Practical Steps Toward Culturally Responsive K-12 Literacy Instruction: Resisting Barriers, Using Texts, and Making Space

Howard, Overstreet, and Ticknor build on the framework they established in their first book It’s Not ＂One More Thing＂. They extend their practical how-to strategies for enacting culturally responsive and affirming literacy instruction in K-12 classrooms specific to literacy assessment, engaging texts used for literacy instruction, and navigating and resisting barriers. They build on their experiences and research of CRP to offer vignettes of literacy instruction that may be common in K-12 classrooms. These examples are offered to situate how teachers may use research based and effective literacy practices while ignoring the identities and experiences of their students. They then disrupt the vignettes using theories and concepts presented in the chapter to make visible how each practice could be reimagined to integrate more culturally responsive strategies. Example lessons and activities are provided in each chapter that offer readers glimpses into CRP thinking and decision making. Guiding prompts are also included for readers to use the chapter topic and example lessons to consider ways to be more culturally responsive teachers for their students and in their local communities.

Christy Howard is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University. Her research focuses on culturally responsive literacy instruction, teacher preparation, and identity. Her research has been published in several journals including the Journal of Literacy Research, Language Arts, and Literacy Research and Instruction. She is also co-author of It’s Not ＂One More Thing＂ Culturally Responsive and Affirming Strategies in K-12 Literacy Classrooms.

Dr. Mikkaka Overstreet is a Senior Consultant at Education Northwest. Her research focuses on exploring intersections of literacy, identity, and educational equity, particularly related to culturally responsive pedagogy. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Language and Literacy Education, Reading Horizons, and Reading Psychology. She is also the co-author of It’s Not ＂One More Thing＂ Culturally Responsive and Affirming Strategies in K-12 Literacy Classrooms and Clinical Partnerships in Urban Elementary Settings: An Honest Celebration of the Messy Realities of Doing This Work.

Anne Swenson Ticknor is a Professor in the College of Education at East Carolina University. Her research focuses on equity and inclusion in literacy education, and her research has been published in various national and international peer-reviewed journals. She is also the co-author of It’s Not ＂One More Thing＂ Culturally Responsive and Affirming Strategies in K-12 Literacy Classrooms.