Supporting Literacy Through the Justice and Dialogic Education (JADE) Framework

ABSTRACT This paper introduces the Justice and Dialogic Education (JADE) framework, which integrates dialogic instruction with justice‐oriented pedagogies to foster transformative classroom environments. Dialogic instruction emphasizes collaborative, student‐centered learning and has been shown to support academic outcomes such as reading comprehension, critical thinking, and persuasive writing. Simultaneously, justice‐oriented pedagogies, rooted in asset‐ and equity‐based frameworks, focus on addressing systemic inequities and building critical consciousness by centering students' cultural, linguistic, and experiential knowledge. While both approaches are valuable, we argue for their integration. Joining a growing body of scholarship advocating for justice‐centered, dialogic approaches, the JADE framework contributes a novel, stance‐based framework that helps teachers navigate the tensions of Science of Reading (SoR)‐aligned instruction. JADE consists of three interconnected stances—toward knowledge, interactions, and praxis—each comprising a value orientation (students as co‐knowers, collaborators, and co‐conspirators) and a pedagogical disposition (mutual reciprocity, agile responsivity, and critical reflexivity). When cultivated, these stances guide educators in creating classrooms where students are active participants in co‐constructing knowledge, shaping equitable interactions, and engaging in transformative praxis. This is especially important in the context of SoR‐informed literacy instruction, where JADE addresses limitations and offers possibilities by integrating evidence‐based practices with principles that center justice and dialogue. This framework is not prescriptive; rather, it serves as a reflective lens that enables educators to critically examine their instructional stances and adapt their practices to support both academic growth and critical consciousness.