Creating and Using Culturally Responsive Text Sets in K-8 Literacy Education
Location
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
Description
PURPOSE: Selecting diverse texts for literacy and social emotional education is a task that should be critically considered by educators. We must strive to keep the learner's needs at the center of our curriculum to achieve cultural responsiveness in our classrooms. PROCEDURES: Using the framework from Every Child a Super Reader by Pam Allen and Ernest Morrell (2022), we curated text sets and activities to amplify reading behaviors and supplement reading curriculum. To select texts, we used the 7 Strengths of Reading to guide our practice: Belonging, Friendship, Curiosity, Kindness, Confidence, Courage, and Hope. We evaluated and adapted the framework’s books, activities, and lessons to fit our unique learners’ needs. We looked for books that provided our students with mirrors to reflect on their own lived experiences and windows and sliding glass doors into others’ experiences (Bishop, R. S., 1990). OUTCOME: As we started implementing the 7 Strengths Framework, we encountered obstacles involving time, curriculum demands, and the social emotional needs of our students. This caused us to shift from using the 7 Strengths strictly in reading to integrate it into cross-curricular activities as well. We found we needed to adjust our original timeline and be flexible with our expectations. Overall, these activities brought about a positive change in our students' attitudes toward reading and within our classroom community. IMPACT: Students must have a connection with texts provided in the classroom. It is important to realize how these 7 Strengths coincide with growth in academics, relationships, and engagement with literacy.
Creating and Using Culturally Responsive Text Sets in K-8 Literacy Education
Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall
PURPOSE: Selecting diverse texts for literacy and social emotional education is a task that should be critically considered by educators. We must strive to keep the learner's needs at the center of our curriculum to achieve cultural responsiveness in our classrooms. PROCEDURES: Using the framework from Every Child a Super Reader by Pam Allen and Ernest Morrell (2022), we curated text sets and activities to amplify reading behaviors and supplement reading curriculum. To select texts, we used the 7 Strengths of Reading to guide our practice: Belonging, Friendship, Curiosity, Kindness, Confidence, Courage, and Hope. We evaluated and adapted the framework’s books, activities, and lessons to fit our unique learners’ needs. We looked for books that provided our students with mirrors to reflect on their own lived experiences and windows and sliding glass doors into others’ experiences (Bishop, R. S., 1990). OUTCOME: As we started implementing the 7 Strengths Framework, we encountered obstacles involving time, curriculum demands, and the social emotional needs of our students. This caused us to shift from using the 7 Strengths strictly in reading to integrate it into cross-curricular activities as well. We found we needed to adjust our original timeline and be flexible with our expectations. Overall, these activities brought about a positive change in our students' attitudes toward reading and within our classroom community. IMPACT: Students must have a connection with texts provided in the classroom. It is important to realize how these 7 Strengths coincide with growth in academics, relationships, and engagement with literacy.