Critical Literacy Q & A
• What is Critical Literacy?
Critical literacy is not so much an approach to teaching, it is more of a set of skills that we provide ourselves and our students with that allow them to challenge a text. It is not something that can just simply be added to a literacy program. It is however, "a lens for learning that is an integral part of classroom practice." (Capacity Building Series: Critical Literacy. p1. 2009)
Critical literacy is the act of questioning the opinions of others and ourselves, and not being scared to ask some tough questions.
• What does Critical Literacy look like in the Primary Class?
On the surface it may be difficult to tell a classroom that has critical literacy happening in it apart from one that does now. However, once you delve deeper and begin to ask students about what they are reading you will find that students in a critical literacy classroom have a deeper understand about what the author's message is, understand how the story or text relates to their life and others, and they understand the difference between stories based upon reality and fiction.
In the primary grades critical literacy takes place mostly through guided and shared reading, with the progression to centres happening as the students become ready and able. The teacher will likely be the one heading of the discussions and posing the "think aloud questions". All students will be actively engaged and when asked individually to state their thoughts they will be able to reflect upon what the author's message was, and how this message could be changed if something were changed in the text (ex. gender switch - how would the message of the text change if the key characters gender were different).
• How can teachers address sensitive issues in age-appropriate ways through Critical Literacy?
For a teacher to be able to address sensitive issues in an age-appropriate manner they must first have a solid understanding of the mental age that their class is at. Some students may be able to handle different issues long before others of the same chronological age. Teachers must also be aware that these sensitive issues do exist.
Sensitive issues should be addressed in exactly that manner. These issues will also not be the first thing that is discussed in a critical literacy classroom. By first familiarizing our students with what critical literacy is we will be providing them with the tools and knowledge to understand their own thoughts and also express them to share with the group. By instilling this in students first they will feel more comfortable when faced with sensitive issues since they will already understand that different opinions and points of view exist and that this is okay.
The use of age appropriate picture books will also ensure that these issues are introduced in a language that children can easily comprehend.
• How can teachers encourage inclusion in their classroom by using the Critical Literacy Approach?
Critical literacy can teach students that it is okay to agree to disagree. Through critical literacy students learn that texts are something that are created, and therefore they are not free of the writer's biases and beliefs. Students will also learn how to apply their prior knowledge and experience to a text, this will also teach them that everyone has different experiences and therefore may react to a text differently than them.
By encouraging open discussions and responses to think aloud questions students will begin to appreciate the different background that their classmates come from. They will learn that it is okay to ask questions and to be different from one another. An inclusive classroom is a critical literacy classroom where all points of view and ideas are valued in the same way.
• How can teachers provide support for students and discuss sensitive issues with students?
In order for teachers to be able to discuss sensitive issues with students they must first have created a classroom environment that is based on respect, acceptance and tolerance. One way to achieve this sort of environment is through the Tribes program, developed by Jeanne Gibbs.
The Tribes path is based on mutual respect, attentive listening, appreciation/no put downs, and the right to pass. In a Tribes classroom all students know that their opinions are important and valued, but that they may also refrain from saying what is on their mind if they so choose.
I believe that the Tribes approach perfectly compliments a critical literacy classroom by creating a safe environment in which teachers feel comfortable address sensitive issues and students are comfortable receiving them.
• How can teachers use this approach to authentically deal with real-world issues and move students towards action?
Dealing with authentic real-world issues is made much easier through the use of critical literacy. Critical literacy gives teachers the tools to talk about these issues with their class. Allan Luke's Four Resources Model suggests that by analyzing texts students will be able to respond to or disagree with a text and take social action, even if it is just on a small scale.
Judith Ableser also suggests something called the project approach. An example of this project approach is the following:
A third grade teacher had a boy in her class pass away, and was unsure how to handle the situation. A few weeks later she was reading a book to her class and one of the boys commented “That was Robbie’s favourite book.” This led to the idea of the students writing and producing a full play in Robbie’s honour. They sold tickets to attend the play and used the money to buy books by the same author to add to their classroom library with a label saying “in memory of Robbie”. Not only did this help the class to heal but they also met all of the curriculum expectations during the process (76).
Critical literacy is not so much an approach to teaching, it is more of a set of skills that we provide ourselves and our students with that allow them to challenge a text. It is not something that can just simply be added to a literacy program. It is however, "a lens for learning that is an integral part of classroom practice." (Capacity Building Series: Critical Literacy. p1. 2009)
Critical literacy is the act of questioning the opinions of others and ourselves, and not being scared to ask some tough questions.
• What does Critical Literacy look like in the Primary Class?
On the surface it may be difficult to tell a classroom that has critical literacy happening in it apart from one that does now. However, once you delve deeper and begin to ask students about what they are reading you will find that students in a critical literacy classroom have a deeper understand about what the author's message is, understand how the story or text relates to their life and others, and they understand the difference between stories based upon reality and fiction.
In the primary grades critical literacy takes place mostly through guided and shared reading, with the progression to centres happening as the students become ready and able. The teacher will likely be the one heading of the discussions and posing the "think aloud questions". All students will be actively engaged and when asked individually to state their thoughts they will be able to reflect upon what the author's message was, and how this message could be changed if something were changed in the text (ex. gender switch - how would the message of the text change if the key characters gender were different).
• How can teachers address sensitive issues in age-appropriate ways through Critical Literacy?
For a teacher to be able to address sensitive issues in an age-appropriate manner they must first have a solid understanding of the mental age that their class is at. Some students may be able to handle different issues long before others of the same chronological age. Teachers must also be aware that these sensitive issues do exist.
Sensitive issues should be addressed in exactly that manner. These issues will also not be the first thing that is discussed in a critical literacy classroom. By first familiarizing our students with what critical literacy is we will be providing them with the tools and knowledge to understand their own thoughts and also express them to share with the group. By instilling this in students first they will feel more comfortable when faced with sensitive issues since they will already understand that different opinions and points of view exist and that this is okay.
The use of age appropriate picture books will also ensure that these issues are introduced in a language that children can easily comprehend.
• How can teachers encourage inclusion in their classroom by using the Critical Literacy Approach?
Critical literacy can teach students that it is okay to agree to disagree. Through critical literacy students learn that texts are something that are created, and therefore they are not free of the writer's biases and beliefs. Students will also learn how to apply their prior knowledge and experience to a text, this will also teach them that everyone has different experiences and therefore may react to a text differently than them.
By encouraging open discussions and responses to think aloud questions students will begin to appreciate the different background that their classmates come from. They will learn that it is okay to ask questions and to be different from one another. An inclusive classroom is a critical literacy classroom where all points of view and ideas are valued in the same way.
• How can teachers provide support for students and discuss sensitive issues with students?
In order for teachers to be able to discuss sensitive issues with students they must first have created a classroom environment that is based on respect, acceptance and tolerance. One way to achieve this sort of environment is through the Tribes program, developed by Jeanne Gibbs.
The Tribes path is based on mutual respect, attentive listening, appreciation/no put downs, and the right to pass. In a Tribes classroom all students know that their opinions are important and valued, but that they may also refrain from saying what is on their mind if they so choose.
I believe that the Tribes approach perfectly compliments a critical literacy classroom by creating a safe environment in which teachers feel comfortable address sensitive issues and students are comfortable receiving them.
• How can teachers use this approach to authentically deal with real-world issues and move students towards action?
Dealing with authentic real-world issues is made much easier through the use of critical literacy. Critical literacy gives teachers the tools to talk about these issues with their class. Allan Luke's Four Resources Model suggests that by analyzing texts students will be able to respond to or disagree with a text and take social action, even if it is just on a small scale.
Judith Ableser also suggests something called the project approach. An example of this project approach is the following:
A third grade teacher had a boy in her class pass away, and was unsure how to handle the situation. A few weeks later she was reading a book to her class and one of the boys commented “That was Robbie’s favourite book.” This led to the idea of the students writing and producing a full play in Robbie’s honour. They sold tickets to attend the play and used the money to buy books by the same author to add to their classroom library with a label saying “in memory of Robbie”. Not only did this help the class to heal but they also met all of the curriculum expectations during the process (76).
Works Cited
Ableser, Judith. "Authentic Literacy Experiences to Teach and Support Young Children during Stressful Times." ProQuest Education Journals 63.2 (2008): 74-79. Web.
Gibbs, Jeanne. Reaching all by creating Tribes learning communities. Windsor: CenterSource Systems, LLC. 2001. Print.
Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. “Critical Literacy”. Capacity Building Series. August 2009. Web. Feb. 3, 2014.