Engage Families in Critical Literacy Inquiry
“Critical educators encourage students to question the world, including the texts they read and view. They teach students how to examine inequities in society and work toward meaningful change through their writing" (p. 71). Allen teaches us how to launch into a challenging but essential subject, social justice. Also on page 71 she helps us to ask questions of everything we read or experience, like:
Is this fair?
Is this right?
Does this hurt anyone?
Is this the whole story?
Who benefits and who suffers?
Why is it like this?
How could it be different, more just?
Questions such as these lead to a new classroom atmosphere, one with positive guidelines discussed and agreed upon by the students.
Reading and Writing for a Better World
It is said that persuasive writing is difficult to teach, Allen suggests writing on different grounding, that of the “children’s lives, passions and local issues that demand writing for specific action.” By using local political or social issues, we can include families in the development of literacy and taking action. Allen has many suggestions for different lessons surrounding this focus found on pages 74 and 75, among them are:
Collect articles from newspapers and other media sources reflecting differing views related to an assigned topic.
Invite parents and community members into the classroom to talk about how they have been involved in working for social change.
Study examples of “writing that changed the world.”
Develop action plans.
Take action—circulate a petition, write and send letters, share posters.
Act to Engage Families
It is important to remember how essential the relationship between families and school are regarding the success of students, with that in mind, Allen challenges educators to engage in these “risky” subjects and further to encourage family involvement in these lessons. Allen offers some starting points;
During family visits, ask about issues in the community and what they’d like their children to learn more about.
If a child raises an issue in class, ask them to go home and talk with their parents and report back.
Ask students the listed questions above: is this fair? Etc.
Help students generate critical questions they have photographed or visited. Have their parents respond to those questions as well as the students.
