Critical Comprehension [Grades K-6]

Lessons for Guiding Students to Deeper Meaning

To be literate is to think through multiple perspectives, exploring diverse texts, and using the power of story to give students the life skills to discuss just about anything with critical curiosity. Critical Comprehension transforms this vital work into an accessible, three-step lesson process.

• Every chapter contains ready-to-go lessons to support critical literacy in your classroom.
• Lessons center around recent children’s books written by and/or about people in traditionally marginalized groups and guide conversation around crucial societal issues.
• Using picture books, multimodal texts, and thoughtfully framed questions, each differentiated lesson expands students’ understanding of a text through:
• First read: the “movie read”, during which the text is read without interruption
• Second read: The teacher poses questions that probe deeper meanings through interaction with the text to summarize, name and highlight issues, analyze and infer, to make more informed decisions about what to believe and what to question.
• Third read: Harnessing students’ curiosities, the class revisits the text to talk back to theme, symbols, central idea, or social, cultural, historical influences at work on author and audience
• Sidebars and reflection questions throughout the book provide added insight into key social issues as well as transferable teaching ideas.
• Modifications in lessons provide suggestions for younger students or older students, so teachers can plan instruction best suited to their student population and classroom context.