{"id":1395,"date":"2026-08-30T22:53:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:53:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:53:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T12:53:57","slug":"cvc2026-691","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childrensvoicesconference.csu.domains\/2026\/cvc2026-691\/","title":{"rendered":"CVC2026-691 \u2013 From \u201ccorrect English only\u201d to full voice: How a Lagos teacher used bilingual storytelling (Yoruba English) to create inclusive literacy circles for early learners"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"cvc-hero alignfull\">\n  <span class=\"cvc-chip\">Presentation \u2013 CVC2026-691<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">From \u201ccorrect English only\u201d to full voice: How a Lagos teacher used bilingual storytelling (Yoruba English) to create inclusive literacy circles for early learners<\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"cvc-authors\">\n<p><strong>Abayomi Olao<\/strong><strong>fe, <\/strong>Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container \" style=\"height: 100%;\"><iframe title=\"CVC2026-691 From \u201ccorrect English only\u201d to full voice: How a Lagos teacher used bilingual storytelli\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aKcoWDFCbIc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<p><strong>Background: <\/strong>In many Lagos primary schools, an unwritten Correct English Only rule silences children whose home language is Yoruba. This linguistic exclusion reduces classroom participation, especially during literacy activities. Young learners who speak Yoruba or Pidgin at home often withdraw, speak less, or are labelled slow. Yet Nigeria\u2019s National Policy on Education supports mother tongue use in early schooling. The gap between policy and classroom practice creates an urgent need for practical, teacher-led strategies that honour children\u2019s full linguistic repertoires while building English literacy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Aim: <\/strong>This action research study, conducted by an early years teacher in a Lagos public primary school, aimed to explore how bilingual storytelling (Yoruba and English) can transform exclusive literacy routines into inclusive literacy circles for young learners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Method\/approach:<\/strong> Twenty-two children aged 7\u20138 years from one Lagos public primary school participated over six weeks. The teacher-researcher conducted daily 20-minute literacy circles where she deliberately alternated between Yoruba and English during storytelling, songs, and retelling activities. Data included audio recordings, teacher journal entries, and observational feedback. Ethical approval was obtained from the Lagos State Ministry of Education and the school\u2019s institutional review board. Parental consent was secured for all participating children. No child identifiers were used in reporting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results\/findings: <\/strong>Code-switching and translanguaging reduced withdrawal behaviours (e.g., turning away, silence) from 64% to 12% of observed circle time. Children who previously never spoke began volunteering comments and retelling stories using \u201cYorubaglish\u201d (mixing Yoruba and English). English vocabulary transfer improved; no child lost English comprehension. Participation became more equitable across language backgrounds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion: <\/strong>Bilingual storytelling, using a child\u2019s full linguistic repertoire, validates home language while accelerating English learning. When children hear their mother tongue in literacy circles, they feel seen, speak more, and learn better. Policy shifts are needed, but teachers can start today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for children and families: <\/strong>You don\u2019t have to leave your Yoruba at the classroom door. When your teacher tells stories in your home language, you learn English faster and feel braver. Your voice matters in any language.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Implications for practitioners:<\/strong> You can start tomorrow with zero budget. Swap five minutes of \u201cEnglish only\u201d circle time for bilingual storytelling. Use Yoruba, then repeat in English. You will see quiet children speak and all children\u2019s vocabulary grow.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keywords<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> inclusive literacy circles, early learners, code-switching, translanguaging, bilingual storytelling<\/p>\n<p><strong>This presentation relates to the following <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/\"><strong>United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"cvc-sdgs\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal4\">SDG 4: Quality Education<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\/goal10\">SDG\u00a010: Reduced Inequality<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Abayomi Olaofe, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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