Literacy Matters Winter 2022

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Author

reminds us, the meaning of a text exists in neither solely the text nor the reader. Rather meaning-making occurs during the transaction between the reader and the text. Students can interact with one another and learn from each other as they explore new concepts, situations, and perspectives introduced through literature (Koltz & Kersten-Parrish, 2019). FromTexts to Conversations: Laying the Groundwork Relationship building and classroom community are foundational for participation in critical conversations. Students need multiple ongoing opportunities to interact with their peers to explore common interests, build connections, and deepen their understanding of one another. Developing meaningful and trusting relationships is paramount when engaging in critical conversations. Children will likely hear points of view different from their own, experience discomfort and disagreement, and engage in conflict resolution productively and respectfully. Critical conversations can occur throughout the instructional day as content learning, read alouds, and morning meetings. Morning meetings provide a welcoming community space where children are centered and empowered to share their stories, insights, and inquiries. Students’ listening and relationship-building skills are strengthened, and their emotional development is enhanced as they practice empathy, problem solving, and critical thinking (Allen-Hughes, 2013). The social skills learned in morning meetings transfer to collaborative work in the classroom and beyond (e.g., the playground). The skills practiced in morning meetings help students “learn how to successfully navigate conflict while ensuring others in the room have the opportunity to learn from - or at least process and critique - multiple perspectives” (Hass, 2021, p.110). When students have opportunities to discuss, disagree, and discover, they prepare students to be active citizens who strive for social justice. Educators are responsible for providing spaces for students to practice engaging in critical conversations within an environment they are supported and loved. “For too long kids have felt powerless in their classrooms because they spend their days being told what to learn, how to learn it, and what to think about this all afterwards” (Hass, 2021, p. 21). Traditional approaches center teachers rather than students rob children of important learning experiences to develop critical thinking and a sense of agency to take action in the future (Hass, 2021, p. xv). Teachers need to encourage peer interaction and limit teacher input. However, modeling and guidance are certainly necessary to scaffold meaningful contributions to the conversations. Further, when conversations may involve more sensitive subjects or challenging concepts, it is important for children to have a variety of response techniques to react and respond to their peers and a repertoire of strategies to disagree and offer counterarguments respectfully.

My Wounded Island

Jacques Pasquet

Our House is On Fire: Greta Thunberg’s Call to Save the Planet

Jeanette Winters

One Plastic Bag

Miranda Paul

A River Ran Wild

Lynne Cherry

Woosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super Soaking Stream of Inventions

Chris Barton

Mae Among the Stars

Roda Ahmed

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner

Kate Messner

Janice N. Harrington

Literacy Matters Feature Article

Figure 4 Read Alouds to Integrate Science

In addition to discussing human-environment interactions, read alouds could be utilized to teach natural processes. For example, during a weather unit, the book Zane the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick, which describes the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, could introduce the devastation hurricanes can cause. To include the science standards, the class could discuss what causes hurricanes, where they are most likely to occur, and how much damage they cause. Students could interact with the text, observe images and maps, and participate in discussions surrounding inequities across racial lines. Other texts that could be layered in for a discussion about Hurricane Katrina include A Storm Called Katrina by Myron Uhlberg, and a chapter book read aloud titled Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. These read alouds and informational texts, including news articles, images, and videos, can help students learn about how Hurricane Katrina disproportionately affected the Black community in New Orleans. Read Alouds to Foster Critical Conversations Through the interactive aspect of the read aloud, students are exposed to new ideas and are provided a space to discuss with their peers. They can explore multiple perspectives different from their own. When we create opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussions of culturally relevant literature actively, they deepen their understanding of the text, expand their perspectives, and develop essential listening and speaking skills. Read alouds offer opportunities to engage children in conversations around an endless array of topics, including issues related to equity and social justice. “Picture storybooks have long discussed serious social justice issues contextualized within tangible, accessible stories: they speak to a range of ages, they are relatively easily accessible, and they get straight to the point, offering quick entry into a specific topic” (Neumann, 2009, p.65). It is important to create a space where children can freely share their connections and reflections about texts and their lived experiences (Laminack & Kelly, 2019). As Rosenblatt (1988)

Prior to engaging in critical conversations, we recommend co-constructing class community agreements. These

Literacy Matters | Volume 22 • Winter 2022 | 11 |

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