ABSTRACT

This article explores learning through modes of signification in literacy activity books for early childhood learners in Kenya. These modes of signification are important for the cognitive and social development of children. Early childhood education in Kenya aims to prepare children for primary school by building foundational skills in a culturally responsive manner through a competency-based curriculum. In the Kenyan competency-based curriculum (CBC), various types of literacy books cater to different literacy development aspects. These literacy books include story books, phonemic awareness books, workbooks, vocabulary books, and writing practice books in English and Kiswahili. This article examines how child-centered teaching methods using modes of signification in the competency-based curriculum (CBC) can impact learning experiences and outcomes in literacy books. Dual-coding theory is used to analyze the relationship between the modes of signification used by learners and teachers in a CBC literacy lesson in Grade 3. The findings reveal that teachers do not focus much on modes of signification, while learners do. The study concludes that incorporating multiple modes of signification into the education system can enhance literacy skills acquisition. Therefore, educators should embrace modes of signification in literacy curricula to improve learners' literacy skills.

ABSTRACT

Students are regularly expected to engage with connected text during the school day. However, for some readers, these demands can be overwhelming, particularly when reading fluency is still developing. In this article, we highlight Synchronous Paired Oral Reading Techniques (SPORT) as one approach that teachers can use to help striving readers access connected text. Discussion includes who may benefit, how to select peer or adult tutors, and using SPORT to more productively consume existing classroom text or increase the amount of text students read.

The Reading Teacher, Volume 78, Issue 5, Page 253-255, March/April 2025.

ABSTRACT

The study is dedicated to advancing literacy for all children by spotlighting literature that reflects diverse global perspectives and amplifies marginalized voices. By showcasing culturally rich books in fiction and nonfiction, the column aims to create an inclusive reading environment that empowers children and educators alike to explore the vast tapestry of human experiences. This initiative underscores the critical role of culturally reflective literature in fostering understanding, empathy, and connection in classrooms and communities.

The Reading Teacher, Volume 78, Issue 5, Page 256-257, March/April 2025.

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study examines how elementary students of Color develop and enact an abolitionist praxis as part of a Freedom Dreaming literacy unit. The analysis of focus-group interviews elucidates how, after learning about freedom dreaming and the abolition of prisons and police, students positioned historical anti-carceral activism as something occurring in the present and students leveraged their historical and contemporary understanding of anti-carceral activism to enact their own freedom dreaming toward abolishing carcerality within their school. Our findings reveal the transformative potential of centering freedom dreaming and the abolition of prisons and police in elementary literacy instruction.

ABSTRACT

This study was developed in response to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) position statement elevating the use of nonfiction literature in the K-12 curriculum. Using an intersectional, critical multicultural lens, we examined award-winning picturebook biographies for their potential to invite examination of the concept of power following two guiding questions: “how do subjects acquire power?” and “how do subjects use their power?” The findings show that most subjects of biographies are depicted as having intrinsic power that comes from within and is used to pursue a personal dream. A smaller number of books depict subjects as having collective power, acquired within the contexts of their communities and subsequently using their power to uplift their communities. The teaching implications include suggestions for unpacking abstract ideas about power through picturebook biographies in tangible ways with elementary grade readers.

ABSTRACT

This study explored the instructional potential of bilingual picturebooks for building word consciousness in bilingual elementary students. Word consciousness refers to knowledge about words as well as interest in and enthusiasm for learning new words. This disposition helps students build their vocabularies and learn more words from talk and text. Transcripts from 37 small-group bilingual book club meetings with 11 Spanish-English bilingual fourth graders revealed how discussion and translation activities related to the books supported word consciousness. Students paid close attention to words, learned how words work, and played with words. The study shows how structured talk about bilingual books can build word consciousness and thus vocabulary and comprehension.

ABSTRACT

Classrooms with multilingual students are rich spaces for enacting linguistically sustaining practices that encourage students to use all their language resources. When teachers have some knowledge of their students' home languages, they can facilitate making connections across languages which strengthens students' language development. In this article, we provide a description of key ideas and practices that teachers of multilingual students need to know, so they can draw on the linguistic resources of their students. While there are many factors that contribute to the literacy development of multilingual students, we focus on the linguistic features (phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics) of students' home languages and English. We share examples in multiple languages of how teachers can create linguistically sustaining practices in their classroom.

Abstract

Integrating content-area and literacy instruction in primary-grade classrooms creates authentic and engaging opportunities for students to build background knowledge and literacy skills. Furthermore, when students engage in meaningful dialogue about content-area topics they can discuss complex ideas and use content-specific vocabulary. These authentic conversations, combined with hands-on experiences and children's literature, build a strong foundation for students to become successful readers and writers. Existing and current literature highlights knowledge building and its impacts on literacy achievement, often supported through integrated instruction. The subsequent experiences in a first-grade classroom confirm this impact, yielding promising results. However, there continues to be a need for more research and professional development opportunities to ensure equitable, accessible, and effective implementation for all learners.

Abstract

Teachers' choices as they select texts have long been explored and considered by researchers. However, within such scholarship, there is limited research about how teachers, particularly Black women teachers, navigate the gauntlet of whitewashed standards, hegemonic curriculs, and dehumanizing school spaces to select texts that affirm students and support their learning. This paper asks what choices one experienced Black woman teacher makes in selecting texts in response to her students' identities and her own learning experiences. Drawing on Black Feminist scholarship, this article focuses on how memory, self-reflection, personal experiences, and a desire for equity are all a part of selecting culturally relevant texts. Moreover, we illustrate that Black women teachers see text selection as a part of larger care practices and community building within their classrooms.

ABSTRACT

This article describes experiences of a literary coach working with a first-grade teacher to make Pro-Black culturally relevant pedagogy foundational to the coaching relationship. Responding to the failure of mandated programs to support Black students' literacy proficiency and the success of culturally relevant pedagogies, they addressed the White dominance of a district-mandated program by revising lessons in Pro-Black, culturally relevant ways providing classroom examples and implications for literacy coaches.

ABSTRACT

Making connections between children's existing means of expression (play, art, and movement) and the intricacies of print is a necessary and time-honored approach to writing instruction in the early years of school, yet, after kindergarten, one that is easily overlooked. In this article, we examine an approach to writing instruction for first-grade children that brings together play and written composition. Story Workshop can be a highly accessible, scaffolded means for developing young children's writing practices and skills. However, it is not an approach that is widely adopted in first-grade classrooms. The authors consider why this might be by examining the structure of Story Workshop as set out by the Opal School and offering examples of two classroom educators who have fruitfully adapted the approach for their first-grade learners.

ABSTRACT

Some readers thrive more than others because they are more actively involved in their learning. All students can become active participants in their learning through quality teacher prompting. In this article, teachers will learn how to promote emergent learners' active participation as they decode and comprehend, while problem-solving unknown text. The authors show how to support students by incorporating appropriate prompting determined by student needs.

Abstract

Despite proficient math skills, students may struggle to make sense of and solve story problems. While educators are encouraged to promote the use of comprehension strategies, students must first understand vocabulary at all levels as they work to make sense of and solve math story problems. Language skills are a prerequisite for schema construction, which mediate the language-related pathway to solving story problems. In this article, we examine the role of language in making sense of math story problems and discuss the types of vocabulary to consider. We provide the Technical Subtechnical Nontechnical (TSN) Vocabulary Model as an instructional planning tool to assist in supporting all students to make sense of math story problems, along with examples of how to use the tool to plan for instruction.

ABSTRACT

Book expansion brings voices to the page, celebrating linguistic diversity and building a more inclusive community.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a special interest in promoting literacy learning in early childhood education programs. It is presumed that teaching literacy early can ensure better literacy outcomes in later years. Currently, in a renewed effort to improve children's literacy learning through science of reading supported practices, most states across the United States have passed legislation for the teaching of reading in grades K-3. These laws have repercussions for early childhood education (ECE) programs serving bilingual children. Educators and advocates for bilingual children have voiced concerns about a blanket approach to early literacy reflective of a monolingual, English-centric perspective, which might exacerbate the longstanding educational inequities experienced by bilingual children. Viewing language and literacy learning both as a right and as a resource, we propose an expansive perspective of early literacy that integrates a holistic bilingual and a sociocultural perspective. A broader perspective on early literacy calls for an understanding of the linguistic characteristics of each language as well as the sociocultural literacy practices associated with the uses of both languages. Drawing from early literacy studies conducted in Spanish-dominant countries and in the United States, we foreground two interrelated components of early literacy learning—code-focused skills and home literacy practices—with an emphasis on commonalities and differences across Spanish and English and how these early literacy aspects relate across languages. We also discuss asset-based practices for supporting literacy learning in early childhood settings serving young bilingual children. This information can help to enhance teachers' agency for building pro-Latine literacy curricula and pedagogies that can lead to emancipatory, meaningful, and more equitable education for bilingual children.

ABSTRACT

Culture and language shape the way people read. Yet, within many popular reading models of reading development, culture is a component, if featured at all. Illustrated through examples of pro-Black, culturally sustaining, emancipatory practices of one teacher, this article highlights the Cultural Sustenance View of Reading, a reader model that can be used by reading teachers to center and sustain culture in children's reading development and their literacy futures.

ABSTRACT

In the 21st century, fake news has detrimental consequences on global communities, relationships, and democracies. Unfortunately, youth unknowingly engage with misinformed content on their social media platforms. Teenagers often turn to social media for information, and it is essential that teachers address reading strategies such as sourcing to support informed reading. However, although teachers understand the benefits of sourcing, otherwise known as investigating online claims, research shows that educators do not feel confident in teaching such skills. With personal stories embedded throughout, this research-to-practice article provides practical strategies for teachers to gently incorporate sourcing into their classrooms.

Abstract

Fans often express their love of authors or books by creating and sharing fanfiction, a genre wherein fans write new narratives that add to beloved works or take place in existing story worlds. In this article, we describe a kindergarten teacher's efforts to enhance students' foundational literacy skills by combining author studies with composing fanfiction. Pairing these practices throughout the school year can encourage kindergarteners to recognize textual patterns, playfully adapt these patterns, and compose their own stories and art. By playing with literacy, kindergarten fanfiction writers can begin to see themselves not just as readers, but authors.