WHAT IS CRITICAL LITERACY?

• TEACHING STUDENTS TO READ DEEPLY TO IDENTIFY ISSUES OF POWER,

INJUSTICE, PRIVILEGE AND POSITIONING WITHIN TEXT

• FURTHER, TEACHERS ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR

PREVALENCE AND CHALLENGE THESE SOCIETAL NORMS AS UNJUST

THE GUIDED COMPREHENSION DIRECT INSTRUCTION FRAMEWORK (MCLAUGHLIN & ALLEN, 2002A)

• EXPLAIN WHAT THE CRITICAL LITERACY STRATEGY IS AND HOW IT WORKS.

• DEMONSTRATE THE STRATEGY, USING A THINK-ALOUD, A READALOUD, AND AN

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR OR CHALKBOARD.

• GUIDE THE STUDENTS TO WORK IN SMALL GROUPS OR WITH PARTNERS TO

CREATE RESPONSES.

• PRACTICE BY HAVING STUDENTS WORK WITH PARTNERS OR INDEPENDENTLY TO

APPLY THE CRITICAL LITERACY STRATEGY.

• REFLECT ON HOW THE STRATEGY HELPS STUDENTS READ FROM A CRITICAL

STANCE.

Explain

Demonstrate

GuidePractice

Reflect

McLaughlin & Allen, 2002

PROBLEM FINDING

Power Privilege InjusticeEquity & Equality

PROBLEM POSING

Who is in the text/picture/situation?

Who is missing?

Whose voices are represented? Whose

voices are marginalized or

discounted?

What are the intentions of the

author? What does the author want the

reader to think?

What would an alternative

text/picture/situation say?

How can the reader use this information to promote equity?

McLaughlin & DeVoogd (2004)

PROBLEM POSING: THE REST OF THE STORY

• STUDENTS USE PRIOR

KNOWLEDGE TO DETERMINE

WHAT IS MISSING OR

UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE

STORY.

• THEN USE INTERNET OR

OTHER RESOURCES TO FIND

OUT THE REST OF THE STORY.

PROBLEM POSING: SWITCHING

• STUDENTS RESPOND TO

QUESTIONS AROUND ONE

OF SEVERAL TOPICS.

• THEN THEY THINK ABOUT

HOW THE STORY WOULD

BE DIFFERENT IF THAT

ELEMENT WERE

CHANGED.

GENDER RACE

SETTING LANGUAGE

THEME EMOTION

PROBLEM POSING: SWITCHING

• STUDENTS RESPOND TO

QUESTIONS AROUND ONE

OF SEVERAL TOPICS.

• THEN THEY THINK ABOUT

HOW THE STORY WOULD

BE DIFFERENT IF THAT

ELEMENT WERE

CHANGED.

SETTING SWITCH

TELL THE STORY IN A DIFFERENT TIME PERIOD OR

SOCIAL CLASS

HOW WOULD THE STORY CHANGE?

PROBLEM POSING: SWITCHING

• STUDENTS RESPOND TO

QUESTIONS AROUND ONE

OF SEVERAL TOPICS.

• THEN THEY THINK ABOUT

HOW THE STORY WOULD

BE DIFFERENT IF THAT

ELEMENT WERE

CHANGED.

GENDER SWITCH

TELL THE STORY USING A DIFFERENT GENDER FOR

A MAIN CHARACTER

HOW WOULD THE STORY CHANGE?

RESOURCES

• JANKS, M. (2013). CRITICAL LITERACY IN TEACHING AND RESEARCH.

EDUCATION INQUIRY, 4(2), 225-242.

• MCLAUGHLIN, M., & ALLEN. (2002).

• MCLAUGHLIN, M., & DEVOOGD, G. L. (2004). CRITICAL LITERACY: ENHANCING

STUDENTS’ COMPREHENSION OF TEXT. NEW YORK, NY: SCHOLASTIC.