Weaving together reading pedagogy and social emotional learning (SEL) frameworks, this text presents an integrated, research-based approach to reading instruction grounded in instructional and collaborative strategies that address students' social emotional needs. The text features real stories from the classroom to invite readers to learn alongside the students, teachers, families, and professionals as they experience journeys of growth. The authentic case studies cover best practices in reading instruction in a way that centers students, promotes the whole child, and supports reading growth. Following a cyclical framework-discovering, nurturing, growing-each chapter address typical student reading needs and explains the role of collaborative relationships in effective instruction. Through the medium of storytelling, readers gain profound insights into key topics, including teaching multilingual students, phonological awareness, reading fluency, and more. Accessible and comprehensive, this book steers away from a prescriptive recipe for instruction but rather leaves readers with an effective framework for incorporating data-based decision-making, collaboration and research-supported literacy practices to foster each students' social and emotional skills in the classroom. With a targeted focus on K-3 classrooms, this text is a key resource for pre-service and in-service educators in literacy education and elementary education, enriching the perspectives of all educators.

This text investigates the literate identities and practices of urban youth in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, with a focus on New York Citys Harlem neighborhood. The author takes a participatory action approach to define and engage with new directions in youth literacies in socially constructed spaces (i.e., classrooms, gentrifying communities). The author examines connections between race and place by discussing how Harlem youth, teachers, longtime black residents, and new white residents to the area view their role within the gentrification process, with quotes from community members and stakeholders. The active response of youth, via critical literacy/storytelling, in both traditional (print) and multimodal (digital video, etc) forms is investigated, honored, and thoughtfully considered for powerful implications for in-service teaching practice, educational policy, and teacher education. Vignettes, photos, and quotes from students and community members are included throughout.