Balancing Literacies: UDL/CSP-Infused Elementary Reading Instruction

Date

2021

Type of Work

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Rabinowitz, L. & Tondreau, A. (2020). Balancing literacies: A UDL approach to culturally sustaining elementary reading instruction. In C. McCray (Ed.), Multifaceted strategies for socialemotional learning and whole learner education (pp. 86-120). IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/book/multifaceted-strategies-social-emotional-learning/244613

Rights

Copyright © 2021, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited

Subjects

Abstract

This chapter outlines an approach to whole learner education in an elementary school literacy classroom by building upon the work of scholars in Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP). It begins by introducing the connections between whole learner education, DSE, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and CSP, demonstrating how these theoretical frameworks overlap and how they can be used in tandem to enhance the work already done in each field. After providing this theoretical background, the chapter outlines the components of a balanced literacy block in a third grade classroom, demonstrating how elementary school educators can work to meet the individual learning needs of developing readers in the various areas of balanced literacy (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), while also attending to student identities and making instruction accessible to students with learning variations.