Exploring How Immigrant and Non-permanent Resident Parents Foster Critical Literacy: Gender Talk During Shared Reading

Abstract

Critical literacy, which has origins in social justice teaching, is crucial for children as it provides a lens for investigating social justice problems, including gender stereotyping in diverse forms of text and media. If critical texts are not discussed, they can negatively affect children; their continuous exposure to such texts with no critical questioning and dialogue could teach young readers to adopt the philosophies of the stories. The presence of gender stereotyping in picture books has harmful impacts on children’s perceptions of women’s roles in society. This multiple case study explored how three immigrants and non-permanent residents fostered critical literacy through examining their book selection and shared reading practices with their children. To report these cases, initial interviews were conducted to explore participants’ book selection and shared reading experiences. Following the first interview, a one-on-one session was held with participants to introduce them to the concept of critical literacy, how it can be nurtured, and the issue of gender stereotyping in picture books. Participants were then provided with picture books that had both gender stereotypical and counter-stereotypical characters for shared reading. They were also provided with a prompt for reflections, a checklist for sexism in children’s literature, and three options for reflections after shared reading: oral reflections or written reflections in a journal or an electronic document. Afterwards, final interviews that included questions about participants’ experiences using the provided books and whether they were able to apply what they learned in the session took place. Thematic analysis led to three emergent cross-case themes: 1) identification of gender stereotypes in picture books, 2) parent-child discussions of gender stereotyping during shared reading, and 3) the importance of shared reading in fostering parent-child connections. In-depth descriptions of participants’ book selection and shared reading practices highlight their experiences with regards to choosing and reading books that focused on social justice issues, particularly the issue of gender stereotyping. This research has the potential to benefit various stakeholders, including immigrant and non-permanent resident parents and their children as well as individuals working with this population, other parents and children, researchers, teachers, and school administrators.