JCPSLP Vol 19 No 1 2017

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Communication and connection: Valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives
JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 1 2017 35
2008). Communicating using AE in the local Aboriginal
community is one way of maintaining cultural vitality, and
is therefore important to Aboriginal people (Eckermann et
al., 2010). Aboriginal English embodies cultural connection
and identity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
(Harrison, 2004).
Few studies have considered communication
and interaction in early childhood for this population
(Ellis, Brooks, & Edwards, 2010; McLeod, Verdon, &
Bennetts Kneebone, 2014). Culturally different ways of
communicating need to be valued and considered for the
impact they may have on children’s progression into formal
education. This paper describes the perspectives of Early
Childhood Educators (ECEs), teachers and carers about
issues relating to early childhood education, language and
literacy development for Aboriginal children.
Method
A qualitative research design was adopted to address the
research question for this current study, which forms part of
a larger PhD study. Ethical approval was granted from a
number of relevant organisations. These included the Curtin
University Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval
number: HR100/2012), the New South Wales Department
of Education (SERAP number: 2014140), Kindergarten
Union and the Regional Aboriginal Education Consultancy
Group. The principles of conduct for ethical research with
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were
adhered to (NHMRC, 2015). The research project was
initiated by questions from members of the local Aboriginal
community. The researcher, who is non-Aboriginal, then
worked very closely with an advisory panel of experienced
early childhood education and health professionals who work
with the local Aboriginal community. This panel of experts
provided guidance, support, and feedback about the
research process and helped to ensure that respect and
cultural integrity was considered throughout the process.
Participants
Participants recruited for this study included early childhood
educators (ECEs), parents/carers of Aboriginal children, and
both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults working in the
education system with children in their first year of formal
schooling. The participants were recruited from the greater
Newcastle area of NSW and were purposefully selected for
their experience in working with individual Aboriginal
children. Table 1 shows the numbers of participants and
their roles. The inclusion of three separate sets of
participants allowed for triangulation of the data.
This paper presents the results of qualitative
research into the perceptions of educators
and parents/carers about Aboriginal
children’s communication and emergent
literacy. Interviews with educators and
parents/carers revealed three core themes:
knowing the child and family; systemic
factors; and individual factors affecting
Aboriginal children’s communication and
development. Each core theme included
sub-themes which are discussed in this
paper. The findings of this research provide
insights for speech-language pathologists
working with Aboriginal people.
The links that exist between language development
and literacy have been well documented. In the
early childhood years, children’s communication
development is considered a precursor to their literacy
skills and ongoing academic progress (ACECQA, 2009;
Dickinson & Tabors, 2001; Zimmerman et al., 2009).
Recent government policies and projects have been put
in place to focus on enhancing early child development
such as the National Quality Framework for early learning
contexts (ACEQUA 2015). However, Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander children’s literacy and academic skills
in general are lower than those of the non-Indigenous
population (ACARA, 2015). This statistic comprises part of
the “the gap” in equality which needs addressing in regards
to health, education and socioeconomic outcomes for
Indigenous Australians (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015).
Despite recent government policies and projects to address
the issue, it continues to be an area requiring attention. The
gap is more pronounced in rural and remote areas, though
it is still significant in urban regions of Australia.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are less
likely to attend early childhood education and care (ECEC)
services, and if they do they are frequently in the minority
context, where mainstream (non-Indigenous) culture and
communication are dominant (Mason White, 2012).
In many places in Australia, Aboriginal children may
be exposed to one or more Indigenous languages as
their home language. In some areas a dialect of English,
Aboriginal English (AE), may have been the main form of
communication that the child has been exposed to prior to
commencing formal schooling (Simpson & Wigglesworth,
Educators’ and carers’
perceptions of Aboriginal
children’s communication and
emergent literacy development
Gwendalyn Webb and Cori Williams
Gwendalyn
Webb (top) and
Cori Williams
THIS ARTICLE
HAS BEEN
PEER-
REVIEWED
KEYWORDS
ABORIGINAL
COMMUNI­
CATION
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
EMERGENT
LITERACY
LANGUAGE