Centering Cultural Identity : Falk ’ s Literacy Clinic
During the 2023-24 school year , Falk Laboratory School introduced an exciting initiative in support of students ’ literacy learning while centering each child ’ s unique identity .
Falk ’ s Literacy Clinic , run by Brianna Amoscato and Samantha Schmitt , has provided one-on-one tutoring to 37 students from Falk and the Pittsburgh Public Schools ( PPS ). Twenty University of Pittsburgh students ( 19 of them undergraduate ) have served as volunteers , working closely to provide children with intensive , differentiated , intentional tutoring .
The clinic was inspired by Amoscato ’ s desire to “ cast a wider net in terms of community ,” she says , pairing the Pitt student volunteers with children from across the city of Pittsburgh . It was driven , too , by her reflections on herself as an educator and her desire to become a better literacy teacher following her national board certification in English language arts .
Amoscato taught second grade at Falk during the 2022-23 school year . Before coming to Falk , she taught third grade for seven years in the Fox Chapel Area School District . She ’ s always been passionate about literacy , and during her year teaching at Falk , Amoscato ran a group tutoring session once a week for students who wanted to improve their reading and writing .
Taking time off from teaching in spring 2023 after welcoming her first child provided Amoscato with a chance to step back , she says , and think about ways that Falk and Pitt could do more community outreach in terms of literacy . A program like the literacy clinic could not only support children in their literacy learning but also provide a chance for students in Pitt ’ s School of Education to “ get their feet wet ,” honing their literacy teaching skills long before they formally began their student teaching .
While similar literacy-focused clinics exist within Pittsburgh , what sets Falk ’ s literacy clinic apart is the way that it puts culturally responsive teaching practices at the center of its work . In conceptualizing the clinic , Amoscato drew on frequent conversations with and guidance and mentorship from Schmitt , Falk ’ s equity , inclusion , and justice coordinator at the time , about the work of author and scholar Gholdy Muhammad .
“ We talked about the importance of not only being able to read and write but for students to be able to express their identity ,” Amoscato says . Also important to the clinic are Muhammad ’ s other pillars , such as criticality , joy , skills , and intellect .
“ It ’ s the science of reading paired with those other things ,” says Amoscato . “ Students ’ seeing their own perspectives in literature is very important in terms
of making students feel safe , seeing their identities mirrored , [ and ] seeing themselves cultivating their own genius .”
Centering students ’ cultural identity may take the form of reading about heroes who aren ’ t often represented in textbooks or providing students with historical books they may not have encountered before .
A major part of the clinic ’ s efforts to center these pillars comes in the form of Literacy Saturdays , during which participants gather at Falk to hear from social justice speakers for readings , discussions , and presentations . On one of these Saturdays , the group heard from Jasmine Cho , an activist , author , and cookie artist known for using portrait cookies to increase representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders .
“ It ’ s really important that students know that we ’ re not just reading to read but to understand the lived experiences and histories of others ,” Amoscato says . Bringing in speakers is a big part of the program , she adds , “ in terms of creating a cultural literacy family .”
Cultural identity should be centered , Amoscato says , because the curriculum given to a teacher may not always be representative of the identities that the teacher sees in the classroom .
“ Culture plays a large part in how students see themselves represented , or not represented , in literature ,” she says . PPS students enrolled in the program attend Pittsburgh Liberty K-5 and Pittsburgh Woolslair PreK-5 , and a majority are students of color .
“ I think the work of the clinic also aligns with Pitt ’ s mission of being equity minded and celebrating the stories of all of our students ,” she adds .
Amoscato cites a Frederick Douglass quote that has always inspired her and informed her work and that she says is always at the forefront of her mind : “ Once you learn to read , you will be forever free .” ■
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