Should Critical Literacy be a Part of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand?

This paper examines what critical literacy is and how a sociocultural approach to literacy may provide a basis for the inclusion of critical literacy practices in early childhood education in New Zealand. What critical literacy in early childhood education might look like is then examined, along with some of the tensions that may arise when considering the implementation of critical literacy with very young children. Finally, the extent to which critical literacy has a place in early childhood education within New Zealand is explored. This includes an assessment of the potential of the early childhood curriculum - Te Whariki - to accommodate a critical literacy component, what critical literacy in early childhood may look like and whether the early childhood profession is ready for critical literacy and the implications for the sector.