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Out of the Box: Critical in a First-Grade Classroom

A teacher uses story time to open up space for building 257 Christine H. Leland

and Jerome C. Harste awareness of critical literacy with rural white children. Out of the Box with Kimberly R. Huber

When Kim Huber finally decided to they would think about the main caused her to think about literacy read The Lady in the Box (McGov- character, a woman who was at- and what was appropriate for first- ern, 1997) to her first graders, she tempting to survive the winter grade children in specific and was not convinced that they would living in a cardboard box. In some somewhat narrow ways. This box get much out of a book about ways, Kim was also in a box at that positioned her to choose “happy” homelessness. She wondered what time, but her box was conceptual; it books to read at story time and to MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 258

focus book discussions more on was geographically closer to them, books like The Lady in the Box so story elements like beginning, but initially felt out of place since different for these children? Could it middle, and end than on more ab- she taught in a rural setting and had be that her classroom became a dif- stract topics like equity and social no racial diversity in her classroom. ferent place when she started shar- justice. Many of the books being explored ing the social issues books with her Kim had been teaching first grade by the urban teachers focused on children at story time? These ques- for five years when she took a grad- racism, and Kim wondered if her tions and many others fueled Kim’s uate class and was introduced to the white students would be able to inquiry into the role that critical lit- 258 idea of critical literacy. She had connect to these stories. She lis- eracy might be playing in the never considered the possibility of tened with interest to what other evolving culture of her classroom.

Out of the Box books about tough social teachers in the study group were YOUR CULTURAL issues to her students. Kim was in- saying about their experiences with trigued, but not convinced that she the books, but she was not sure they NICHE MATTERS would mean as much to her stu- wanted to discuss what might be “Culture is never static” because dents. It was with some apprehen- seen as controversial topics with “the belief systems and practices as- sion that she began reading books children. Two years later, she was sociated with cultural groups are from the peace grant library to her still interested in critical literacy always under negotiation with new first graders late in the fall. and joined teachers who were inves- generations” (Lee, 2003, p. 4). As a tigating critical literacy as part of a This article traces Kim’s preliminary result, it is important that “educa- university-funded research project. exploration of critical literacy and tional researchers understand the The “Collaborations for Peace” grant shares her conclusions. While she cultural niches in which young at Indiana University provided sup- initially worried that her students people develop” (Lee, Spencer, & port for groups of teachers at two would not be able to make personal Harpalani, 2003, p. 6). Formal and different sites to come together on a connections to stories that ad- informal preschools and primary monthly basis to share the progress dressed topics like homelessness, schools constitute some of the most of their investigations of critical lit- racism, and war, what she discov- salient cultural niches in which eracy in K—8 classrooms. The grant ered was that they made stronger young people begin the process of also provided a library of critical connections to these books than to becoming literate. It is in settings picture books and adolescent novels the “happy books” that she usually like Kim Huber’s first-grade class- (Harste, Breau, Leland, Lewison, read. And while she was not sur- room that children expand their un- Ociepka & Vasquez, 2000; Leland & prised that their awareness of social derstandings of the purposes of Harste, 2002) that participants could issues showed considerable growth literacy and begin to see how liter- take back to their classrooms. These when she started to read books that acy relates to their interactions with books typically focused on difficult focused on these topics, she did not others. The instructional approaches social issues and involved situations expect to find that the children and the culture that children experi- where characters were marginalized would start treating each other with ence in these settings play a major in some way as a result of the exist- more compassion and understand- role in shaping their emerging iden- ing systems of power. While the sto- ing. She was also surprised to find tities as cultural and literate beings. ries rarely had happy endings where all of the problems were solved, Kim was intrigued, but not convinced that she they did leave readers thinking about fairness and what could or wanted to discuss what might be seen as should be done differently (Leland, controversial topics with children. Harste, Ociepka, Lewison & Vasquez, 1999). that they put considerably more Not all cultural niches are equal in One group of teachers involved in effort into their written and artistic terms of the experiences they pro- this project worked in suburban and responses, took on multiple perspec- vide for young children. In report- rural schools while the other group tives, and made lots of intertextual ing the findings from longitudinal consisted of urban teachers from the connections when they were react- case studies of children’s literacy Indianapolis Public Schools. Kim ing to these books. She had many development in early childhood and joined the urban teachers since she questions to consider: What made primary school (Comber & Hill,

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2000; Hill, Comber, Louden, Reid, & encouraged to take an active role in practice. According to this view, Rivalland 1998), Barbara Comber questioning both the texts them- texts position readers in specific (2003) identifies “several worrying selves and the beliefs and personal ways, and readers therefore need to signs” (p. 13) that emerge from experiences they bring to them. be able to understand how they are analysis of these data. While the being positioned. studies suggest that most children CONCEPTUAL FRAME Questions such as “Whose story is do become proficient in their ability Conceptually, critical literacy is an- this?” “Who benefits from this to make meaning from text, they chored in Luke and Freebody’s story?” and “Whose voices are not also suggest that even in preschool (1997) “four resources model of 259 and the earliest years of formal reading as social practice.” This

schooling, children are acquiring model describes four resources or Children who Out of the Box qualitatively different repertoires of types of knowledge that are essen- experience a critical literacy practice. While some chil- tial to the process of becoming a dren are involved in communicative truly literate person: decoding prac- approach to literacy practices that engage them in pro- tices, text-meaning practices, prag- learn to “read between duction, analysis, and response, matic practices, and critical the lines.” others appear to be experiencing practices. “piecemeal recycled of replication and repetition” (p. 13). • According to the first view, reading being heard?” invite readers to in- Common activities in the latter is primarily a process of decoding, terrogate the systems of meaning group include filling in blanks, and the main function of reading in- that operate both consciously and copying letters or words, and color- struction is to help children break unconsciously in texts, as well as in ing in pictures. This is problematic the code. This view moved in and mainstream culture, to privilege because it means that some children out of prominence throughout the some and marginalize others. Thus, are beginning their academic ca- latter half of the twentieth century a critical literacy approach includes reers with a limited and ultimately and then vaulted into a position of a focus on social justice and the role dysfunctional view of what literacy major importance when the second that each of us plays in challenging is for and what it can do in the Bush administration came into office or helping to perpetuate the injus- world. Comber identifies this dispar- in 2000. tices we identify in our world. In ity as an equity issue: • The second perspective focuses on this sense, critically literate individ- The absence of productive and ana- text-meaning practices and the de- uals are capable of taking social lytical practices from some children’s velopment of a reader who under- action to fight oppression and literate repertoires is an urgent stands how to use textual and transform their communities equity issue throughout schooling. personal resources to produce a and realities. Early childhood is a crucial site of meaningful reading. This view was The gap between the instruction that practice because it is during that introduced during the 1970s and many children receive and the need period that children form initial rela- 80s, when psycholinguistics and for greater cultural understanding is tionships with schooling and formal schema-theoretical notions of unfortunate given the fact that our learning; it is there where they are reading emphasized reader–text society is becoming increasingly di- first constituted as learners and there connections. verse. James A. Banks (2003) argues where most children are first consti- that the world’s most serious prob- tuted as readers. (p. 14) • The third view focuses on language in use and what reading can accom- lems do not exist because people What is missing in these replication plish, pragmatically, in the real cannot read. These problems, he and repetition settings is the involve- world. This view evolved from socio- maintains, exist because people from ment of young learners in deeper linguistic and socio-semiotic theory different cultures, races, and reli- processes of critique and analysis. In during the late 1980s and early 90s. gions have not been able to work to- contrast, children who experience a gether to address multinational critical approach to literacy learn to • Finally, the fourth perspective ad- issues like global warming, the AIDS “read between the lines” and gener- dresses critical pra ctices. This view epidemic, poverty, racism, sexism, ate alternative explanations regard- suggests that reading should be seen and war. Banks recommends that ing the author’s intent. They are as a non-neutral form of cultural schools take on the role of helping MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 260

children “use knowledge to take set up to see which class could bring hors. I alwas wuntit a hors” and “If I action that will make the world a in the most items. My children had had $100, I would by a Voltswagin just place in which to live and work” been bringing in items since that first jetu. Win I groe up I would praktis (p. 18). To prepare literate individu- day, and would often mention they driving it.” The surprising thing was als for the 21st century, we need to thought we would win. When they that the issue of homelessness do more than teach them how to made these statements, I countered popped up in 33% of their re- decode and comprehend texts. What with comments that had to do with sponses. One child wrote, “If I had is needed now is a critical under- how many people we were able to help $100, I would give pepele mony to by with these items. But it just didn’t a hause. I wont to be nise to other 260 standing of language as a cultural resource that can be used to chal- seem to get through to the children. pepel that don’t have homes.” An- Most of what they brought came other wrote, “If I had $100 I would Out of the Box lenge or maintain systems of domi- in during that first week. We had give the homelis pepol my mone be- nation (Janks, 2000). collected 90 items and the children cause I like to give.” A third child What kind of teaching can help were telling me their parents said wrote, “If I had $100, I would by young children to develop this type they couldn’t bring anything else. them, stuff, for the homeless people.” of critical competence? Kim used Then I read the book The Lady in the (Journal, 01–03) story time as a way to begin open- Box. The very next day, the children In addition to expressing a desire to ing up spaces for building critical came in loaded down with more help homeless people like the ones literacy awareness in her classroom. items. No one made a comment about in the books Kim had shared with Since she was participating in a winning, but instead they talked of them, the children also began to ask funded research project, she kept a how the food items could help others. questions about why these people journal and noted how the use of What really amazed me was that it were homeless in the first place. these books in her classroom ap- had taken fifteen days to collect 90 They noted that the characters in peared to be affecting her students. items, but in just three days, we went on to collect a total of 205 items. both books used to have homes but What was even more impressive to in each case, something happened VOLVING TTITUDES E A me was the change in the children’s to change this situation. Dorrie (The AND SKILLS attitudes. Instead of looking to win, Lady in the Box) lost her home Awareness of Social Issues: they were now focused on helping when she lost her job, and the boy Asking New Questions others. (Journal, 12–02) in the airport (Fly Away Home) lost One of the first patterns Kim noticed was an increase in the children’s Kim used story time awareness of social issues. After as a way to begin opening up spaces reading The Lady in the Box, she wrote an entry entitled “Critical Lit- for building critical literacy awareness eracy Impact May at First Appear in her classroom. Minimal, But Don’t Let Looks De- ceive You into Thinking Nothing Has Happened.” This entry related Kim noticed further evidence of the his home when his mother died. the experiences of her students in children’s growing awareness of Many of the children were surprised participating in a schoolwide project social issues in January after read- and upset to learn that people could to collect canned goods. ing Fly Away Home (Bunting, 1991) lose their homes for something that Our school had been collecting food to the class. This was another book “wasn’t their fault.” Some made items for the local food pantry since about homelessness and featured connections to times in their own just before Thanksgiving. Unfortu- a father and son who lived in an lives when someone lost a job or a nately the emphasis was to collect airport. working family member died or more than the other schools in our On the one-hundredth day of school, moved away. One child argued that district so we could retain our title of we did our traditional on the people need to have homes while being the most responsive to the needs topic of “If I had one hundred dol- they’re looking for new or better of others. We had reminders each lars.” Sixty-six percent of the class jobs and another asked why other morning and right before going home wrote the usual responses such as, people didn’t help them find homes. for the day. There was even a contest “If I had $100, I would biu me a Phrases like “it’s not fair” and “how

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are people supposed to live?” came My children looked from her to me, Quality of Children’s Writing up many times during the discus- and back again. That was when it By February, Kim noticed changes sions of these books. struck me how different the atmos- phere in my room was this year. My in the quality of her children’s writ- ing when they were responding to Getting Along with Others students bend over backwards to help each other and to help me. It was books in the critical text set. At this Kim also noted that her students unfathomable to them to consider point she read So Far from the Sea seemed to be getting along with disagreements when they really (Bunting, 1996), a story that re- didn’t have any to consider. My counts one Japanese American each other better than other groups 261 she had taught in the past. After question then was, can the use of family’s experiences with the hor- reading Freedom Summer (Wiles, social issue books in a classroom rors of internment camps during the Out of the Box 2001), she made the following entry create an environment of acceptance second World War. Her journal in her journal: and good will? I have examined this entry documents her observations: from every angle I can think of and One thing, which may at first glance can come to no other conclusion. One of the things I have been really seem insignificant, is how well my Other than the of these surprised about when I use critical students get along with each other. books on a regular basis, I can think literacy books with my children is This is my seventh year teaching and of no other changes I have made how they respond to them. They always by February, they are griping since last year that might explain write more than usual if I ask them at each other over trivial issues. It my children’s behavior. (Journal, to write when they respond. (Journal, may be an attempt to police the room 02–03) 02–03) and make sure I notice that someone While Kim did not collect samples has broken a rule or it may be a dis- Freedom Summer tells the story of agreement between friends. (The past how some white people in one to show the quality of her students’ two years have been almost unbear- southern town decided to fill up writing for a non-critical book, able by February.) Whatever it is, it their public swimming pool with tar much can be inferred from the disrupts the harmony and distracts us rather than allow black people to samples she collected after reading from the business at hand. This year swim there after segregation became critical books. What becomes imme- has been different from any other illegal. Kim reported that her chil- year that I have experienced. While dren were “visibly shocked” when other teachers complained about the they realized what was going on Kim noticed changes nitpicking behavior going on in their with the pool being filled in. They in the quality of her rooms, I had to sit in silence because brought up the issue of fairness sev- I was not experiencing this with my eral times and repeatedly asked why children’s writing students. When I mentioned that we some people thought they were when they were haven’t had these kinds of problems, better than others. They were angry they looked at me like I was trying to that these people refused to share responding to books cover something up. the pool and were amazed that they in the critical text set. I didn’t totally realize the signifi- would rather close it down for good cance until our school counselor than let black people swim there. diately obvious is the amount of came into our room to talk about Kim noted that the children engaged text generated by these first graders. choices we make when handling dis- in numerous conversations about And the extensive writing was not agreements that children have with race after she read this book, and done by a handful of students, but each other. When she asked for ex- many concluded that it was “mean” by all of them. A representative ex- amples from my children, they looked ample is the set of papers that Kim at her and waited with raised eye- to treat people unfairly because of brows. She waited and then prompted race. Kim hypothesized that books collected after reading Fly Away them for examples. “What do you do like Freedom Summer opened a Home (Bunting, 1991). She invited if you lose your pencil and you need space for her children to “figure out the children to write down any it to do your work?” Their response, where someone else is coming questions they would like to ask the “Ask a neighbor to borrow one.” She from” and encouraged them to boy who lived in the airport and to did not get the response that she ex- “look for solutions that were fair in- say what they would do to help if pected and went on to explain how stead of getting involved in useless they could do anything. The chil- children have minor disagreements. power struggles” (interview, 03–04). dren generated numerous questions MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 262

and most of them filled the entire since they are dealing with topics and ences to multiple perspectives. Chil- side of the paper. They also did not issues that seem adult to them? dren were bringing up other titles skimp on words in describing what (Journal, 02–03) and other authors to help them situ- they would do to help. One child ate every new book she shared. In who was identified by Kim as a typ- Figure 1 shows four children’s April, she addressed this topic in her ically reluctant writer generated responses to So Far from the Sea journal. three thoughtful questions and (Bunting, 1998), a book about the ended by saying: “I wolld let them internment of Japanese-American Today, we read The Other Side by 262 live with me if he was cold I wolld citizens during World War II. Jacqueline Woodson. As I showed the let him cuvr up in my worm bed The children’s attentiveness to children the book, one of them men- re-creating details like the high tioned that the same author wrote Out of the Box and win he is tird he can sleep in Visiting Day, the book we read about my bed.” When responding to a fences, barbed wire, and guns a child visiting her father in prison. book that he thought was impor- documents Kim’s observation They immediately settled down and tant, this child was clearly willing that they put considerable time gave me their full attention. to write. and effort into these drawings. Kim also noted that the conversa- More intertextual connections fol- tions about this book were ongoing Quality of Children’s Art lowed as Kim began to read this for many weeks and served as a Kim noticed a similar type of energy book aloud. scaffold for pushing the children’s with the children’s artistic endeav- thinking and for giving them a “That summer the fence that ors when they were responding to platform to share their thoughts. stretched through our town seemed books in the critical text set. She She recalled that when children bigger. We lived in a yellow house on made the following observations about the drawings that were gener- ated in response to So Far from the Kim observed that book discussions in her class were Sea (Bunting, 1998). beginning to be characterized by the inclusion of What was quite apparent with this intertextual connections and references to multiple activity was the amount of effort they put into their drawings. Usually, they perspectives. are just drawing to get an assignment done and quickly slap any old thing wanted to make a point about an- one side of it. White people lived on down. Not with these drawings. My other unfair situation, they fre- the other. And Mama said, ‘Don’t room was completely silent while they quently made references to the climb over that fence when you play.’ worked. They waited patiently to have Japanese internment camp and She said it wasn’t safe.” a chance to look more closely at the how armed soldiers had come to Kim noted that the children imme- book, and their drawings were phe- take a little boy in a Cub Scout diately seized on the words “it nomenal. They added details in a way uniform from his home. They criti- wasn’t safe.” She wondered if this that I never see in any of their other cized the actions of the soldiers related directly to their exposure to work. I observed a number of children and empathized with the innocent other books addressing race relation drawing, and then erasing and draw- child who had not done anything issues. Even on the first page, they ing again, sometimes several times to deserve this treatment. In this had already identified the threat as until they got it the way they wanted. case, art was a useful sign system white people. One child made a When I took their drawings to meet for helping to develop the chil- connection to Rosa Parks, the with the Peace Collaboration group, dren’s critical awareness. woman who was told to give her they were surprised at the quality of seat on the bus to a white man the drawings and asked if they Seeing a Bigger Picture: (Miller, 1998). Others brought up always produced work like this. I had Intertextual Connections the books Martin’s Big Words (Rap- to reply that this was an exception. and Multiple Perspectives paport, 2001) and Freedom Summer Occasionally one or two children will (Wiles, 2001) (Journal, 04–03). take their time and create a detailed Kim observed that book discussions drawing, but never the whole class as in her class were beginning to be Other books that Kim shared with it was with this set of drawings. Is it characterized by the inclusion of in- her children seemed to invite con- because they take their work seriously tertextual connections and refer- versations about multiple perspec-

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263 Out of the Box

“The Japanese were surrounded by Army guys” “My picture is a picture of the camp in the story”

“A kid is in the camp and the sun is really really “It was not fair that they locked some people mad” up.”

Figure 1. Children’s artistic responses to So Far from the Sea. MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 264

264 Out of the Box

Figure 2. Children’s responses showing multiple perspectives.

tives and how individuals might see feeling of security, and sometimes looked beyond the braggadocio and the same events differently. Stars in even basic necessities like food and militaristic posturing of the swans the Darkness (Joosse, 2002) relates clothing. She reported that the chil- and peacocks and concluded that what happens to a family when the dren discussed this note at length fear was driving their destructive older brother gets involved in a and that several made a connection behavior. gang. The story shows how three between poverty and the attraction characters (the mother, the older of gangs. One child hypothesized DISRUPTING THE NORMAL brother, and the younger brother) that Richard probably wouldn’t have As the school year drew to a close, see the situation from their own been in a gang in the first place if Kim reflected on what had tran- unique perspectives. Kim discussed his family had enough money to buy spired in her classroom after sharing the idea of multiple perspectives “important stuff like food, clothes, a number of the critical picture with her children and then invited and toys.” Although this child did books with her children. them to draw each character and not interrogate the underlying soci- write what that person was thinking etal structures that produce and In my wildest dreams, I would never about during the story. Figure 2 maintain poverty, his comment sug- have thought my students would shows one child’s example and sug- gests that he was beginning to un- have come so far in just one school gests that he was able to sort out derstand how poverty positions year. At the beginning of the year, the different views of the charac- people and limits their choices. they simply saw a book as being for their enjoyment, like a Disney experi- ters. He reported that Mama was Along similar lines, Kim asked the ence. They now look critically at thinking about Richard’s gang ac- children to imagine what the swans texts, looking for clues into the tivities, little brother was thinking and the peacocks in Feathers and meaning the author intended. They the same thing (and crying, accord- Fools (Fox, 1989) were feeling on have examined books for hidden as- ing to the picture), and Richard was the inside and the outside as they thinking that he didn’t want anyone sumptions and have looked at how were deciding whether they would the readers are being positioned to know what he was doing. go to war with each other. Figure 3 through these texts. (Journal, 04–03) Kim also shared a note from the shows two children’s responses. author with her children. This note, These examples suggest that the An example of this type of critical which comes at the end of the book, children were able to “read between analysis occurred as the children explains what gangs offer to kids the lines” and recognize how de- studied an illustration in The Other like Richard—a sense of belonging, a ceiving appearances can be. They Side (Woodson, 2001) that shows

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the main characters (a black girl wouldn’t have done that.” Other ex- versity that often seemed invisible and a white girl) with their mothers amples from the same book focused in their monocultural setting. as they passed by each other in on the author’s [illustrator’s] pur- town. One child pointed out how pose in making the young black girl Without exposure to race, how would the two girls and their mothers were look “strong and powerful” in the my children ever get past the differ- all wearing the same kind of cloth- picture after the rain stopped and in ences to see what is similar? And in ing (shiny black shoes, white gloves, making the white girl look “sad and a small, white town, they might be and “fancy dresses”). Another child lonely” as she sat on the fence at adults before they know someone surmised that the author [illustrator] the beginning of the book. who is black. By that time, after 265 probably did this on purpose to going so long, it will be hard to tear

make people see how similar they Kim also considered the role these down the fences of mistrust of some- Out of the Box were. “If she wanted us to think that books were playing in acquainting one who looks different. How much they were really different, she her rural children with issues of di- more important it becomes in a rural

a. One reported, “The swans were mean on the b. But turning the paper over reveals that this outside [and] they were going to fight.” child was aware of another perspective as well: “The swans were scared in the inside [and] they didn’t know what to do.”

c. Another child observed, “They think they are d. “but they aren’t. They’re scared.” tough on the outside,”

Figure 3. Children’s multiple perspectives to Feathers and Fools. MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 266

area like this to expose the children these children the perspective that Kim’s children to see the world to other groups. (Journal, 04–03) black people sometimes live in fear through a different lens. It allowed of dangerous white people. them to look at race issues through Kim’s observations stress the impor- the eyes of an African American tance of encouraging children to in- It is also important to note that the children responded to this story by child and to consider the role that terrogate what they see as white people have played in keeping commonplace or “normal.” In an generating ideas for improving the situation between the neighbors. the two races apart and on unequal all-white community, it can become footing. Their idea of knocking the “normal” to assume that people of One student wrote, “They could play 266 together if the fence got knocked fence down and playing together color are somehow “different” and demonstrates that they were paying maybe even “dangerous.” An exam- down,” and another predicted that Out of the Box they would all become friends once attention to their own personal and ple of this dominant discourse was cultural resources and thinking shared by a student teacher who that happens: “When they knock the fence down, the black and white about how to take social action to was momentarily stunned when a make the world a better place for all child in her classroom stated during people can play together and their moms can meet each other and they children. It can be argued that this a literature discussion that “All stance was not achieved after hear- black people carry guns and kill can give their phone number and they will have a lot of fun.” Clearly ing one story or discussing one in- people.” When the student teacher stance of marginalization. Kim suggested that this might be a engaged her first graders in critical stereotype and not true, the child Many children are conversations about important responded adamantly that it was social issues for the better part of a true because his parents told him so deeply concerned school year. She herself disrupted (Leland & Harste, 2003). about these difficult commonplace teaching norms by enlarging the literacy curriculum of POSSIBILITIES FOR issues when they walk her first grade to the point where it TAKING ACTION into our classrooms. included more than decoding and The Other Side is a picture book that comprehension. The addition of turns the tables and challenges the books that addressed difficult social dominant discourse. Suddenly it’s these children saw the fence as an issues added a new dimension that the black people who are in danger obstacle, but they appeared to un- had not been in her classroom pre- and the white people who are the derstand that communication was viously and is not often found in dangerous ones. What is significant the real issue. We can hypothesize work with young children. here is how quickly Kim’s children that their life experiences have led In reality, Kim had challenged two picked up on this perspective. Sev- them to conclude that meeting traditional views that tend to be the eral examples of their writing make people, exchanging phone numbers, dominant discourse in both schools this point. One child wrote, “They and interacting (“playing together”) and the larger culture. First, she thought that the white people would are important steps in forming posi- challenged the view that literacy is kill the black people. They can’t sit tive social relationships. Just as the mainly a question of decoding and on the fence.” Two other children swans and peacocks in Feathers and making meaning. Second, she chal- wrote, “They don’t want their chil- Fools (Fox, 1989) needed to get over lenged what many teachers and dren to go on the other side because their fear of difference in order to parents perceive as common sense the white people might kill the black appreciate each others’ talents and regarding appropriate subject people” and “One’s mom didn’t want skills, children and parents also matter for story time with young her to go over the fence because she need to get over their fears of children. This view positions chil- said ‘There’s danger.’ The danger was people who are perceived as differ- dren as needing protection from the other side. The white people were ent or “other.” These fears might be complexity and unpleasant topics. the danger.” It would have been common and “normal,” but they As a result, the common sense ap- more predictable to find children need to be challenged. proach leads teachers and parents growing up in a homogeneous white Stories that disrupt what is seen as to choose stories that have simple community reflecting the stereotypi- normal are important. In this case, a plot lines and “happily ever after” cal view that African Americans are picture book experience (The Other endings that tie up all loose ends. to be feared. The Other Side offered Side) provided an opportunity for The thinking is that these stories

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Research on Critical Literacy with Young Children

Comber, B., Thomson, P., & Wells, M. (2001). Critical Lit- others; used writing as a means for constructing and eracy Finds a “Place”: Writing and Social Action in a analyzing shared social worlds; and created stories Low-Income Australian Grade 2/3 Classroom. The Ele- as tools for social action in their school lives. mentary School Journal, 101, 251–264. Vasquez, V. (2001). Negotiating a Critical Literacy Cur- 267 • This study focuses on a critical literacy project in riculum with Young Children. (Phi Delta Kappa Inter- which a complex set of literate practices taught the national Research Bulletin No. 29). Bloomington, IN: Phi Out of the Box grade 2/3 children about power and the possibilities Delta Kappa. for local civic action. The study discusses how chil- • Vasquez engaged in teacher research to explore dren’s writing can be a key element in developing how multiple literacies are constructed through a “critical literacies” in elementary settings and how range of practices, looking at what happens when such classroom writing can mediate emotions, intel- critical literacy generates learning opportunities to lectual and academic learning, social practice, and explore problems associated with inequitable social political activism. practices and issues of difference and diversity. Data Heffernan, L., & Lewison, M. (2003). Social Narrative analysis revealed that in her junior kindergarten, lit- Writing: (Re)constructing Kid Culture in the Writer’s eracy was seen as social transformation where Workshop. Language Arts, 80, 435–443. issues were acted upon to effect change and to ne- gotiate and sustain curriculum, as well as to gener- • This study provides a rich description of what ate possible curricular engagements. In addition, happened when third-grade children moved from children began raising issues of equity and social personal to social narratives in writing workshop. justice in their homes. Students shared cultural resources as they took on the identities, dilemmas, and obstacles of self and —Karen Smith

are appropriate for children because A HAPPY ENDING? not fit what they think is normal— they do not introduce multifaceted such as the family of four with both issues that might be too abstract for Since the dominant national dis- parents and a dog in the backyard. them to understand. This view of course on literacy acquisition ap- (Journal, 03–03) children’s capacity to understand pears to be bogged down in the first Even so, there is still something difficult issues has been challenged two resources identified by Luke hopeful that emerges from this by researchers like Corsaro and Freebody (1997), it is hard to text—the validation that individual (1997) and Dyson (1993) who sug- imagine a happy ending for this teachers can still make a difference. gest that children often use play ac- piece. But maybe that is to be ex- And like Kim, they might get moti- tivities to address complex issues pected, given the fact that happy vated to begin stepping out of their that concern them. While we might endings typically do not occur in own instructional boxes. For while wish that children did not have to either the books in the critical liter- many classroom reading programs deal with issues like racism, acy text set or in life in general. As are now micro-managed to the poverty, and war, the fact of the Kim wrote in her journal: point of becoming scripts that matter is that many children are These children do not all have tidy teachers are asked to “stand and deeply concerned about these diffi- happy endings in their lives. Using deliver,” the time-honored institu- cult issues when they walk into our critical texts opens their eyes and my tion of story time leaves a tiny classrooms. Ignoring what they own to world issues. This helps to chink in the armor. Books that are need help to understand and deal create understanding and provides read to children can also be dis- with is not productive or humane. connections for kids whose lives do cussed with them. The topics MAR-LA2.QXD 2/8/2005 4:00 PM Page 268

of these books can be revisited Woodson, J. (2001). The other side. New for Education, Employment, Training and through writing and art. Kim’s York: Putnam. Youth Affairs. story shows how teachers can take Woodson, J. (2002). Visiting day. New York: Janks, H. (2000). Domination, access, diver- small steps as they begin to intro- Scholastic. sity, and design: A synthesis for critical duce children to new perspectives. literacy education. Educational Review, 52(2), 15–30. Without causing too much of a References ruckus, critical literacy can start Lee, C. (2003). Why we need to re-think race and ethnicity in educational research. seeping into the culture of a class- Banks, J. (2003). Teaching literacy for social justice and global citizenship. Language Educational Researcher, 32(5), 3–5. 268 room. Children and teachers alike Arts, 81, 18–19. Lee, C., Spencer, M., & Harpalani, V. (2003). can question the assumptions that Comber, B. (2003). Critical literacy: Power “Every shut eye ain’t sleep”: Studying Out of the Box drive what goes on in their class- and pleasure with language in the early how people live culturally. Educational room, their school, and their com- years. In V. Vasquez & B. Comber (Eds.), Researcher, 32(5), 6–13. munity. There are mandates in Critical perspectives in literacy: Demon- Leland, C., & Harste, J. (2003). “It made me schools today that make even the strations of curricular possibilities (pp. 4– hurt inside: Exploring tough social most dedicated and experienced 18). Handout for a pre-convention insti- issues through critical literacy. Journal teachers among us think about tute of the International Reading Asso- of Reading Education, 20 (2), 7–15. changing careers. If there is any ciation, Orlando, FL. (Reprinted from The Leland, C., & Harste, J., with reviewers (in hope to be found, it might well be Australian Journal of Language and Lit- alphabetical order): Berghoff, B., Bomer, eracy, 2001, 24(3), 168–181.) in the realization that we can still R., Flint, A. S., & Lewison, M. (2002). Critical literacy. In J. Kristo & A. McClure create cultural niches where the Comber, B., & Hill, S. (2000). Socio- (Eds.), Adventuring with books (13th ed., children (and we ourselves) can de- economic disadvantage, literacy and social justice; Learning from pp. 465–487). Urbana, IL: NCTE. velop as critically literate beings longitudinal case study research. The Leland, C., Harste, J., Ociepka, A., Lewison, who are going to keep trying to Australian Educational Researcher, M., & Vasquez, V. (1999). Exploring criti- make the world a better place. 27(3), 79–97. cal literacy: You can hear a pin drop. Corsaro, W. (1997). The sociology of child- Language Arts, 77, 70–77. Children’s Books Cited hood. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1997). Shaping the Press. social practices of reading. In S. Mus- Bunting, E. (1991). Fly away home. New pratt, A. Luke, & P. Freebody (Eds.) Con- Dyson, A. H. (1993). Social worlds of chil- York: Clarion. structing critical literacies (pp. 185–225). dren learning to write in an urban pri- Bunting, E. (1998). So far from the sea. New Cresskill, NJ: Hampton. York: Clarion. mary school. New York: Teachers College Press. Fox, M. (1989). Feathers and fools. New York: Harcourt Brace. Harste, J., Breau, A., Leland, C., Lewison, M., Author Biographies Ociepka, A., & Vasquez, V. (2000). Sup- Joosse, B. (2002). Stars in the darkness. San porting critical conversations in class- Francisco: Chronicle. rooms. In K. M. Pierce (Ed.), Adventuring Chris Leland and Jerry Harste are McGovern, A. (1997). The lady in the box. with books (12th ed., pp. 506–554). professors in the Department of Language New York: Turtle. Urbana, IL: NCTE. Education at Indiana University. Miller, W. (1998). The bus ride. New York: Chris teaches in Indianapolis (IUPUI) Hill, S., Comber, B., Louden, B., Reid, J., & Lee & Low. and Jerry teaches in Bloomington. Kim Rivalland, J. (1998). 100 children go to Huber teaches first grade at the North Rappaport, D. (2001). Martin’s big words. school: Connections and disconnections New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion. Salem Elementary School in North Salem, in literacy experience prior to school and Indiana and is finishing a master’s Wiles, D. (2001). Freedom summer. New in the first year of school, 3 volume degree at IUPUI. York: Atheneum. report. Canberra, Australia: Department

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