Culturally Responsive Teaching (Lit 7-12)

factors

Literacy 7-12

Students build knowledge from their experiences both in and out of school.

Literacy 7-12

Critical Literacy is the ability to identify purposes, motives, and potential biases of a particular text to enhance overall comprehension and critical thinking.

Literacy 7-12

Emotions are complex psychological states stemming from a person's experiences.

Literacy 7-12

Motivation is the desire and energy that guides behavior.

Literacy 7-12

In our society, there are many stereotypes that exist about the academic abilities of learners based on characteristics such as their race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status.

Literacy 7-12

The trauma that comes from experiencing adversity in childhood releases stress hormones that can lead to changes in the body and brain.

Literacy 7-12

Social Supports are the perception and presence of a support network available to help a student if needed.

strategies

Authentic Audiences & Purposes

Literacy 7-12

When adolescents can connect and communicate with authentic audiences about their interests and values, reading and writing become more personally meaningful and relevant.

Book Clubs

Literacy 7-12

Students practice making and finding meaning in texts through book discussions moderated by teachers to varying degrees.

Building Trusting Relationships

Literacy 7-12

Building positive and trusting relationships with learners allows them to feel safe; a Sense of Belonging; and that their academic, cognitive, and social and emotional needs are supported.

Composition Projects: Multimodal

Literacy 7-12

For adolescent learners, the Composition process can become more robust, as learners begin to express ideas through multiple media, which includes visual, audio, and digital production.

Growth Mindset Feedback

Literacy 7-12

Providing feedback that focuses on the process of developing skills conveys the importance of effort and motivates students to persist when learning.

Incorporate Students' Cultural Practices

Literacy 7-12

Learning about students' cultures and connecting them to instructional practices helps foster a Sense of Belonging and mitigate Stereotype Threat.

Journaling
Literacy 7-12

Journaling allows students to reflect on their thinking and feelings, process their learning, and connect new information to what they know, supporting their identity development and Sense of Belonging.

Mentor Texts

Literacy 7-12

By observing, rereading, and closely analyzing published writing, students see examples and learn the strategies of good writing that they can integrate into their own Composition.

Predictability: Environment & Structure

Literacy 7-12

Maintaining consistent routines, structures, and supports ensures that students are able to trust and predict what will happen next.

Producing Counter-texts

Literacy 7-12

When students write from a non-dominant or marginalized perspective, they consider and give voice to points of view that are often missing.

Selecting Culturally Responsive Texts

Literacy 7-12

Selecting culturally responsive reading materials, including multicultural and diverse texts, is critical for supporting all students.

Student Choice

Literacy 7-12

Giving students voice and choice in their learning is critical for making learning meaningful and relevant to them, an important aspect of promoting Sense of Belonging.