Navigating Black Identity Development: The Power of Interactive Multicultural Read-Alouds with Elementary-Aged Children

Racial identity development in young children is influenced by interactions with teachers and curriculum in schools. This article, using the framework of critical race theory, critical literacy, and critical pedagogy, explores how three elementary-aged Black children view their own identity development. Specifically, observing how children interact with Movement-Oriented Civil Rights-Themed Children’s Literature (MO-CRiTLit) in the context of a non-traditional summer literacy program, Freedom Schools, to influence their Black identity. Professional development and preservice teacher preparation are needed to support teachers as they navigate through learning about pedagogical practices that increase student engagement

Multicultural Education in Action: A Multiple Case Study of Black Elementary Aged Children\u27s Identity Development and Engagement with Civil Rights Literature

In the United States education system a large achievement gap between African American and Latino students compared to White American students exists. Various studies have documented the gap, but there has not been much success in closing it. Recognizing that the educational system is growing more, not less, diverse, including due to the rise in enrollments of students of color and the decrease of the same by white students based on birthrates and immigration trends, the success of this increasingly diverse student population is even more important to the success of the nation. Preparing teachers to integrate multicultural content and pedagogy across the PK-12 (and higher education) curriculum is one means of addressing the gap. Doing so in early education creates stronger interpersonal and, thus, academic, foundations for all children; continuing to do so as children progress educationally will assure that all students are prepared to become active citizens in society. Ensuring that all students can find themselves affirmed in the curriculum is key to their individual, social, and educational identity formation and, thus, their future success in all quadrants of life. Accordingly, this research seeks to contribute to existing literature on supporting all students’ positive identity development through the use of culturally responsive content and pedagogical practices. Drawing upon Jackson’s (1976b) Black Identity Development Model and Freire’s (1970) theory of critical pedagogy, this research will explore racial identity development theory through examining the educational experiences of black children’s interactions with “movement-oriented” Civil Rights-themed children’s literature. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify reliable critical pedagogical strategies for in- and pre-service teachers to adopt to close the racial academic achievement gap. This qualitative, multiple case study of seven Black students, aged eight to twelve years, and their parent or parents was undertaken in the context of a summer literacy program. Data sources included a demographic survey, pre- and post-classroom activity interviews, and classroom observation. Themes in the participating students’ Black Identity Development that emerged in relationship to their engagement with culturally relevant curriculum and pedagogical practices were culled and examined against the participants’ educational outcomes

Creating Elementary-Aged Agents of Change: The Impact of Civil Rights-Themed Literature

This chapter focused on the notion of implementing Civil Rights-themed literature with elementary-aged students through interactive read alouds. With traditional pre-packaged scripted curriculum programs, teachers are challenged with implementing additional literature and utilizing resources to promote an expansive variety of learning experiences. Sample texts and interactive activities were addressed and provided for teachers to use as an initial starting point for introducing Civil Rights-themed literature in their classrooms. Lastly, implications for teacher professional development were addressed in an effort to provide teachers and teacher candidates with a space to explore a variety of authentic multicultural children’s literature

Increasing the Literacy Knowledge of Teacher Candidates: Why Service-Learning Matters

Educator preparation programs seek to provide teacher candidates with authentic learning experiences that support the learning process, and one means is to engage teacher candidates in service-learning. Elementary schools are tasked with improving the literacy outcomes of struggling readers, and community-based programs focused on literacy, seek to improve the literacy achievement of its’ citizens. This work explores how an educator preparation program collaborated with a community-based organization to provide elementary, struggling readers with 1:1 literacy instruction via teacher candidates from the local university. The aim is to showcase the process, procedures, and benefits of universities partnering with local PK-12 schools and community-based organizations

Teachers’ Preparedness and Professional Learning about Using Educational Technologies During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education at multiple levels over the last ten months. One common thread that has remained is the online learning and meeting platform for teachers, students, administrators, and families. This study reports on a survey of 560 K-12 educators across one southernmost part of a south-central state who shared their levels of preparedness during the transition to virtual learning in the Spring of 2020/amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Data analysis revealed that educators continued to focus on professional development during the summer of 2020 in preparation for the new academic year. Additional analysis showed that participants’ self-efficacy of using technology to teach online remained high. This demonstrated the resiliency and adapt- ability of K-12 classroom teachers in the face of immediate changes affecting their preconceived notions of how a classroom looks and how learning is obtained

Using Multicultural Children’s Literature to Address Social Issues: The Power of Interactive Read Aloud

As the demographics of U.S. schools are changing, educators have to embrace this change and prepare students to adopt diversity and inclusivity as a means to increase students’ understanding of their peers. Not only are race and ethnicity identities at the forefront of these changes, gender identity and ability identity must also be supported, as more students are challenging traditional gender roles and as more students are mainstreamed into regular education classes. This article seeks to address usage of interactive read alouds of multicultural literature as a means to help bridge students who need inclusiveand equitable pedagogical practices in race, gender, and ability identity and those who need to understand those who identify as one or more of the aforementioned. A recommended list of multicultural literature is included withdiscussion starters to assist educators in establishing critical conversations with students who identify as one of the listed identities or for those students who need to understand those students who identify differently than them

Using Authentic Literature to Enrich Young Children’s Literacy Experiences

This article focuses on the five components (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) needed to effectively teach children to read. Early childhood educators can teach these five skills through the use of authentic literature. To be classified as authentic literature, books and texts need to utilize “real life” writing that is written to engage the reader. Authentic narrative texts generally appeal to the reader and offers a theme and a moral to the story. The article explains the five components needed to teach children to read and offers some authentic texts, synopses, and lesson ideas specifically for each of the components. Although children may not be able to read the texts, the texts selected are at the child’s listen-ing comprehension level. In addition, the selected texts will aid early childhood educators and parents in infusing these skills for engaging implementation

Exploring the Literacy Leadership Practices of Literacy Teacher Educators

Literacy teacher educators must actively engage as literacy leaders who are advocates for literacy, continuous professional learners, and responsive leaders. However, the literature base for literacy leadership is narrow and does not specifically address literacy teacher educators. To address this research gap, the current study explored current literacy leadership practices of literacy teacher educators and challenges they encounter during their literacy leadership pursuits. Using a survey research design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected among 65 experienced literacy teacher educators affiliated with university-based teacher preparation programs located in the South Central United States. Quantitative data were tabulated and reported as frequencies, and qualitative data were analyzed using three levels of coding. Findings revealed preliminary understandings about the literacy leadership practices of literacy teacher educators and pointed to three practical implications for teacher preparation programs administrators and leaders of professional organizations

An Exploration of Teacher Preparation Practices with Foundational Knowledge of Literacy

The Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 published by the International Literacy Association provide the basis for high-quality literacy teacher preparation. This study used qualitative survey responses to explore the literacy practices that teacher educators use to promote understandings among preservice teachers for each grade-level band (i.e., Pre-K/Primary, Elementary/Intermediate, Middle/High School). The researchers used conceptualizations of teacher knowledge as a theoretical lens to better understand reported preparation practices. Data analysis revealed three themes: Teacher Educator Pedagogy, Course Content, Student and Program Expectations. Researchers posit that teacher educators do not evenly focus on all components of literacy and contend that preparation programs must examine their respective curricula to ensure that all components of literacy associated with foundational knowledge are addressed sufficiently

How Do Literacy Teacher Educators Engage as Literacy Leaders?

Literacy teacher educators play a pivotal role in developing future PreK-12 classroom teachers for the task of literacy leadership. However, little is known about literacy teacher educators and how they engage as literacy leaders. In the current study, we retrieved data from 132 literacy teacher educators and analyzed it descriptively using teacher educator identify as a theoretical lens. Findings revealed 15 different literacy leadership practices that represented five distinct groups. Among these groups, respondents demonstrated high and low levels of engagement with literacy leadership practices that pointed to important implications for administrators of teacher education programs