Liberating Literacy for Young Learners – Education and Power Series

Abstract:

Literacy is not just words on a page in a book; literacy can be found through music, oral stories, videos, and just about anything around us. This forum will allow us to examine how various forms of literacy (beyond conventional practices) can be a liberating way for students from Pre-K through 3rd grade to further engage children and deepen their connection to learning, cultivate their sense of cultural identity, and ultimately mitigate the low literacy levels of children of communities of color. Through this forum, we hope to conceptualize how we might make alternative literacy programs (like NdCAD’s, seen below) available to more communities of color, and discuss the potential challenges of implementing these programs in public schools. We will hear from community leaders, elementary educators, and policymakers, getting a variety of perspectives for how to best develop effective and engaging literacy programs.

At the center of this forum, we want Pre-K to 3rd graders (and any age!) to see literacy as culturally valuable to them.

Jacqueline Chaney works with her 2nd grade students during a small-group reading activity at New Town Elementary School in Owings Mills, Md., on Oct. 25, 2023.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

FORUM DETAILS:

Date: April 6th, 2024

Time: 10:00am – 11:10am

Where: Black Youth Healing Arts Center, 643 Virginia St, St Paul, MN 55103

Who: Students, Educators, Parents, Family and Community members

Panelists: Rock ‘n’ Read Project, Saint Paul Public Library, Rally to Read MN, Saint Paul Public Schools

Background Statement:

Literacy in the U.S. schooling system is structured by Pre-K through 3rd grade being focused on learning to read, and 4th grade and up shifting to reading to learn. However, something in this system doesn’t seem to work quite well, as we see children of color and/or from low income areas having disproportionately low literacy rates. This issue is often approached with a deficit mindset, where the students are deemed as either lazy, dumb, ‘behind,’ or just incapable of reaching certain standards that their white counterparts are able to reach.

Rather than a deficit, we are actually seeing children who are asking for help when learning to read. They are asking to be recognized and valued, no matter their learning style or way of obtaining literacy skills. When their identity is not reflected in what they are learning, they feel disconnected. They don’t show interest because no interest is shown in them in their books and education. Furthermore, we see that students who struggle to learn to read in a structure not designed for them have a harder time keeping up with the learning that follows, which leads to this disproportionality.

Under the mentorship of Gevonee Ford, we have heard about some alternative literacy education practices in the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent (NdCAD). At their organization, culturally responsive literacy programs are implemented to target these low literacy rates and their results are noticeable. In conversation with Gevonee, we have been able to hear about the success of his work and how beneficial different forms of literacy can be for these demographics of kids. We became aware of how important culturally responsive literacy programs and activities are for youth, especially during the formative years of Pre-K to 3rd grade. Their minds are picking up all types of knowledge during this period and not all knowledge that would be applicable to their identities, experiences and interests is embraced in a classroom. We came to see that if there is value in more forms of literacy in a classroom, that would also create value for children of color and/or children from low income backgrounds in a classroom because they would finally be able to experience a curriculum that centered them.

Target Audience:

This forum aims to help formal and informal educators, parents, caretakers, and those who are interested in addressing the current literacy challenges against Pre-K to 3 graders from underserved communities in Minnesota.

Takeaways:

Our goal is to champion a more inclusive and empowering vision of literacy that acknowledges diverse forms of expression, including music, oral stories, videos, and other cultural mediums. We believe that by embracing alternative literacy programs like NdCAD’s, we can foster an academic home for reading, learning, and cultivating a sense of cultural identity. Ultimately, we yearn to take action in mitigating low literacy levels among children in communities of color in Minnesota.

“As soon as I heard those words, I knew we had a winner. Right away, this student felt drawn in by the character on the cover. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know what the book was about or that she didn’t usually like reading. She felt connected to the book, and that was what truly mattered.”
https://www.edutopia.org/article/7-diverse-texts-bolster-reading-lessons/

Through our forum, we aim to encourage collaboration between parents, community leaders, educators, and policymakers to ensure that literacy initiatives are community-centric and address the unique needs of underserved populations. Our commitment is to explore scalable models that make alternative literacy programs accessible to a broader range of communities here in Minnesota.