A Historically Responsive Literacy Model for Reading and Mathematics

Abstract

According to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, the U.S. educational system has consistently failed Black and Brown children across both reading and mathematics. Educational research has further uncovered the ways that reading and mathematics assessment and curriculum are often biased and culturally and linguistically unresponsive. In this article, we examine traditional reading and mathematics research to determine how Black and Brown children might be better served through historically responsive literacy. We delineate the Historically Responsive Literacy model and its five learning pursuits of identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy. Finally, we provide three historically responsive lessons across kindergarten, third, and sixth grade reading and mathematics. It is our hope that this work may help teachers refuse ahistorical curricular frameworks in order to better center our students’ reading and mathematics education within the pursuits of intellect, skills, identity, criticality, and joy.

“Literacy to me is about power”: reading book-length fiction and non-fiction texts in a disciplinary literacy teacher education course

“…Moreover, as many ELA teacher educators still prioritize book-length texts, the work of helping candidates build curricular components and instructional tactics around texts can also be enhanced by championing a passion and enjoyment for reading, which many see as lost in conversations about standards and assessments (Muhammad et al , 2021; Skerrett, 2016). Research on reading enjoyment or “reading for pleasure” demonstrates how enjoying reading accounts for an increase in test scores, comprehension and reading frequency in children (Allan et al , 2005; Clark and De Zoysa, 2011; Clark and Rumbold, 2006; Clark and Teravainen, 2017; Krashen, 2004; MacLatchy and Beavers, 1935; Paulson, 2014; Smith et al , 2012; Ujiie and Krashen, 1996).…”

Designing Culturally Responsive Literacy Centers to Include and Go Beyond Skills

“…It is rooted in 19th‐century Black literary societies whose pursuits included—but went beyond—skills. The pursuits were central to their humanity; they were about advancing beyond their current social, economic, and political conditions, even transformational through “liberation, self‐determination, self‐reliance, and self‐empowerment” (Muhammad et al, 2021, p. 77). The five pursuits featured in the framework imagine how today's literacy instruction can reflect “the more challenging and intellectually invigorating” aspects of historical Black literary societies (Muhammad, 2020).…”

“…The five pursuits featured in the framework imagine how today's literacy instruction can reflect “the more challenging and intellectually invigorating” aspects of historical Black literary societies (Muhammad, 2020). The following are the pursuits of HRL along with an abbreviated description of each: Literacy as identity meaning making : understanding yourself as having many and complex identities across multiple contexts Literacy as skills : cognitive abilities to read, write, and speak within meaningful contexts and alongside the other four pursuits Literacy as intellect : expanding academic knowledge across disciplines Literacy as criticality : using literacy for change, toward justice, toward liberation Literacy as joy : centering the aesthetic pleasures of literacy and cultivating love of literacy learning (Muhammad, 2020; Muhammad et al, 2021). …”

“…We use the Historically Responsive Literacy (HRL) equity framework to combat a limited focus on skills rather than on the fullness of literacy in connection to children's humanity (Muhammad et al, 2021). Muhammad's HRL equity framework is a theory and model for K-12 instruction across content areas.…”

Count Me In: Exploring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion through Mathematics and Children's Literature

“…Inspired by Muhammad et al's (2021) inquiry, I posed key questions about my pedagogy and practice: Does the way you currently teach reading and mathematics bring joy to your students' lives? Are the identities of students reflected in your instruction?…”