A Critical review of culturally responsive literacy instruction

Abstract

Eliminating the racial and ethnic achievement gap in reading and writing is a national priority. Providing literacy instruction that is both culturally responsive and evidence-based requires an understanding of culture, effective instructional practices, and how the two intersect. Although many suggestions for implementing culturally responsive reading instruction are intuitively appealing, more research evidence is needed to determine if these practices increase student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement of students who are culturally and linguistically diverse. The goal of reading instruction is to help children acquire the skills necessary to comprehend printed material at a level consistent with their general language comprehension (Torgesen, 2000). The ultimate goal is to produce fully literate, successful, and self-assured adults who are empowered to live as they wish, not as they must with limited skills. Helping all children become fully literate requires skillful instruction from knowledgeable teachers (

Understanding elementary teachers' perceptions of students of color and low socioeconomic status students

“…Specialized coursework may come in the form of remediation, advanced, or accelerated courses. These courses have existed for some time, but high-stakes testing is also associated with teacher, principal, school, and district accountability that can result in funding losses following low student test results (Cheesman & De Pry, 2010). Teachers are less likely to recognize the abilities, strengths, and potential of Students of Color and socioeconomically disadvantaged students, partially as a result of poor high-stakes testing performance, focusing instead on issues and areas of weakness (Speirs Neumeister et al, 2007).…”