Promoting racial literacy in early childhood: Storybooks and conversations with young black children

Abstract

Racial literacy as defined by Stevenson (2014) is an important cultural resistance strategy (e.g., positive coping strategy) for Black children and youth because it gives them the skills needed to survive in a racist society. Stevenson’s work, along with the work of several of his colleagues, focuses on adolescents and those in middle childhood, yet it has inspired us to postulate how racial literacy might be fostered in young children (ages 3–8). In this article, we propose a theoretical model for how racial literary can be fostered within shared‐reading contexts using racially affirming storybooks coupled with conversations grounded in the principles of ethnic‐racial socialization. We also propose that these conversations result in both a direct influence on racial literacy and an indirect influence via positive ethnic‐racial identity and emotion regulation and understanding.

Conducting racial awareness research with African American children: Unearthing their sociopolitical knowledge through Pro-Black literacy methods

“…Read alouds can serve an important role in allowing children to engage about their identities, experiences, and the world around them (Curenton et al, 2022; Husband, 2019; Long and Gove, 2003). Literature circles, which consist of read alouds, in early and elementary classrooms are an important pedagogical tool for teaching young children print concepts, vocabulary, increase their motivation and interests in reading, and strengthening their reading comprehension (Mol et al, 2009; Penno et al, 2002; Snow et al, 1998).…”

Anti-racism commitment in early childhood education: The limits of cultural competency

“…As race scholars have pointed out, racism definitions shape how anti-racist responses and solutions to racism are framed (Azarmandi, 2022;Lentin, 2004;Müller, 2021). International research within early childhood education has identified the need for racial literacy, anti-racist pedagogies, and critical examinations of power to enhance teachers' understandings (Curenton et al, 2022a(Curenton et al, , 2022bEscayg, 2019). Against the backdrop of the Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Education's anti-racism policy direction, this article explores how limited definitions of racism within policy documents in Aotearoa New Zealand result in a limited awareness of exactly how to 'unteach' racism in early childhood education contexts.…”