A Critical review of culturally responsive literacy instruction

Eliminating the racial and ethnic achievement gap in reading and writing is a national priority. Providing literacy instruction that is both culturally responsive and evidence-based requires an understanding of culture, effective instructional practices, and how the two intersect. Although many suggestions for implementing culturally responsive reading instruction are intuitively appealing, more research evidence is needed to determine if these practices increase student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement of students who are culturally and linguistically diverse.