Using Culturally Relevant Texts (CRTs) to Elicit Student Voices Through Free-Verse Poetry Writing

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: "What do THEY Know?" Teacher Research and Student Voice (Table 14)

Abstract

Contributing to AERA 2024's theme of "Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action," during the 2022-23 school year, I investigated how using culturally relevant texts (CRTs) in my 4th grade English language arts classes elicited my students' voices. I used teacher research methodology and qualitative data in the form of student artifacts and teacher reflective journals. Overall, I found that using CRTs can be a powerful tool for helping students of diverse backgrounds express their thoughts and feelings about social and racial injustices. Through completing open-ended writing tasks and writing free-verse poems, they can share their unique perspectives and gain a greater understanding of who they are and the world around them.

Author

• Kevin Cataldo, Newark Board of Education/Montclair State University