Critical literacy and multicultural literature: Pedagogical strategies for the everyday classroom

Abstract

Empowering children with the knowledge to critically analyze text for messages related to power, privilege, and social inequality is essential for inspiring within them the desire to become informed and compassionate citizens, as well as agents of social change. To this end, the current chapter will provide elementary school educators with an instructional framework for guiding children to become critical consumers of knowledge, where students find comfort in actively questioning the vision, voice, and message presented in text, as opposed to succumbing to a writer’s point of view without thoughtful resistance. The pedagogical properties of critical literacy will be discussed as they relate to how children can be encouraged to challenge the ideas and concepts presented in text. Also, critical literacy will be discussed in relation to multicultural literature, which can provide a platform for exploring a variety of sociocultural and political issues with children. Multicultural literature is particularly useful for exploring issues related to the intersection of culture, ethnicity, gender, and other personal characteristics that impact an individual’s social standing in multiple contexts. Specific instructional strategies will be discussed as they relate to guiding children’s endorsement of an anti-biased perspective and egalitarian values. Educators could use the chapter to shape their social justice agendas and give children the gift of voice.