Centering Children’ s Culture and Language During Alphabet Instruction
Effective Curriculum: Designing and Implementing Meaningful Learning for Every Child
From Aloha to Z
Centering Children’ s Culture and Language During Alphabet Instruction
Colleen E. Whittingham and Germaine K. Tauati
Kumu( Teacher) Kanani teaches 15 3- and 4-year-olds at a preschool center in Hilo, Hawai‘ i. After breakfast, she uses the alphabet flip chart purchased by her center’ s director as part of its adopted literacy curriculum to introduce the letter A. She plans to have a conversation with keiki( children) that draws attention to the pictured items that start with today’ s focal letter.
Kanani begins with an open-ended question to encourage participation, planning to make note of the keiki who can already make letter-sound associations.“ Today we are
16 Young Children
Summer 2025