| Framed within the perspectives of emergent literacy, social constructivism, and literacy as social status and identity, this study explores the relationship between play, literacy, and culture in the life of Leticia, a five-year-old Chinese girl who is growing up in a multilingual and multiliterate family. As a participant observer, I adopt the role of playmate to examine her play activities at home. The narratives that she constructs in make-believe play focus on the predominant themes of playing house and playing school. These play narratives are analyzed as both literary and social texts.;When playing house, Leticia appropriates material from her family and social cultures, and weaves them into her play texts as a means of exploring family literacy practices and social roles and identities such as mother, wife, sister, store clerk, and daughter. The stories she constructs disclose a complex understanding of literacy, gender, family dynamics and relationships, and economics that one would expect to be far beyond the grasp of a five-year-old. Her narratives provide a means for her to make sense of the world and investigate possibilities for the future.;When Leticia plays school, she reveals a sense of herself as a literacy learner, which includes her perceptions of school culture, her parents' expectations for school achievement, and her position within her classroom. In this set of play narratives, she primarily adopts the role of teacher and as such, often situates herself in a position of power and authority. Her relative status allows her to explore literacy in ways that she was unwilling to consider when portraying more subordinate roles. In each of these narratives, the rules and routines of her kindergarten classroom are carefully and accurately reflected, and include many of the literacy tasks that help teachers organize and maintain order in their classrooms.;Glancing "sideways" at literacy through play highlights the complex relationship between play, literacy, and culture. The intersection of these three constructs reveals the interplay between story and self, and offers a unique window onto how this young girl constructs her understanding of the world. Through play, Leticia engages in personal storytelling, reveals her literacy "stance," and composes and edits her play scripts using a process similar to that undertaken by writers. Examining the intersection of play, literacy, and culture within the context of children's lives offers a distinctive way for parents, educators, and researchers to understand how young children negotiate a sense of self and story across different times and places. |
