Possibilities and Challenges of Interactive Family Critical Literacy: A Multiple Case Study with Immigrant Families

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 3:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Equity, Inclusion and Intersectionality

Abstract

This study explores how critical literacy practices can be integrated into immigrant households to support young children’s engagement with books. Using qualitative data from Korean immigrant families, it examines how mothers and children co-construct meaning through shared reading, discussion, and creative expression. Findings reveal both the potential and challenges of implementing critical literacy at home, including language barriers and limited access to resources. Despite these obstacles, bilingual, interactive practices allowed children to “talk back” to dominant narratives and create alternative meanings. The study highlights parents’ roles as mediators and emphasizes the need for culturally responsive resources to better support critical literacy in immigrant family contexts.

Authors

• So Jung Kim, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

• Shin Ae Han, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa