Operationalizing the Access –Voice–Choice Framework for Equitably and Justly Teaching the Language for School Literacy

AbstractWhile research unequivocally points to the need to teach the language that supports participation in reading and writing activities in middle-grade classrooms, many educators grapple with how to create the instructional conditions that promote equitable and just opportunities for students to learn the Language of School Literacy (LSL). In this article, I operationalize the Access –Voice–Choice (AVC) framework and illustrate its application through teaching vignettes. The AVC framework engages educators in considering how to in which language serves as a medium: (1) for giving learnersaccess to concepts and content contained in school texts and to the communities where this knowledge is produced; (2) for amplifying studentvoice; and (3) for providing learners withchoice in the language they use in the classroom and in the linguistic communities in which they choose to participate. This critical framework offers a useful heuristic model to think abouthow andwhy we teach LSL to our students. I argue that if the goal of our instruction is to develop in students the ability to use language critically and flexibly, we must create the sorts of classrooms that position them as critical and flexible language users from the start.
Source: Reading Teacher - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Viewpoint Source Type: research