Beyond the Narrative: Exploring Critical Literacy and Perspective-Taking

This interactive session introduces critical literacy as both a mindset and a framework for teaching and learning. Participants will explore how examining relationships among readers, texts, and contexts fosters deeper engagement and critical consciousness in the classroom. Using familiar stories, the session models how perspective-taking and reflective questioning can challenge assumptions, reveal power dynamics, and amplify marginalized voices. Attendees will engage in the “Circle of Viewpoints” thinking routine to experience how shifting perspectives builds empathy and disrupts single-story narratives. The session concludes with strategies for integrating critical literacy practices into diverse classroom contexts to support students’ understanding of identity, power, and agency.