Graphicacy: making meanings with visual marks, abstract signs and other representations. Exploring symbols is a significant feature of all multi-modal texts, and for this reason we have updated the taxonomy to acknowledge this.

Taxonomy

Gallery 6: Genres

Young children’s own name is often one of the first things they write.

Elizabeth had been talking about the various names in her family. She was interested in the length of individual names and the number of names each person had. Taking some paper she began to make more. She pointed to the visual signs she’d made and read her full name. Then pointing to others explained, ‘That’s James’s name and his second name and his third name. James’s second name is Thomas. My mummy had also got a second name. My daddy also has a second name. I think it’s Roy.’

Elizabeth was interested in the abstract signs she used, writing a range of letter-like symbols and crosses and enclosing each in a circle.