“Is It Gonna Reach You in Time?” Examining Figured Worlds in Two Reading Intervention Classes

Despite the proliferation of literacy research suggesting that student-centered, culturally responsive instruction can improve literacy outcomes for racially and socioeconomically minoritized youth, one-size-fits-all literacy curricula and methods still dominate K-12 schools. This collective case study, which analyzes the figured worlds of two high school reading intervention classes through participant interviews and observations of two teachers and five of their students, offers a glimpse into this disparity. Findings indicate that the competing figured worlds of reading is a struggle and reading is a reward were both present in these classrooms, and that the prevailing frame of READING AS FAITH was a foundational theme across both sites. As such, the varying levels of faith in the power of reading, the curriculum, and the program among teachers and students contributed to course outcomes and students’ overall feelings toward reading. Implications for literacy research and practice are provided.