This article provides an overview of the integrative process of initiating an action
research project on literacy for students `at risk' in a Canadian urban elementary
school. As the article demonstrates, this requires development of a school-wide
framework, which informs the action research project and desired outcomes, and a
shared ownership of this vision by school community and staff. Preliminary
understandings provide information and considerations that serve to inform
discussions about school/curriculum reform and related concerns about Critical
Literacy.
Behrman, E.H.
(2006)
Teaching about language, power, and text: a review of classroom practices
that support Critical Literacy
. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy,
49(6),
480-8.
7.
Bond, G.L.
&
Dykstra, R.
(1967)
The cooperative research program in first-grade reading instruction
. Reading Research Quarterly, 2,
5-142.
8.
Bond, G.L.
&
Dykstra, R.
(1997)
The cooperative research program in first-grade reading instruction
. Reading Research Quarterly, 32,
348-427.
9.
Brown, L.
(2001)
Grading systems target neediest schools
. Toronto Star, 10 June, p.
A2
.
10.
Burbules, N.C.
&
Berk, R.
(1999) Critical Thinking and Critical Pedagogy: relations,
differences, and limits. In
T. S. Popkewitz
&
L. Fendler
(eds) Critical Theories in Education, pp.
45-66. New York:
Routledge.
11.
Chernow, D.
(2000)
School reform by any name
. School Administrator, 57(5),
46
.
12.
Church, S.M.
(1999) Leadership as critical practice: a
work-in-progress . In
C. Edelsky
(ed.) Making Justice Our Project: Teachers Working toward Critical Whole
Language Practice , pp. 286-302.
Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English .
13.
Clay, M.M.
(1979) The Early Detection of Reading Difficulties,
3rd edn. New Zealand:
Heinemann.
14.
Comber, B.
(2006) Critical Literacy educators at work: examining
dispositions, discursive resources and repertoires of practice. In
K. Cooper
&
R. E. White
(eds) The Practical Critical Educator, pp.
51-65. Dordrecht :
Springer.
15.
Comber, B.
,
Thompson, P.
&
Wells, M.
(2001)
Critical Literacy finds a place: writing and social action in a low-income
Australian grade two/three classroom
. Elementary School Journal, 101(4),
451-64.
16.
Cooper, K.
&
White, R.E.
(2004) Burning Issues: Foundations of Education.
Lanham, MD:
ScarecrowEducation.
17.
Cooper, K.
&
White, R.E.
(2006) Critical Literacy in action: action research in a
grade three classroom. In
K. Cooper
&
R. E. White
(eds) The Practical Critical Educator, pp.
3-16. Dordrecht:
Springer.
18.
Cooper, K.
,
Peterson, S.
&
Broad, K.
(2003)
Examining professional development: connecting dialogues
. The Teacher Educator, 38(4),
231-44.
19.
Darling-Hammond, L.
(1998) Policy and change: getting beyond bureaucracy.
In
A. Hargreaves
et al. (eds) International Handbook on Educational Change, pp.
642-67. Lisse:
Kluwer.
20.
Edelsky, C.,
ed. (1999) Making Justice Our Project: Teachers Working
toward Critical Whole Language Practice . Urbana,
IL: National Council of Teachers of
English.
21.
Edelsky, C.
&
Cherland, M.R.
(2006) A critical issue in Critical Literacy: the `Popularity
Effect'. In
K. Cooper
&
R. E. White
(eds) The Practical Critical Educator, pp.
17-33. Dordrecht:
Springer.
22.
Elliott, J.
(1991) Action Research for Educational Change.
Philadelphia
, PA:
Open University Press
.
23.
Freire, P.
&
Macedo, D.
(1987) Literacy: Reading the World and the Word.
South Hadley, MA: Begin
Garvey.
24.
Gee, J.P.
(1996) Social Linguistics and Literacies.
London: Taylor and
Francis.
25.
Gunning, T.G.
(2000) Creating Literacy Instruction for All Children ,
3rd edn. Boston, MA: Allyn
and Bacon.
26.
Hannay, L.
(1989)
Just who owns action research?Paper presented at the CACS Invitational Conference on Collaborative Action
Research, Jasper, Alberta,
Canada.
27.
Hannay, L.
(1995) Supporting a Culture of Inquiry.
Kitchener, ON: OISE Midwestern
Centre.
28.
Janks, H.
(2000)
Domination, access, diversity and design: a synthesis for Critical Literacy
education
. Educational Review, 52(2),
175-86.
29.
Lankshear, C.
&
McLaren, P.,
eds (1993) Critical Literacy: Politics, Praxis and the
Postmodern. Albany: SUNY
Press.
30.
Leithwood, K.
&
Aitken, R.
(1995) Making Schools Smarter: A System for Monitoring School
and District Progress. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
31.
Luke, A.
(1997) Critical approaches to literacy. In
V. Edwards
&
D. Corson
(eds) Encyclopedia of Language and Education, Vol. 2: Literacy ,
pp. 143-51. Dordrecht:
Kluwer Academic.
32.
McNiff, J.
(1993) Teaching as Learning: An Action Research
Approach . London:
Routledge.
33.
Miller, D.
(2002) Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the
Primary Grades.
Portland
, ME:
Stenhouse
.
34.
Mills, G.E.
(2000) Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher
Researcher . Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill, Prentice Hall.
35.
Ontario Curriculum
(1997) Grades 1-8 (Language).
36.
Pahl, K.
&
Rowsell, J.
(2005) Literacy and Education: Understanding the New Literacy
Studies in the Classroom. London:
Paul Chapman.
37.
Pearson, P.D.
(1984)
Changing the face of reading comprehension instruction
. The Reading Teacher, 38,
724-38.
38.
Pervin, B.
(2005)
Turning around student achievement in literacy
. Orbit, 35(3),
39-40.
39.
Porter, A.
(2005)
Getting the content of instruction right
. Orbit, 35(3),
11-13.
40.
Shor, I.
(1999)
What is Critical Literacy?Journal for Pedagogy, Pluralism and Practice, 4(1).
Online: http://www.lesley.edu/journals//jppp/4/shor/html .
41.
Short, K.G.
(1999)
The search for `balance' in a literature-rich curriculum
. Theory into Practice, 38(3),
130-7.
42.
Slavin, R.E.
(1998)
Can education reduce social inequity
? Educational Leadership, 55(4),
6-10.
43.
Statcan
(2006) Study: the relationship between reading literacy and
education outcomes. Online:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060607/d060607a.htm [accessed 27
December 2006].
44.
Tompkins, G.E.
(1998) 50 Literacy Strategies: Step by Step.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill,
Prentice Hall.
45.
Toronto District School Board
(2000- 2001) Learning Opportunities Index
(Elementary). Online:
http://www.tdsb.on.ca/boardroom/trustees/atkinson/documents/innercity.doc
[accessed 28 March 2003].
46.
Tyack, D.
&
Cuban, L.
(1995) Tinkering towards Utopia: A Century of Public School
Reform. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
47.
Wells, G.
(1994) Changing Schools from Within: Creating Communities of
Inquiry. Toronto: OISE
Press .
48.
Wragg, E.C.
,
Wragg, C.M.
,
Haynes, G.S.
&
Chamberlin, R.P.
(1998) Improving Literacy in the Primary School.
New York:
Routledge .
