Literacy scholars have noted the importance of drawing upon all of one's linguistic resources and experiences to make sense of texts. However, literacy instruction is often shaped by restrictive and punitive policies that limit the learning experiences and opportunities offered to racialized bi/multilingual students from low-income communities. We…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to summarise key literature related to the Foundation for Learning and Literacy's Touchstone 4 (creativity, the arts and imagination). Design/methodology/approach: This article reviews a selection of relevant studies exploring the contributions of creativity, imagination and the arts to traditional literacy…

Language and literacy education has long been a site of contestation. Lisa Delpit, an African-American language and literacy educator, shook this contested site in the 1980s and 1990s through her ground-breaking book "Other People's Children: Cultural Conflicts in the Classroom," by centring the voices, discontentment and hopes of…

The advent of Generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, in November 2022, necessitated immediate and critical attention from the educational research community. The impact of GenAI in education, though not yet clear, has the potential to be transformative. More specifically, the focus of this paper is on how to integrate GenAI into elementary…

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how instruction for students from linguistically and culturally diverse families can be enhanced by the literacy practice of transformative read-alouds, which teachers can utilize to create a sense of community within the classroom for all children. Transformative readalouds are especially beneficial…

Literacy coaching has become a mainstay in schools around the world. Its growing presence as a means of supporting teachers and promoting literacy achievement has been recognized by teacher educators, school personnel, policymakers, professional organizations, funding agencies, and educational researchers. Most teachers welcome what they learn…

The use of culturally relevant texts can support students' reading development, foster a love of reading, help students form positive identities, and broaden their social consciousness. Well-matched culturally relevant texts have particular promise in increasingly diverse classrooms. Drawing on the academic literature and their experience as…

Young children today have greater access to culturally and politically sensitive information than at any other time in history. Although there are many positive aspects of children having greater access, negative consequences can also result, especially when they do not have sufficient structured and supportive opportunities to question, discuss…

In this discussion with educational researchers and New London Group conveners, Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis, we discuss the origins, life, and future of the New London Group's multiliteracies framework. We reflect on the initial goals the group had over 20 years ago for more equitable schooling opportunities, and what is yet to be done to reach…

Not all literacy teacher preparation programs are directed toward the same goals. Some programs assume that literacy teacher educators should prepare new teachers to fit into the norms and expectations for literacy teaching in schools as they exist today. Other programs assume that the responsibility of teacher educators is to prepare teachers to…

Transformative learning refers to a perspective transformation or change in worldview. Teachers in literacy education and adult basic education as well as GED instructors can learn how to foster transformative learning. These techniques can help learners engage in critical thought and discussion with others and may gain a broader, more inclusive…

In this article, we address various complexities associated with teaching and the literacy development of K-12 youth in urban poor school and community contexts. As such, we consider various conceptions of urban education through an honest conversation on the vexing issues and questions facing teachers, students, and families who work and live in…

The construct of "identity text" conjoins notions of identity affirmation and literacy engagement as equally relevant to addressing causes of underachievement among low socioeconomic status, multilingual, and marginalized group students. Despite extensive empirical evidence supporting the impact on academic achievement of both identity…

What do we teach when we teach information literacy in higher education? This paper describes a pedagogical approach to information literacy that helps instructors focus content around transformative learning thresholds. The threshold concept framework holds promise for librarians because it grounds the instructor in the big ideas and underlying…

Today's teachers must be equipped to reach all children and embrace a pedagogy of equity. Toward that end, teacher preparation programs need to foster a transformationist pedagogy which allows students to develop into culturally responsive teachers. This paper describes three components of a teacher preparation program that embraces teaching for…