More than ABC: Instructional Practices and Children’s Understanding of Literacy through English

Although schoolchildren in India perform poorly in reading/writing tests, little attention is paid to early literacy instruction. This article describes literacy instruction in an English-medium school; through classroom observations and children’s artifacts, it documents what four children in Lower KG understand about literacy in English, a language they do not know. The data point to the need for curricular guidance and teacher training for the early years of formal school instruction in English.