Language and Literacy Strategies for Indigenous Children: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Education
• Applied Linguistics
• Child Development

Background:

• Effective language and literacy strategies are crucial for Indigenous children's educational success.
• Existing research on these interventions requires systematic evaluation to determine their strength and cultural responsiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing research on language and literacy strategies for Indigenous children.
• To assess the strength and identify potentially culturally responsive interventions.
• To create a preliminary evidence map of identified strategies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases (PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL Complete, etc.) was performed.
• Articles were managed and analyzed using Covidence, a specialized review software.
• Results were charted, and a preliminary evidence map was developed, including strength of strategy coding.

Main Results:

• Forty sources describing language and literacy strategies for Indigenous children were identified.
• Only 5 sources demonstrated compelling strength, and 5 showed promising strength.
• A significant majority (30 sources) had lacking strength, indicating limited robust research.

Conclusions:

• There is a substantial gap in high-quality research on language and literacy strategies for Indigenous children.
• The findings underscore the need for developing and rigorously evaluating culturally responsive interventions.
• A preliminary evidence map was created to guide future research and practice in this area.