First became a publishing genre in the 17th century

Storytelling, folk tales, and fairy tales were used to teach life lessons

Children were seen to be a replacement in their families

Children as the main characters

Informational content, social (life) lessons, morals

Didactic (ulterior motive)

Can include real-world, daily environments or imaginative worlds

Centered around the world of childhood

Child’s point of view or age appropriate

Fosters development 

Simple & clear language

Illustrations

Critical literacy is often identified by four dimensions:

• Disrupting commonplace narratives

• Interrogating multiple viewpoints

• Focusing on sociopolitical issues

• Taking action or promoting social justice

Foundation was laid by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire in 1985.

Prior to that, children’s literature was full of:

• “All-white” characters

• Stereotypes or problematic portrayals 

• Limited roles of children

• Oversimplified topics or themes

1990s saw more of a focus on diversity and inclusion

Even today, we don’t see full representation, but by 2010 there was a significant increase in diversity in children’s literature

Set the Stage (community, seating, focus)

Plan to read aloud (Select a book - check length 15 min for reading and discussion and think about what is the best book for you)

Establish a clear purpose for reading (Indiana ELA Standards - Consider Comprehension)  

Practice before class (plan questions, key vocabulary)

Make it interactive (ask open ended questions, model thinking)

Extending the read aloud (open ended questions for discussion, revisit focus)

PRACTICE!  (roommates, family, friends, etc.)

Multiple literacies is the ability to create and understand meaning through various modes of communication.

It can contain visuals, digital aspects, reading and writing just to name a few.

Manuscript = print penmanship, based on individual block letters (not connected and each character is clear and distinct)

Cursive = connected penmanship, flowing and without spaces between letters within a word

Slant = angle of the paper or text

Basic Strokes = straight lines (vertical and horizontal), circles, diagonals, undercurves, downcurves, and overcurves

Pencil Grip = “proper” way to hold a writing utensil

Multimodal literacy is the ability to create and interpret meaning from texts using multiple forms of communication:

• Visual Aspects:  images, diagrams, illustrations, font types

• Linguistic Aspects:  written words, text, alphabetic language

• Oral Aspects:  spoken words, communication

• Gestural Aspects:  body language, movement, facial expressions

• Spatial Aspects:  layout, organization

Consider multimodal literacy for the following:

• Varied Input = gathering visuals or tactile objects to help with understanding

• Engaging Activities = using multiple formats and music or movement to help make connections to the material

• Flexible Assessments = allow students to showcase their material in different ways

• Supporting Diverse Learners = can provide more scaffolding and support for students with different needs

• Modern Ties = ways to incorporate our “modern world” 

Visual literacy is the ability to find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media.

Personalize learning for students (quickly adapting to various needs or learning styles)

Provide immediate feedback & insights on student work

Help create/supplement content: lessons, activities, assessments 

Improve accessibility/inclusion (e.g., text-to-speech, visuals) 

Free teachers’ time (for higher-value tasks) by handling administrative/tight tasks 

Simulate creativity, foster critical thinking in students

Start small: pilot one AI tool/task (e.g., content-generation or feedback)

Ask key questions before adoption: Does the tool meet age/privacy requirements? 

Blend AI with strong teacher-student interaction — keep human in the loop

Provide student guidance: teach them about prompt-crafting, evaluating AI outputs, ethical use

Build policies/guardrails: data governance, usage norms, allow student voice

Reflect and iterate: monitor how AI is affecting teaching time, engagement, relationships.

ML = Multilingual Learners

EL = English Learners

EB = Emergent Bilingual (more narrow focus)

DLL = Dual Language Learner (children under the age of 5 acquiring two more more languages simultaneously)

ELL = English Language Learners (still used, but outdated)

ESOL = English for Speakers of Other Languages

ESL = English as a Second Language (outdated, but still seen)

LEP - Limited English Proficiency (very outdated)

Asset-based learning is a pedagogical approach or educational philosophy that views students’ diverse backgrounds as STRENGTHS rather than deficits.

For ML students, it looks at their cultures, languages, and other experiences as adding VALUE to their learning and that of others.

Some call it the “Can Do” attitude…what students CAN DO rather than what they lack.

An Asset-Based Mindset:

• Values diversity

• Creates an inclusive environment

• Helps us connect with shared experiences

• Bring the positive forward (think positive feedback)

• Helps build relationships (which can impact student behavior too)

ToR - Teacher of Record (homeroom teacher or SPED teacher)

ToS - SPED or ML Teacher

LEA - Local Educational Agency (school or school corporation)

EL - English Learner (slowly transitioning to ML, but EL is still very common)

Program Levels:

• ESL - English as a Second Language

• ELD - English Language Development (content based)

• Sheltered English Instruction

• Structured English Instruction

• TBE - Transitional Bilingual Education 

Translanguaging is the practice of allowing someone to access and utilize their full linguistic abilities and resources to communicate and share information.

• It is both a natural process many multilingual people use and…

• It is a pedagogical strategy that should be used in the classroom.

When used correctly, translanguaging allows for:

• Empowerment - allows students to participate more fully and gain confidence

• Improved learning - connects to their existing background knowledge

• Disrupting inequality - challenges the notion that all academic learning must be done in English only

• Encourages critical thinking - using their native or “home” language helps deepen their understanding