Developing New Literacies among Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades

This chapter explores the learning potentials that exist at the intersection between language, literacy, and the Internet for multilingual learners. It suggests that, in addition to the foundational literacy skills required within traditional book and print technologies, the Internet requires new reading, writing, and communication skills. The authors use the integrated set of principles to analyze several instructional environments they viewed as exemplars for the acquisition and development of new literacies among multilingual learners in the elementary grades. With more than 176 languages spoken nationwide, the population of the United States is becoming increasingly diverse and multilingual. The number of Americans speaking a home language other than English has more than doubled since 1980. Promoting communicative and literate exchanges between and among students who use more than a single language system creates opportunities for developing expertise and knowledge in a variety of forms.