Theme 2: Innovations Aimed at Higher Learning Outcomes Literacy

Building knowledge and literacy skills: Junior Kindergarten Cindy Halewood, Institute of Child Study, OISE/University of Toronto, ON, Canada Richard Reeve, & Marlene Scardamalia, IKIT, OISE/University of Toronto, ON, Canada

Poster Abstract This poster reports on the first ever implementation of Knowledge Forum® in a Junior Kindergarten classroom. This pilot study took place over a two-year period at the Institute for Child Study Lab School at the University of Toronto. Although initially intended strictly to support literacy development the teacher found that iterations in the classroom design occurred as the students began building onto each other's notes and working with the ideas of other classmates. View topics ranged from the study of space to what constitutes a living thing. Surprisingly, student conversations went beyond the focus of the particular view into subjects as daunting as gender stereotyping. Student's notes demonstrate that these very young children are, indeed, able to put into practice some of the principles of Knowledge Building.