children using literacies at home, in their communities, and in schools through reading and writing for fun.
Stage 4. Sharing resources, knowledge and planning ahead: In the final part of our project, we will share what we found with the communities we worked with. We will hold workshops with Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, teachers, and policymakers to talk about our findings and what they mean. We will also create stories and other materials based on what we have learnt. We will write up our findings to share with other researchers, and we will present our work at academic and practitioner conferences.
Join us on this Journey:
Be a part of a transformative research initiative to celebrate diversity, empower children, families and communities and shape the future of early years education. Together, we can create a world where every child's literacy journey is honoured, valued, and supported.
For more information and to get involved, contact today the project leader Dr Spyros Themelis - s.themelis@uea.ac.uk
Together, let's unlock the boundless potential of EY literacies for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children through the ROMLIT project.