Is Critical Literacy Accessible?

"My students were six- and seven-year-olds becoming aware of segregation associated with ability and skin color. Despite their young age, they decided that something needed to be done about it..." (Souto-Manning, 2009, p. 68)

Critical literacy is sometimes viewed as something too advanced for young children, but research shows that it is both possible and powerful in the early years. Young children are capable of raising thoughtful, complex questions when we trust them with honest stories (Vasquez, 2016; Souto-Manning, 2009)

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Critical literacy in early childhood:

• Does not require complex vocabulary or formal lessons/curriculum.

• Happens naturally during storytime, play, outdoor exploration, and everyday routines.

• Builds on children’s existing questions and knowledge about equity, relationships, and the social world.

Pack (2023) notes that becoming critically literate begins with unpacking our own relationship with power: whose stories shaped us, whose were absent, and how these experiences influence our comfort with certain conversations. For ECEs, this self reflection supports more intentional choices about stories, questions, and discussions.