Through a previous class I took this summer, I learned a little bit about critical literacy and its importance in elementary classrooms. When I was first introduced to the idea of critical literacy, I wasn't sure what it entailed. To ensure everyone is understanding critical literacy in the way I am using it, it is literacy which causes questioning, focusing on and understanding critical issues in society and working toward social justice. It is so important for children to read stories which cover many different social, racial and cultural issues so they are given to the opportunity to better understand the world around them. This is why I have chosen to focus on critical literacy for my MGRP. I want to focus on it so I can ensure I am able to incorporate it well into a future classroom.
When I began reading the article, Critical Literacy in the Elementary Classroom, by Donna C. Creighton, she opens with a child quoted as saying, "When I was in grade one or two and my teacher would read a book to the class, I'd always imagine myself as the main character when she read aloud to the kids. But when she showed us the illustration, the character would be White. I was confused for a while, but I've gotten over it." The article doesn't mention what race or culture the child is, but I can tell by his questioning, he is most likely not white. It is very interesting to think about many of the books we read as children and read today. Most of the stories of our childhood focus on white, middle class children. A lot of the time these children are boys. It is hard for children to relate with the characters when their lives have little similarities. If children aren't able to relate to the stories they are reading or hearing aloud, how is independent reading being promoted? It's something to think about.....
You make such a good point concerning the identity of many characters! This leads me to question how effective illustrations really are. From the quote, it seems that the child totally identified with the character...until he saw the picture. What if the picture was never shown and the child to continue to let his imagination wander?
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes"? It is about a little black gilr who spend her youth wishing and praying that she could have blue eyes, like her doll, instead of the brown ones that she percieves as being ugly... I connot imagine what my world would feel like if there were no representations of people like me in it. In a diversity class that I took years ago the prof. said something that has stuck with me about covert oppression. "Imagine going to the store and there being no hair care products for your style of hair. Or even if the products were there they are minimally represented. You have no brand choices and very little shelf space." For some reason this has stuck with me as a feeling of almost hopelessness. I guess that I have thought before that "het at least there are some" but then I can walk down the aisle and have a whole world of choices. And not that there is any one answer, just maybe realization of other's reality can be enough...
Fabulous post with thought-provoking implications~
ReplyDeleteWhat will you do to make sure that all children see themselves represented and valued? In your classroom, YOU make the difference!