Culturally relevant texts are powerful tools to both engage developmental college students and build bridges to academic text, when carefully paired. Theoretical and practical ideas accelerating reading growth and cultivating reading skills will be presented: specifically embedding cultural relevancy and pairing culturally relevant readings with academic texts.
A variety of modes will be employed. First, audience engagement will involve the use of Polleverywhere.com to create (through cell phone texts) a live survey of cultures/schools represented. Secondly, a lecture with graphs, pictures, and current examples of paired culturally relevant readings (including Hispanic and Hmong) and academic texts via PowerPoint. Also, the student learning outcomes and growth trajectory of students to date will be discussed. Models of activities, questions, and paired readings will be disseminated. Finally, small group sessions: participants will share the current cultures they are working with and recommendations of interesting readings for pairings will be generated.
