‘I saw the universe and I saw the world’: exploring spiritual literacy with young children in a primary classroom

This paper explores the concept of promoting spiritual literacy as viewed through the eyes of a holistic educator of young children in an inner‐city primary classroom. Similar to discussions of spirituality in education, the idea of spiritual literacy is often elusive and can create discomfort and tensions. Drawing on stories of experience, the complexities of what defines spiritual literacy and how it translates into classroom practice are examined. Three recurring themes emerge: story, relationships and mindful spaces. An alternative perspective of what is significant in creating a learning environment is presented as a milieu that reconceptualises what is important and often missing in the mainstream discourse in child development: the spirituality of the child. It is argued that through spiritual literacy practices, teaching and learning can be transformed and, most significantly, an empowering encounter engages all participants in the learning environment.