BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS

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CHAPTER 10: Critical Literacy

Objectives:
 Define the meaning of critical literacy
 Explore the use of critical literacy in the classroom
 Promote activities to motivate students become critically literate

Critical literacy is a learning approach where students are expected to examine

various texts to understand the relationship between language and the power it can
hold. Students critically analyze and evaluate the meaning of texts as they relate to
topics on equity, power and social justice. These texts are then used to equip students
with a critical stance, response or action towards an issue.

It refers to the process of becoming aware of one‘s experience relative to power

relations, often realized through reading and writing. Critical literacy takes place in
various learning environments and cultural contexts. This reading and writing-based
learning process encourages students to accept, reject or reconstruct ideologies
presented in texts.
It is an evolving repertoire of practices of analysis and interrogation which move
between the of power work through these practices.

The development of critical literacy pushes students to question issues of power; in

essence, to become thoughtful, active citizens. Becoming critically literate means that
students have developed and mastered the ability to read, analyze, critique, and
question the messages inherently present within any form of text.
Facilitating the development of critical literacy promotes the examination and reform of
social situations and exposes students to the hidden agendas within texts.

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Thus, in order to become critically literate, we must teach students to do more than read
and write; students should become agents of social change.
Although there is no set definition of critical literacy, it essentially involves examining the
relationship between language and power in a text. This work is responsive and
thoughtful in nature. The chosen text, students‘ comfort and familiarity with the text, and
the lesson goals all have an effect on what happens in the classroom.
Using the four dimensions of critical literacy—disrupting the commonplace, considering
multiple viewpoints, focusing on the sociopolitical, and taking action—as a springboard,
I focus on how purposeful questioning, discussion, and improvised drama might
influence how students engage with literacy lessons.

How do you use critical literacy in the classroom?

 A teacher's critical literacy read-aloud

 Select a book
 Preview the book
 Develop critical questions to use during the read-aloud and post them in the book
 Conduct a mini-lesson to activate children's prior knowledge
 Do a picture walk
 Read the story, stopping to discuss the questions

Critical literacy helps us to read texts in deeper, more meaningful ways, by encouraging
readers of all ages to become more actively engaged and use their power to construct
understanding and not be used by the text to fulfill the intentions of the author.

How Can We Motivate Students to Become Critically Literate?

As with all aspects of learning, engagement and motivation are key factors when
teaching critical literacy. We want our students to choose to be actively engaged and to
construct personal meaning. Engaged learners are characterized as:

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 achieving because they want to understand

 possessing intrinsic motivations for interacting with text
 viewing reading as a thinking process
 sharing knowledge through discussion with teachers and peers reading for
different purposes
 utilizing background knowledge, and socially constructing meaning

As teachers, we can nurture

engagement by encouraging students
to read for authentic purposes, make
personal connections, focus on
comprehension, and respond in
meaningful ways. To foster student
motivation, we should be good reading
models, create book-rich environments,
provide opportunities for choice,
promote familiarity with books in various
genres, and offer incentives that reflect
the values of reading.

There is a wide variety of ideas and

conditions that motivate students to read.
We may already be using some of these ideas in our teaching; others may be new.
They include but are not limited to:

 Making reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing pleasurable, and

 Providing sufficient time for students to engage in these activities.
 Creating a classroom library that includes multiple levels of narrative and
 Informational texts, addresses a wide range of interests, provides access to a
 Variety of genres, and promotes critical analysis.
 Providing time for active, creative responses to texts using discussion and
multiple
 Modes of response (writing, sketching, dramatizing, singing, projects, and so
on)
 To promote critical analysis and creation of a range of new literacies.
 Encouraging and valuing students‘ independent thinking as they read, write,
speak, listen, and view.

Although this list contains a variety of ideas, it is not exhaustive.

As you prepare to teach your students about critical literacy, we invite you to think about
other aspects of your teaching that may contribute to your students‘ motivation.

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Critical Literacy in Early Elementary Grades

Using a form of literary criticism in tandem with drama activities helps young students
think deeply about how stories are
constructed.
Scaffolding is a process by which a teacher
provides students with a temporary framework
for learning. When scaffolding is done
correctly, students are encouraged to develop
their own creativity, motivation, and
resourcefulness. As students gather
knowledge and increase their skills on their
own, fundamentals of the frame work are
dismantled. At the completion of the lesson,
the scaffolding is removed altogether;
students no longer need it McKenzie (1999),
listed eight characteristics of scaffolding:

1. Scaffolding provides clear directions-To

make sure that our students do not wander aimlessly; lessons should have directions to
explain just what students must do in order to meet the expectations for the learning
activity.

2. Scaffolding clarifies purpose-Students frequently ask, ―Why are we doing this?‖

3. Scaffolding keeps students on task by providing a pathway or route for the

learner

4. Scaffolding offers assessment to clarify expectations from the very start;

Scaffold lessons provide examples of quality work done by others. Right from the
beginning, students are shown rubrics and standards that define excellence.

5. Scaffolding point’s students to worthy sources-It identifies the best sources so

that students know what information is most relevant to the concept being discussed.

6. Scaffolding reduces uncertainty, surprise, and disappointment-The goal is to

maximize learning and efficiency. Once the lesson is ready for trial with students, the
lesson is refined at least one more time based on the new insights gained by watching
students actually try the activities.

7. Scaffolding delivers efficiency if done well; a scaffold lesson should be

efficient.

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Comprehension Direct Instruction

 Explain what the critical literacy strategy is and how it works.

 Demonstrate the strategy, using a think-aloud, a read aloud, 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.

Why Is Critical Literacy Important?

We need critical literacy because it helps us: to establish equal status in the reader-
author relationship; to understand the motivation the author had for writing the text and
how the author uses the text to make us understand in a particular way; to understand
that the author's perspective is not the only perspective; and to become active users of
the information in texts to develop independent perspectives, as opposed to being
passive reproducers of the ideas in texts.

Critical literacy helps us to move beyond passive acceptance to take an active role in
the reader-author relationship by questioning issues such as who wrote the text, what
the author wanted us to believe, and what information the author chose to include or
exclude in the text. The development of critical literacy skills enables students to look at
the world through a critical lens and challenge the power relations within the messages
being communicated.

Critical teaching allows students to

actively work out their learning and
problem solving, by providing an
outlet, a source of action or social
justice.
Critical teaching allows students to
better connect classroom practice with
the social realms they engage in
outside of school, providing a
connection between the home, school,
and social realms.

Some Critical Literacy Strategies

Three key strategies that specifically promote a critical perspective are:

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Problem posing
Just as texts position us to think of ourselves in a certain way, so that we feel
compelled to buy a product or identify with a character in a film, we as readers or
viewers can problematize texts. Also called ―problem posing,‖ problematizing
provides teachers with a way to consciously and intentionally nurture a critical
perspective.
Problem posing requires that we ask students questions such as the following:

 How might others understand this text differently?

 How has the message of the text been constructed or crafted?
 Who is the intended audience?
 How has this text colored your view of reality?
 Who created this text and why?
 Who benefits if this ―message‖ is accepted? Who may be disadvantaged?

Juxtaposing
The intent of this strategy is to have students come to an understanding of point of
view. Two texts on a similar topic are set side by side so that students can
compare author‘s bias, perspective and intent as well as strategies used to
influence the reader/viewer.

Switching
This is an effective strategy for getting students to consider the impact of
alternative perspectives and to identify which voices are present and which voices
are missing from a text. Some examples of switching are gender switch (students
replace key characters with characters of the other gender), setting switch
(students set the story in a different time or place or switch the social class of
characters), and emotion switch (students have characters exhibit a different
emotional tone)

Luke‘s “Four Resources Model” to emphasize the importance of the critical literacy
concepts identified above – namely, that all text is constructed for a purpose and that
reading is not a passive act but an interaction between the text and a reader who looks
for meaning, asks questions and challenges assumptions.
The model can be used to guide activities for children of all ages, as young as
Kindergarten (Vasquez, 2004), and to structure work with any type of text – from
cartoons to folktales to political speeches to advertisements.
Critical literacy strategies need to be taught explicitly, but they should not be taught
sequentially or in isolation from one another.

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Code breaking- Students need to be able to

identify letters in the alphabet and sounds in
words, decipher spelling and grammar
conventions such as sentence structure and text
organization, and use graphics and other visuals
to break the ―code‖ of text.
Code breaking is equivalent to basic or
functional literacy.

Making meaning- Rather than approaching text

passively, students need to be encouraged to
be a ―text participant‖ – to use their own prior
knowledge and experience when reading to
interpret what the author is saying and to
anticipate where he or she might be going next.
They need to learn how to ―deconstruct‖ text, to
unmask an author‘s purpose and intent, to form
interpretations in light of their own knowledge
and point of view, and to examine and then find
the most effective ways to convey their thinking.

Using text- Students need to be introduced to

different text forms and how these have different
uses which shape the language, structure and
organization chosen by the author. Critical
literacy teaches students to ask, It encourages
students to become critical consumers of text
who understand that meaning is tied not only to
the author‘s purpose but also to the context in
which a text is read and interpreted.

Analyzing text- Critical literacy teaches that no

text is neutral, that students need to ask, ―What
is this text trying to convince me of and why?‖
and ―Whose interests does it serve?‖. Students
need to be encouraged to analyze the author‘s
motive/intent, to consider fairness, accuracy and
reliability and to recognize their own power as
readers.

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They need to be encouraged to evaluate what is said and how it is said in order to
uncover and challenge assumptions and ideas about the world, to respond when they
disagree and to take social action, even in small ways when they encounter texts that
disadvantage certain groups.

Why Critical Thinking Skills Are Important For Students To Learn?

Without even realizing it, we use critical thinking skills every day. In fact, these important
skills are used in everything from problem solving, following through on goals, and
making informed decisions.

The earlier the foundation of critical thinking is built the sooner children can make sense
of information through analysis and thinking. It‘s even been found that kids that have an
early start cultivating critical thinking skills perform better in school are more creative
and are better at making good judgments. Here‘s some ways to encourage your
students to build their critical thinking skills and why they‘re so important.

Encourage curiosity
Encourage your child‘s curiosities by getting
them to explore, ask questions, test their
theories, think critically about results and
ask them about changes they could make or
things they could do differently.
This encourages deep thinking, providing
room for exploration and creative analysis.

Evaluate information
Developing a critical mindset is becoming
one of the most important skills in our
information saturated world. Teaching your
kids how to evaluate information and how to
think critically while analyzing the world
around them will not only help them become
successful but will protect them too. Get
them to think about where or who the
information is coming from, how it relates to
what they know already and why it is or isn‘t
important.

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Promote interests
When students are interested in something,
usually they‘re more engaged and willing to
experiment. The process of expanding their
knowledge brings lots of opportunity to
cultivate their critical thinking skills as well
as find new hobbies and interests. Make
sure you‘re providing plenty of opportunities
for your kids to explore the things that bring
them joy or excite them.

The 5 Intellectual Standards

The Foundation for Critical Thinking has developed five ‗Intellectual Standards,
which are ways you can encourage your children to learn to think more critically.

Be Clear-Ask your children to be clear by asking for explanations and examples if

they don‘t understand something. It‘s also important to let them know its okay to be
confused and need to ask questions.

Be Accurate-Encourage your kids to be accurate. It‘s always good idea for them
to check to see if something is true by researching the facts.

Be Relevant-Encourage children to be relevant by discussing other topics that

relate to the discussion or problem at hand. Help them stay on track by linking
related and meaningful information to the question they are trying to answer or the
topic they‘re learning about.

Be Logical-Support your child‘s ability to be logical. Help them understand how

things fit together or the logic behind a situation. Don‘t be afraid to question how
they arrive at certain conclusions and whether their assumptions are correct.

Be Fair-It‘s crucial to set expectations that your child should always be fair.
Promote empathy in their thinking processes, making sure they consider others
when coming to a decision.

The aims of these resources are to encourage children to:

 Critically analyze techniques used by writers to create certain effects, to use
language creatively, to position the reader in various ways and to construct different
interpretations of experience.

 Critically evaluate how own texts have been structured to achieve their purpose and
discuss ways of using related grammatical features and conventions of written
language to shape readers' and viewers' understanding of texts
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 Identify the text structure of a wider range of more complex text types and discuss
how the characteristic grammatical features work to influence readers' and viewers'
understanding of texts
 Understand how language is used to include and exclude others
 Critically reflect on and share experience of texts

The Guided Comprehension Direct Instruction Framework (McLaughlin & Allen,

2002a)
Explain what the critical literacy strategy is and how it works. What the critical literacy
strategy is and how it works. Began by explaining the critical literacy.

Demonstrate the strategy, using a think-aloud, a read aloud, 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. The students continued to analyze the perspective represented in the
text, and I continued to monitor their small-group discussions.

Reflect on how the strategy helps students read from a critical stance

Critical Literacy Lesson Framework Engaging Student’s thinking

Before reading, engage students in the lesson by activating background

knowledge, motivating students by introducing the text, and setting a purpose for
reading.

Engaging Student’s thinking

Before reading, engage students in the lesson by activating background
knowledge, motivating students by introducing the text, and setting a purpose for
reading.

Guiding Student’s thinking

During reading, help the students engage with the text by prompting them as they
read silently.
Extending Student’s thinking
After reading, help the students extend their reading from a critical stance by
engaging in critical discussions and taking action based on what they have read.

Reflection
At the conclusion of the lesson, reflect on (a) what you taught, (b) why you taught
it, (c) how you think the lesson went, (d) how students reacted to the lessons,
(e) What you plan to do to continue teaching from a critical perspective, and (f)
what additional observations or comments you may have.

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REFERENCE
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/using-read-alouds-critical-literacy-literature-
k-3-classrooms
https://www.edutopia.org/article/critical-literacy-early-elementary-grades
Using Critical Literacy as a Teaching Tool in Early Elementary ...
https://sites.google.com/site/criticalliteracyinss/critical-literacy-activities

VIDEO LINKS
https://youtu.be/mx4eVUJDNA8
https://youtu.be/IMWJfmOPgAQ
https://youtu.be/x4CgdMxrunA

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