Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

Identity stories express a child’s sense of self including the roles, attributes, behaviors, and associations that she considers most important in her life (Ylvisaker, 2006). An identity story might focus on a child’s hobbies, abilities, personality traits, or religious beliefs, and may be influenced by quality children’s literature designated as mentor texts (see Figure 2). Since identity is firmly nested within one’s culture, identity stories can function as a beacon substantiating the knowledge, experiences, language and literacy practices that are fundamental to a child’s ways of doing and being. Sharing identity stories with peers and teachers can help others understand the ways that prominent features of one’s culture may impact school performance. For example, a child whose community values independence, may exhibit high self-esteem, prefer individual choices, and display assertiveness in the classroom. A child whose community places an emphasis on interdependence may naturally express conformity, demonstrate concern for others, and favor group decision making. These key features of culture are likely to appear as prominent in a child’s identity story. Culturally sustaining educators recognize the ways that community values vary and work to eliminate hierarchical systems that prioritize singular worldviews. Extant research promotes the benefits of using identity stories as a culturally sustaining literacy practice with young children of Color. Cummins and Early (2010) worked with immigrant children living in Canada to create dual language identity texts as a tool for capturing the children’s views of themselves and their relationships with others within their new communities. As the children engaged in the process of translanguaging to create the identity texts, their socio-cultural relationships with teachers and community members and understandings of themselves as learners served as “funds of identity” in the learning process (Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014, p. 37). Taylor (2011) documented the experiences of preschool children of Aboriginal descent as they collaborated with teachers and caregivers to create picture books about identity stories involving Indigenous legends. In a similar study involving preschool-aged learners, teachers and caregivers used photographs, captions, and children’s dictated stories about their daily lives to create identity stories (Bernhard et al., 2006). The result was an increase in pride-about self and family-among the preschool children who participated in the study. According to the researchers, “experiences as authors allowed them [children] to see themselves in their self-made books and to talk about their own lives and interests’’ (Bernhard et al., 2006, p. 239). These examples position the process of creating identity texts as culturally sustaining pedagogy that forefronts children’s identity as an integral component of school curricula. In this way, the personal narratives co-constructed by children and teachers do more than serve as a bridge between home and family, they reframe the curriculum and “position cultural dexterity as a necessary good” (Paris & Alim, 2017, p.1). Family Stories Children’s stories are inextricably embedded within the cultures in which they live (Tsai, 2017). As they participate in daily literacy functions with their families, children

internalize the linguistic approaches, verbal and nonverbal language norms, and patterns of practice associated with the ways of doing and being within their culture. “Children as representatives of specific cultural backgrounds can serve as keys into the evolving and dynamic cultural ways of telling stories” (Strekalova-Hughes & Wang, 2019, p. 9). Family stories can act as a tool for promoting and strengthening school and family partnerships. A family story is a written collaboration between a child, her caregivers, and/or teacher that includes pictures, photographs, or illustrations and depicts an event, tradition, celebration, daily routine, or other family ritual. Family stories promote sustenance of culture and intergenerational learning while supporting literacy practice (Strekalova-Hughes & Wang, 2019). Family stories function as a means of “sustain[ing] the lifeways of communities who have been and continue to be damaged and erased through schooling” (Alim & Paris, 2017, p.1). Jennerjohn (2020) recommends five steps for co-creating culturally sustaining family stories with young children and their families using events or locations within the local community to bridge home school partnerships: Connect with a Family . Jennerjohn suggests that educators reach out to express their interest in creating a book about the child’s family. As part of the initial communication, educators should explain that the book will be read and shared by other children in the class and invite the family to meet to discuss the book. Select a location or event. Next, Jennerjohn encourages educators to invite family members to select an activity, event, or location within the community to use as the focus of the story. This might include a child’s soccer game, a trip to the park, or an afternoon making arepas at home. Participate in and photograph the event . Once an event or activity has been selected, the educator should join the family and document the activity or event through photographs and notes. As part of step 3, Jennerjohn (2020) notes “photographs for the student’s book are important but [educators should act as] a participant not a voyeur” (pg. 658). Make the book . The fourth step is to co-create a book with the child using the photographs from the event or activity to retell the story. Jennerjohn advises educators to use the language experience approach to support reading and writing development and integrate the child’s language within the context of the story. The student should select approximately 10 photographs and dictate their perspectives on what took place during the activity or event (based on what is featured in the photographs) while the teacher acts as a scribe. Share the book . Once the book has been made, Jennerjohn instructs educators to distribute the book, making copies for both the classroom and for the student to take home. Jennerjohn also advocates the use of digital tools that allow convenient reprinting and distribution of the books if needed.

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