Revealing the Known: The Invisibilized Bias of Commercial Literacy Curricula

ABSTRACT

A critical content analysis is employed to scrutinize the second-grade materials within EL education’s English language arts curriculum. Applying critical race theory, this study confronts the pervasive anti-Black narrative embedded in standardized curriculum used in the United States. The study unveils the presence of this narrative in the materials while advocating strategies for teachers obligated to use these resources. The aim is to empower educators to foster critical engagement among students, encouraging them to craft their counternarrative while actively advocating for an antiracist curriculum. The elementary literacy curricula widely employed across the United States tend to propagate a White-centric agenda. Despite attempts to veil biases and racism, these curricula subtly reinforce White privilege through practices such as colorblindness, context-neutral settings, and the perpetuation of the myth of meritocracy. To counter this, a community-centered approach to education is proposed. This approach challenges the entrenched power structures of White supremacy by supplementing mandated scripted curriculum with additional resources and diverse perspectives that authentically incorporate the lived experiences of Black students, families, and experts. This study underscores the urgent need to address the inherent biases in educational materials, advocating for a pedagogical shift toward inclusivity and actively challenging the perpetuation of systemic racism in curriculum frameworks.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Colleen E. Whittingham

Colleen E. Whittingham served as an Assistant Professor of Reading and Elementary Education at UNC Charlotte before joining the faculty at Loyola University Chicago in a similar capacity. Dr. Whittingham completed her doctoral degree in Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she served as a research assistant at the UIC Center for Literacy and the UIC Reading Clinic. Dr. Whittingham’s research explores effective literacy instruction that positions students as agentive learners in early childhood classrooms and the factors that mediate both academic success and teacher-child interactions in such classrooms. Dr. Whittingham served as co-PI on a state-funded grant investigating first-grade literacy instruction across North Carolina and currently consults with INPEACE to author early literacy curricular materials that reflect evidence-based practices and honor Indigenous Hawaiian ways of knowing and being.

Emily Brown Hoffman

Emily Brown Hoffman is currently an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at National Louis University. She received her PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago in Curriculum & Instruction, Literacy, Language, & Culture. Dr. Hoffman’s research examines how early childhood educators can implement equitable curriculum and instruction to provide genuine learning that affirms children and all their identities. Dr. Hoffman has worked as a kindergarten teacher in Chicago Public Schools and as an Assistant Professor at Ball State University. She enjoys teaching and learning online and face-to-face with educators around varying early childhood topics including early literacy; leadership; play and creativity; and school, family, and community partnerships.