Young children demystifying and remaking the university through critical play

Abstract

This article, part of a four-year research partnership with a multilingual faith community and its school, explores what happened when we invited young children in an aftercare program to inquire into the university from their perspectives. Through a sociocultural literacy framework and realist theories of identity and experience, we examine the children's organic forms of sense making through what we describe as critical play. The children took up our invitation to represent their inquiries into college by using humour and imagination to demystify the university and make it their own. We conclude with some specific recommendations for colleges and universities interested in supporting access to higher education, especially for those young children who may not have the economic means or the entitlement of institutional legacy as part of their social habitus.