Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools

In Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools, Chantal Francois and Jen McLaughlin Cahill combine their teaching, leadership, and research at Pearl Street Collaborative School in New York City to provide an intimate portrayal of what it means to strive toward a humanizing literacy pedagogy.

This book weaves the thread from the school’s dreams about humanizing literacy to the everyday work that extended and nurtured those dreams. By elevating urban students’ and teachers’ unique, diverse, but often devalued voices, this book describes how the school’s collaborative and equity-oriented professional culture informed asset-based dispositions and instructional practices through a relationship-oriented independent reading program; robust engagement with diverse texts, including intersectional, young adult, LGBTQ+ literature; opportunities to foster empathy; rich, text-based discussions; and teacher-designed authentic literacy assessments. This book explores opportunities for students to fluidly engage with their identities, knowledge about the world, the school community, and texts.

Identity-Affirming Literacies in Schools will appeal to pre- and in-service educators, especially those considering secondary literacy education and social change, who may use this book for coursework or professional learning.