English Language Arts/ General
In Memoriam of Kylene Beers: Remembering Kylene Beers 1957–2025
Within this issue of Voices the editors have created space to celebrate and honor the contributions Kylene Beers has made not only to the profession but to the National Council of Teachers of English. She was a fixture within NCTE and particularly within Voices from the Middle. We hope you enjoy reading the stories of some of the people who remain profoundly touched by her work.
Both/And: An Abolition Feminist Approach toward Engaging Contradictions in Literacy Education
Using abolition feminist framings this article advocates for educators to embrace a both/and approach to the “reading wars” and literacy education.
Perspectives on Practice: Sankofa: Recentering Joyful African Literacy Practices in Literacy Development
In this article the authors argue for including African literacy practices such as oral storytelling and Adinkra symbols as abolitionist practices in teaching literacy to Black and African students in schools. The article concludes with recommendations on incorporating oral storytelling and Adinkra symbols in classrooms.
Reimagining Black Education: Pro-Blackness as a Path to Liberation
Nearly ninety years after DuBois questioned whether Black children need separate schools this paper argues for pro-Black teaching in elementary ELA. Centering Black histories identities and literacies we offer strategies that affirm students’ experiences and urge all educators to disrupt anti-blackness through intentional identity-conscious and humanizing instruction.
Perspectives on Practice: “I Am Free to Be ME!”: Freedom Dreaming for Educational Justice in the Spirit of Abolitionists
This article describes four art-infused writing engagements to inspire freedom dreamers of all ages to seek educational justice.
Children’s Literature: Reenacting the Liberatory Tradition in Teaching about African American Children’s Literature
The purpose of this column is to discuss describe and provide recommendations for teaching African American children’s literature exploring several interdisciplinary scholars who historically focus on the importance of Black culture pedagogy and children’s literature.
Writing Matters: Writing the Self as Abolitionist Writing Practice and Pedagogy for Educational Freedom
This article argues for “writing the self” as an abolitionist writing pedagogy that centers Black youth’s lived experiences in academic writing. The author demonstrates how teachers can model this practice and create affirming spaces for students to examine their connections to systemic oppression concluding with recommendations for implementing educational narratives and story analysis.
Multimodal Research Practices to Support Biliteracy: “A mí me gusta investigar”
This study examines how translanguaging and multimodal pedagogies enable emergent bilingual students to use their full linguistic repertoire while developing biliteracy. It also explores how various modes of text representation facilitate the collection and dissemination of new knowledge while promoting inquiry-based learning.
Perspectives on Practice: From the Canon to the Catalyst: Activism in Middle Grades and Young Adult Literature
This article identifies how literature inspires activism for secondary students using Cisneros’s Efren Divided (2020) and Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies (1994).
Perspectives on Practice: The Irresistible Promise and the Classroom Reality
In this essay we reflect on whether there can ever realistically be a one-size-fits-all solution to the complexity of teaching reading. Working together in a school-university partnership we speak about the importance of giving space to the teacher’s unique expertise in the crafting of reading instruction.
Children’s Literature: Teaching Literacy Beyond Censorship: Exposing Students to Transformative Social Emotional Learning Through Read-Alouds
This piece explores strategies that infuse TSEL competencies into daily read-alouds using culturally diverse texts to resist the ongoing harm of the current censorship movement for the emotional social and literacy future of all students
Writing Matters: Embracing Children’s Cultural and Linguistic Identities Through Translanguaging Writing Pedagogy
We provide recommendations for how teachers may employ translanguaging writing pedagogy to cultivate positive multilingual learners’ identities.
Civic Literacies: From Stories to Liberation: Integrating Diverse Voices and Vulnerability in Education
This year we are exploring the vital role classroom discussion plays in scaffolding young children into practices that promote greater civic knowledge and engagement. This article explores the role of vulnerability literacy and multicultural education in creating classroom environments that promote liberation and equity while supporting students into discussions that bridge cultural and linguistic gaps.
From Language Arts to Learning Communities: Sowing Seeds for Representation, Understanding, and Empathy: Normalizing Literacy Practices That Honor Diverse Immigrant Perspectives
Explore suggestions for uplifting immigrant experiences through schoolwide policies teacher learning and instructional choices.
Perspectives on Practice: Leveraging Black Language for Learning Sets Students Up for Future Success
This article debunks the common rationale for enforcing the use of only “standard” English among Black Language speakers—it will help students “get a job” in the future. On the contrary I argue that Black Language is an important vehicle for learning the content that is required for future job placement. Ignoring this truth forces Black students to only learn in white mainstream English. Finally I explain how phonics instruction has never honored Black Language phonology and offer suggestions for practitioners.
Immigrant Is Not a Bad Word: Knowing and Naming Immigration in Your Classroom
This article explores immigration policies and their impact on classrooms and makes suggestions for school and classroom practices from the perspective that immigration is normal.
Beyond the Science of Reading: How Bilingual Teachers Mediate Foundational Reading Pedagogies
As foundational reading curricula are being rapidly scaled up it is essential to consider how teachers navigate these shifts alongside their existing and multifaceted expertise in bilingualism early childhood pedagogy and reading development. This article examines the challenges bilingual teachers face when implementing foundational reading instruction in bilingual early childhood classrooms focusing on the instructional practices and experiences of two early childhood bilingual teachers. It highlights the need for professional learning and teacher agency grounded in a broad and interconnected literacy ecosystem.