Dr Karen Daniels EdD, MA, PGCE TLHE, BEd (Hons) Primary
Associate Professor in Early Literacies
Summary
After many years working as a primary and early years teacher, English subject leader, Foundation Stage leader and Early Years Outreach Teacher in South Yorkshire, I joined the Teacher Education Department at Sheffield Hallam University. I was English subject leader for 8 years and the main focus of my work is researching primary and early years education. After working as a Senior Lecturer for 10 years, I was promoted to Associate Professor in recognition of my contribution to Research and Innovation in embodied conceptualisations of young children's literacy practices, and how this can help to theorise children's agency in classroom settings. I lead the Language and Literacy in Education Research Group, a multidisciplinary group of teachers, researchers and academics with a shared interest in literacy practices inside and beyond education settings.
About
The main role I have undertaken while working at SHU has been English subject lead (Primary and Early Years) where I co-ordinated developments in English for our Initial Teacher Training courses, including BA QTS and PGCE in Primary and Early Years Education. I am currently the Doctorate in Education course leader.
I hold a number of external roles related to my field. I am an Executive Council member and trustee for the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA), where I also act as publications committee convenor. I am co-editor of 'Literacy' journal and book reviews editor for the 'Journal of Early Childhood Literacy'. I am founder and co-convenor of UKLA's Early Literacy in Education Special Interest Group, a group of international colleagues interested in exploring literacy from a diverse and inclusive range of perspectives.
My doctoral thesis, 'Movement, Meaning and Affect: the stuff early literacies are made of' contributed to understandings of the significance of the moving, feeling body as young children's literacy practices emerge in early years classrooms. My thesis re-explores notions of cultural agency and how this is manifest in young children's everyday encounters in literacy classrooms. My work theorises the significance of the moving, feeling body and the kinds of symbolic meanings that are produced by children.
As well as leading the Doctorate in Education, I supervise doctoral students and work with the postgraduate team to enhance the research experience and culture of postgraduate researchers.
My teaching interests mainly involve the development of early language and reading and writing. I am also interested in how children's literature supports children literacy development.
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Education
College of Social Sciences and Arts
I have been involved in a broad range of literacy research projects since joining Sheffield Hallam, including the following: EEF Evaluation of REACH; Book Trust Evaluations; collaborative grammar; Strategic School Improvement Fund projects (Oracy, Contextualise Grammar, Mastery English); Digital Literacies in the Early Years.
Subject Area
I am based in the Department of Teacher Education.
Courses Taught
PGCE Early Years and Primary
BA QTS Early Years and Primary
Doctorate in Education
Modules(s) Current/Recent
Introducing the Early Years Core Curriculum
Developing the Core Curriculum
Exploring a Specialism through Collaborative Development
Enhancing the Digital Literacy Curriculum
Reflecting on Approaches to Teaching
Research
- Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research
Current Research
English Mastery Evaluation
REACH Primary Evaluation
Co-researching Grammar
Strategic School Improvement Fund projects
Digital Literacies in the Early Years
Featured Research
Strategic School Improvement Fund projects
Digital Literacies in the Early Years
Collaborators/Sponsors
Reading for Pleasure Teachers as Readers Project in collaboration with the Open University.
Publications
Journal articles
Daniels, K., Duncan, S., Harmey, S., & Taylor, L. (2024). Editorial. Literacy, 58 (1), 1-2. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12362
Daniels, K., & Taylor, L. (2023). Editorial. Literacy, 57 (3), 207-208. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12352
Daniels, K., & Taylor, L. (2023). Editorial. Literacy, 57 (1), 1-2. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12313
Daniels, K., & Taylor, R. (2022). Oracy and education: perspective shifts and policy tensions (Editorial). Literacy, 56 (3), 189-90. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12295
Daniels, K. (2020). Moving hands in classroom assemblages: puppet play in a post-world. English Teaching: Practice and Critique. http://doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-11-2019-0143
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement, meaning and affect and young children's early literacy practices. International Journal of Early Years Education. http://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2019.1701998
Daniels, K., Burnett, C., Bower, K., Escott, H., Ehiyazaryan-White, E., Hatton, A., & Monkhouse, J. (2019). Early years teachers and digital literacies: Navigatinga kaleidoscope of discourses. Education and Information Technologies, 25 (4), 2415-2426. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-10047-9
Daniels, K., Burnett, C., Bower, K., Escott, H., Hatton, A., Ehiyazaryan-White, E., & Monkhouse, G. (2019). Early years teachers and digital literacies: Navigating a kaleidoscope of discourses. Education and Information Technologies, 25, 2415-2426. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-019-10047-9
Daniels, K. (2019). Notions of agency in early literacy classrooms: assemblages and productive intersections. Journal of early childhood literacy. http://doi.org/10.1177/1468798419866489
Daniels, K. (2015). Exploring enabling literacy environments: Young children’s spatial and material encounters in early years classrooms. English in Education, 50 (1), 12-34. http://doi.org/10.1111/eie.12074
Burnett, C., Daniels, K., Gray, L., Myers, J., & Sharpe, S. (2015). Investigating student teachers’ presentations of literacy and literacy pedagogy in a complex context. Teacher Development, 19 (3), 275-293. http://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2015.1020393
Daniels, K. (2014). Cultural agents creating texts: a collaborative space adventure. Literacy, 48 (2), 103-111. http://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12031
Burnett, C., Merchant, G., Daniels, K., Taylor, R., Bailey, C., & Monkhouse, J. (2013). Zombe Apocalypse: Children's problem-solving in a virtual world. English 4-11, (48), 7-10.
Daniels, K. (2013). Supporting the development of positive dispositions and learner identities: an action research study into the impact and potential of developing photographic learning stories in the Early Years. Education 3-13, 41 (3), 300-315. http://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2011.582846
Conference papers
Kontovourki, S., Daniels, K., & Hackett, A. (2021). Not just a world of words: Troubling children's talk. In Let's Talk About Literacy UKLA 2021 International Conference, Online, 2 July 2021 - 4 July 2021. https://ukla.org/news/view-our-2021-ukla-international-conference-brochure/
Kontovourki, S., Daniels, K., & Hackett, A. (2021). Not just a world of words: Troubling children's talk. In Let's Talk About Literacy UKLA 2021 International Conference, Online, 2 July 2021 - 4 July 2021. https://ukla.org/news/view-our-2021-ukla-international-conference-brochure/
Book chapters
Daniels, K., & Hussain, J. (2025). Encountering Literacies in Early Years Classrooms. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Daniels, K., & Hussain, J. (2025). Encountering Literacies in Early Years Classrooms. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (2025). Principles for Literacy Education in a World of Diverse Literacy Practices. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (2025). Principles for Literacy Education in a World of Diverse Literacy Practices. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Borland, S., & Daniels, K. (2025). Children as critical consumers and producers of multimodal texts. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Borland, S., & Daniels, K. (2025). Children as critical consumers and producers of multimodal texts. In Daniels, K., & Helks, M. (Eds.) An introduction to Diverse Literacies in Primary Classrooms: Perspectives on pedagogy and practice. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/An-Introduction-to-Diverse-Literacies-in-Primary-Classrooms-Perspectives-on-Pedagogy-and-Practice/Daniels-Helks/p/book/9781032462974?srsltid=AfmBOoomnq-vh-yiWTzdRNcehsp6oE_TVjunIOj4157o9jKMqEJ1eEDP
Burnett, C., & Daniels, K. (2019). Spaces, places, bodies and things: sociomaterial perspectives on young children’s literacy practices. In Woods, A., & Exley, B. (Eds.) Literacies in Early Childhood: Foundations for equitable, quality pedagogy. Oxford University Press, Australia and New Zealand: https://www.oup.com.au/books/higher-education/education/9780190305147-literacies-in-early-childhood
Daniels, K., & Taylor, R. (2018). Children as learners: multimodal perspectives on play and learning. In Fitzgerald, D., & Maconochie, H. (Eds.) Early Childhood Studies: A students' guide. (pp. 47-62). London: Sage: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/early-childhood-studies/book253819
Daniels, K. (2017). Children’s Engagement with iPads in Early Years Classrooms: Exploring Peer Cultures and Transforming Practices. In The Case of the iPad. (pp. 195-210). Springer Singapore: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4364-2_12
Daniels, K. (2017). Children's engagement with iPads in early years classrooms: Exploring peer cultures and transforming practices. In Burnett, C., Merchant, G., Simpson, A., & Walsh, M. (Eds.) The case of the iPad mobile literacies in education. (pp. 195-210). Singapore: Springer: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4364-2
Daniels, K. (2016). Young children in an education context : apps, cultural agency and expanding communicative repertoires. In Kucirkova, N., & Falloon, G. (Eds.) Apps, technology and younger learners : international evidence for teaching. (pp. 280-292). London: Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Apps-Technology-and-Younger-Learners-International-evidence-for-teaching/Kucirkova-Falloon/p/book/9781138927889
Burnett, C., Daniels, K., & Sawka, V. (2016). Teaching Strategies. In Wyse, D., & Rogers, S. (Eds.) A Guide to Early Years and Primary Teaching. (pp. 125-144). Sage: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/a-guide-to-early-years-and-primary-teaching/book244193
Burnett, C., & Daniels, K. (2015). Technology and literacy in the early years : framing young children’s meaning-making with new technologies. In Garvis, S., & Lemmon, N. (Eds.) Understanding Digital Technologies and Young Children : an international perspective. (pp. 18-27). Routledge
Reports
Culliney, M., Daniels, K., Booth, J., Coldwell, M., & Demack, S. (2021). REACH Primary Evaluation Report. Education Endowment Foundation. https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/documents/projects/REACH_report_v5-final.pdf
Burnett, C., Merchant, G., Daniels, K., & Garrick, R. (2014). Expert Review of Booktrust Resources.
Burnett, C., Daniels, K., & Bailey, C. (2014). The Impact of Early Years Bookgifting Programmes on Literacy Attainment: A Literature Review.
Presentations
Daniels, K. (2023). Representation, Movement and Affect. Presented at: 29th Annual RECE conference Pathways: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, Where We Want to Go, Manchester Metropolitan University
Daniels, K. (2022). The Affective Dimensions of Superhero Play. Presented at: 2022 United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference, McDonald Burlington, Birmingham
Monkhouse, J., & Booth, J. (2022). Teaching Assistants' Insights following a one-to-one Year 3 Reading Intervention: Gentle negotiations. Presented at: 2022 United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference, McDonald Burlington Hotel, Birmingham
Taylor, R., & Daniels, K. (2022). Teachers' Perceptions of Post Pandemic Classroom Talk. Presented at: UKLA International Conference, Birmingham Macdonalds Hotel
Daniels, K. (2021). Movement, Meaning and Affect in Early Literacy Classrooms. Presented at: Educational Futures Cluster (invited seminar), Open University, Milton Keynes
Daniels, K., & Taylor, R. (2020). Tales of rediscovery, expertise and self-esteem from an oracy project. Presented at: Literacy Research Association 2020 Annual Conference, Virtual, 2020
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement, meaning and affect in early literacy classrooms. Presented at: UKLA 55th International Conference: Literacy and Play for All: Improvisation, possibility and imagination, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement, meaning and affect in early literacy classrooms. Presented at: UKLA 55th International Conference Literacy and Play for All: Improvisation, possibility ad imagination, Sheffield, UK
Daniels, K., & Smith, L. (2019). Working with the United Kingdom Literacy Association. How can UKLA support your school in advancing practice in the teaching of English? Presented at: Sheffield Institute of Education Festival of Education, Sheffield Hallam University
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement and semiotic orchestrations of meaning in early years classrooms.Participation in Interaction: Multimodal Understandings of Interaction in a Range of Education Settings. Presented at: AERA 19 Symposium Participation in Interaction, Toronto, Canada
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement, meaning and affect in early literacy classrooms. Presented at: American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement, meaning and affect: the stuff early childhood literacies are made of. Presented at: Reconceptualising Early Childhood Literacies: an international conference, Manchester Conference Centre
Daniels, K. (2019). Movement and Meaning in Early Literacy Classrooms. Presented at: Educational Futures (invited speaker), Open University , Milton Keynes
Daniels, K., Bailey, C., Merchant, G., & Burnett, C. (2018). Playful Literacies in Contemporary Places: Movement and meaning in early literacy classrooms (Symposium). Presented at: ESRC Festival of Social Science, Sheffield Hallam University
Ehiyazaryan- White, E., Hatton, A., & Monkhouse, J. (2018). Teachers' beliefs, experiences and perceptions of digital and multimodal literacies in early years settings. Presented at: UKLA 54th International Conference. Literacies in a changing world: creativity, criticality, empowerment, Cardiff, Wales
Daniels, K., & Burnett, C. (2017). Early Years and Elementary Teachers' Experiences of Digital Literacies: Insights from a cross-country interview inquiry. Presented at: Literacy in Contemporary Society: Spaces, Discourses, Practices, University of Cyprus, Nicosia
Daniels, K. (2017). Children's Emerging Literacy Practices. Presented at: UKLA 53rd International Conference. Literacy, Equity, Diversity: Bringing voices together, University of Glasgow
Daniels, K. (2017). Children's emerging literacy practices. Presented at: UKLA 53rd International Conference, University of Glasgow
Daniels, K., & Monkhouse, J. (2017). Working collaboratively to develop a descriptive pedagogy of grammar. Presented at: Faculty of Development and Society Research Conference: Challenging norms and conventions in education, pedagogy and employability, Sheffield Hallam University
Daniels, K. (2016). Magic spells, being invisible and flying: young children's expression of the human and superhuman through spatial and material explorations in small world play. Presented at: Literacy Research Association. Mobilising Literacy Research for Social Transformation, Nashville, USA
Daniels, K. (2016). Cultural agency and young children's authoring in early childhood education settings : Research paper. Presented at: TACTYC International Conference: Children's and practitioners' experiences of early years care and education. Advocating for young children through research and practice, Birmingham Conference Centre
Daniels, K. (2016). Cultural agency and young children's authoring in early childhood education settings. Presented at: UKLA 51st International Conference. Re-assessing Literacy: talking, reading and writing in the 21st Century, Nottingham, UK
Daniels, K., Myers, J., Monkhouse, J., & Creasey-Gray, L. (2016). Working Collaboratively to Develop a Descriptive Pedagogy of Grammar : A research report. Presented at: UKLA 52nd International Conference. Literacy, Equality and Diversity. Bringing voices together: 50 years of literacy continuity and change, Bristol, UK
Daniels, K. (2016). Magic spells, being invisible and flying: young children's expression of the human and superhuman through spatial and material explorations in small world play. Presented at: Everyday Literacies, Sheffield University
Daniels, K., Burnett, C., & Sawka, V. (2016). Let it go: the role of playfulness within a teaching repertoire. Presented at: Invited presentation : book launch, University College London
Daniels, K. (2014). Young children as cultural agents: exploring literacy practices within enabling early education contexts. Presented at: Literacy Research Association. The Dialogic Construction of Literacies, Marco Island, Florida
Daniels, K. (2014). Meaning making in contemporary classrooms. Presented at: UKLA 50th International Conference, Brighton, UK
Daniels, K., & Yamada Rice, D. (2013). Keep taking the tablets: iPads, young children and story apps. Presented at: The Children's Media Conference Research Insights at the CMD, Sheffield, UK
Other activities
External Conference Presentations
UKLA 54th International Conference. Cardiff. July 2018. Literacies in a changing world: creativity, criticality, empowerment: Teachers' perceptions of digital literacies in childhood: Teachers' beliefs, experiences and perceptions on digital and multimodal literacies in early years settings (symposium) COST Action funded project.
Literacy in Contemporary Society: Spaces, Discourses, Practices. University of Cyprus. December . Dec. 2017. Early Years and Elementary Teachers’ Experiences of Digital Literacies: Insights from a cross-country in Interview Enquiry (symposium) COST Action funded project.
UKLA 53rd International Conference. Glasgow. July 2017. Literacy, Equality and Diversity: Bringing voices together. Children's emerging literacy practices: the stuff childhood worlds are made of.
American Literacy Research Association. Nashville, USA. December 2016. Mobilizing Literacy Research for Social Transformation December. 2015. Articulating The Body In Literacy Research Symposium
UCL Institute of Education. June 2016 Let it go! The role of playfulness within a teaching repertoire. (Invited presentation)
Everyday Literacies. June 2016. Sheffield University. Magic spells, being invisible and flying: young children's expression of the human and the superhuman through spatial and material explorations in small world play.
TACTYC Annual Conference. November 2015. International Convention Centre, Birmingham. Cultural agents meet schooled literacies: expanding conceptualisations of early literacy.
available at https://tactyc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Karen-Daniels_Expanding-conceptualisations.pdf
UKLA 52nd International Conference Bristol, July 2015. Literacy, Equality and Diversity: Bringing voices together. 50 Years of literacy Continuity & Change. Working Collaboratively to Develop a Descriptive Pedagogy of Grammar UKLA funded project.
UKLA 51st International conference. Brighton, July 2015. Re-assessing Literacy: talking, reading and writing in the 21st Century. Cultural agency and young children’s authoring in early childhood education settings.
Internal Conference Papers
Festival Of Social Science November 2017. Sheffield Institute of Education. Playful Literacies in Contemporary Places.
Social Sciences and Humanities Conference. June 2017. Working collaboratively to develop a descriptive pedagogy of grammar.
Membership and Affiliations
I am a member, regional representative and member of the conference sub-committee for the United Kingdom Literacy Association (Region 16, Yorkshire)
I hold membership of the National Council for English.
I am a member of the National Association for the Teaching of English and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Postgraduate supervision
I supervisor doctorates that are focused on primary and/ or early years literacy, or education more broadly.
I am currently supervising three doctoral students.