Bridging literacy and equity

Identifies six key dimensions of social equity teaching that can help teachers see their students' potential and create conditions that will support their literacy development. Serving students well depends on understanding relationships between race, class, culture, and literacy; the complexity and significance of culture; and the culturally situated nature of literacy. It also requires knowledge of culturally responsive practices, such as collaboration with and learning from caregivers, using cultural referents, enacting critical and transformative literacy practices, and seeing the capacities of English language learners and children who speak African American language.