EDU 356-OA: Top: Critical Literacy for Educators

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Course Details

  • Online, synchronous (Online meetings on Wednesdays, 5:30-7:45 p.m.)
  • 7 weeks | May 26 to July 10, 2026
  • 3 credits | $2,022
  • Last day to register: May 28, 2026
  • Prerequisite: EDU 100, EDU 102 or EDU 104

Course Overview

The purpose of this course is to provide teacher candidates with theoretical and practical foundations for implementing reflective, critical, and social justice-oriented practices into their future classrooms. Specifically, this course will focus on the process of critical literacy in the Prek-6 settings.

Course Advantages

Candidates will learn how to identify and deconstruct popular literature, while focusing heavily on issues of social justice and equity. This course will also focus on critically analyzing children's books, media, and toys. Students will first reflect on their childhood, privilege, and early literacy experiences. By examining our practices closely, developing relevant questions, engaging in systemic and critical inquiry, and sharing our subsequent knowledge with others, we will be able to transform our practices and have an impact on the practices of others. Candidates will also examine ways to assess students' comprehension using critical literacy techniques.

Additional Information

Faculty will contact all students after the Thursday, May 28, registration deadline.

About the Instructor

Lyndsey Benharris

Associate Professor of Education
Associate Professor Lyndsey Benharris is chair of Stonehill College’s Department of Education. Her research interests include critical literacy in early childhood education, social justice pedagogy, early reading, critical analysis of Generative AI systems, gender and identity. She currently teaches courses on child development, emergent literacy, reading theory and critical literacy. Prior to teaching at the university level, she was an early childhood educator at a public school in Massachusetts. She has authored multiple chapters and journal articles. She is the co-editor of the text Challenging Bias and Promoting Transformative Education in Public Schooling Through Critical Literacy (2024).

Questions? Contact Us

Registrar's Office

registrar@stonehill.edu
508-565-1315
Duffy Academic Center – 112

The Registrar's Office works to safeguard the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and security of the student information system and of students' academic records; and to provide the accurate and timely dissemination of course and scheduling information.

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