Sustaining Cultural and Disability Identities in the Literacy Classroom, K-6

How can the elementary literacy classroom be (re)organized to center student identities and ensure full access for students with disabilities? Drawing on the lived experiences of teachers with disabilities, Rabinowitz and Tondreau bring together culturally sustaining pedagogy and disability studies in education, offering Disability Sustaining Pedagogy as framework for reimagining the elementary school literacy classroom in more inclusive, humanizing, and accessible ways. Offering rich examples of Disability Sustaining Pedagogy in practice, this timely book sheds light onto possibilities and offers powerful pathways for upholding every child’s right to literacy in the elementary school classroom. -Mariana Souto-Manning, President, Erikson Institute By centering students who are perceived by institutional norms to be disabled or culturally and linguistically different, Rabinowitz and Tondreau offer a different take on teaching literacy. The balanced literacy approach described here adapts to the different ways of being, acting and making meaning of ALL students, as it is infused with culturally- and disability-sustaining pedagogical practices. The result is a rich cornucopia of practices, for both whole class and group instruction, embedded in a theoretical approach that is unapologetic about its commitment to students themselves as creative and critical literate beings. - Ofelia García, Professor Emerita, The Graduate Center, City University of New York Sustaining Cultural and Disability Identities in the Literacy Classroom, K-6 stands tall as a beacon of inclusive practices, illuminating pathways for literacy instruction that address disability as culture(s) and identities. Departing from traditional medical models of teaching literacy, this transformative text not only educates but also empowers educators, guiding them to create classroom environments where every racial, ethnic, and ability background is not just acknowledged but valued and sustained. For teachers and teacher educators committed to fostering true inclusivity, this book is an indispensable addition to their library. - Federico R. Waitoller, Ph.D. Associate Professor, The University of Illinois at Chicago Laurie and Amy courageously push the current boundaries of knowledge by honoring the voices of many teachers who challenge pervasive deficit-based perceptions that pathologize students, particularly multiply minoritized children. The authors recognize that teachers learn so much from their students and can capitalize upon children’s cultural backgrounds, identities, and strengths. Moreover, this book is long overdue in a profession that remains uneasy about recognizing disability as an integral aspect of a student’s intersectional identity. By viewing disability primarily in cultural terms as opposed to medicalized, the authors illustrate disability as a form of human diversity worth sustaining. - David J. Connor, Professor Emeritus, Hunter College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York