Publications

Abstract: The concept of identity has been used to interrogate a wide range of topics about children’s learning in the content areas, including learning in literacy, math, and science. Despite this, there is a paucity of attention to how the construct of identities is conceptualized across content areas. This systematic integrative review aims to develop an empirically grounded view of how identities are conceptualized in childhood across content areas and to consider the feasibility of a shared conception of content area identities. To do this, the review examines 66 articles on content area identities in early childhood and childhood (birth through Grade 5). Findings show diverse theories are used to examine content area identities in children and at the same time significant consensus in the underlying assumptions about what content area identities are and how they develop. These findings suggest that researchers move away from the current siloed approach to content area identity research and toward a more connected field of study.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2023). Toward a shared conception of children's content area identities in literacy, math, and science: A systematic integrative review. Review of Educational Research. Advance online publication.

Link: https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543231184888

Full text: Not available

Abstract: As multilingual children learn to read and write, they construct literate identities that draw on their lived experiences as multilinguals. This chapter reexamines two studies on multilingual children to explore the role of multilingualism in young children’s literate identities. The first study looks at children in two prekindergarten classrooms to consider how reading identities develop in ways that center multilingual practices and experiences. The second study follows children who participated in a bilingual family literacy program to explore how the languages used during literacy activities can affect children’s reading identities. Through a reconsideration of these two studies, this chapter considers the ways that identity theories have fallen short of explicitly considering language and multilingualism, particularly in young children, and aims to question, critique, extend, and raise new possibilities for how identity theories can account for language and multilingualism. In doing so this chapter considers what it means to adopt a multilingual lens in the study of literate identities.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2024). Language and multilingualism in young children’s literate identities. In C. J. Wagner, K. K. Frankel, & C. M. Leighton (Eds.), Becoming readers and writers: Literate identities across childhood and adolescence (pp. 49-63). Routledge.

Link: https://www.routledge.com/Becoming-Readers-and-Writers-Literate-Identities-Across-Childhood-and-Adolescence/Wagner-Frankel-Leighton/p/book/9781032202044

Full text: Not available

Abstract: Reading identities are the ways that a person constructs the self as a reader across contexts and time. This study explores reading identities as a developmental process in multilingual children in prekindergarten and kindergarten. Participants were six children ages three to four participating in a Chinese-English family literacy program over a two year period. Children’s reading identities were examined across years and across children to describe areas of development in how children expressed reading identities. Findings describe areas of growth and stability in the reading development of young children that includes their first years of formal schooling.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2021). Reading identities as a developmental process: Changes in Chinese-English learners from prekindergarten to kindergarten. Bilingual Research Journal, 44(2), 174-188.

Link: doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2021.1942324

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Reading identities are the ways that a child constructs the self as a reader across contexts and time. This study examines the impact of language contexts on the reading identities of multilingual children. Participants were ten prekindergarten children participating in a Chinese-English family literacy programme with a parent or grandparent. Participants read Chinese and English language books across English, Chinese and multilingual contexts. Children’s reading identities were examined across language contexts to explore the interplay between language contexts and reading identities. Findings describe convergences and differences in reading identities across contexts for Chinese, English and multilingual language use and Chinese and English texts, and provide insights into the ways that different language contexts for reading affect multilingual children’s early reading identities. Multilingual contexts appear to provide key spaces for the development of reading identities, and English and Chinese contexts contribute to unique aspects of children’s reading identities.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2020). Reading identities across language contexts: The role of language of text and talk for multilingual learners. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 23(2), 317-34.

Link: doi.org/10.1177/1468798420981758

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Reading identities, or the ways that a child constructs the self as a reader across contexts and time, play a role in the development of early reading. Prior research on reading identities has reported primarily on the identities of monolingual children. This multiple case study examines the reading identities of young multilingual children. Participants were ten four- and five-year-old multilingual children from two prekindergarten classrooms in the United States: one monolingual English classroom and one classroom where English and Spanish were used for instruction. Data were gathered using child-centered interviews, child and classroom observations, teacher interviews, and a family questionnaire. A cross-case analysis led to the identification of three aspects of early reading identities connected to multilingualism. These show the ways that young multilingual children construct concepts of the self as reader that are responsive to the experience of being multilingual.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2022). Multilingualism and reading identities in prekindergarten: Young children connecting reading, language, and the self. Journal of Language, Identity, & Education, 21(6), 423-438

Link: doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2020.1810046

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Literate identities, reading identities, and writing identities describe the ways that a person constructs the self as a reader, writer, and user of language. The study of literacy and identities is grounded in the idea that literacy is not just about skills related to language, print, and texts, but about individuals who must develop these skills. The learning of these skills is mediated by a person’s developing beliefs about language, literacy, and the self. Successful readers and writers enter, make sense of, and produce texts through personal and relational connections. Literacy, in this sense, is not just about knowing, using, and producing language and text, but about ways of being in relation to language and text.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2021). Literacy and identities. In G. Noblit (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press.

Link: doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.990

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Many approaches to reading that are common in schools focus narrowly on the skills and strategies that comprise the technical ability to read. In contrast, attention to reading identities prompts teachers to center children’s ideas about what reading is and who they are as readers. In this article, the author draws on his own experiences with children in prekindergarten to examine the various aspects of children that together make them a reader, including how children conceptualize, perform, and experience reading, and how they connect reading to understandings of language and other aspects of their identities. The author describes approaches to learn about and assess children’s reading identities that are based on his work in a prekindergarten classroom. These include intentional talk about reading, drawing about reading, observation during play and classroom activities, and family questionnaires. The author then provides guidance on how these assessments can inform classroom practices, and how teachers can account for the role of identities as they plan instruction for and support early reading.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2020). Seeing and nurturing young children’s reading identities. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 16(1), 1-14.

Full text: PDF

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between early reading identities and social status in school contexts. Reading identities, or the ways that a child constructs the self as a reader across contexts and time, have been posited to be closely linked with social status. This single‐case study examines the reading identities and social status of one 4‐year‐old, multilingual child attending prekindergarten in a public school in a large northeastern U.S. city. Data include child‐centered interviews, naturalistic observations, a teacher interview, and a family questionnaire. Findings provide insights into how one child’s ability to gain recognition of his reading identities was context dependent and distinct from his social status in the classroom, and point to more complexity in how the early reading identities of multilingual children are connected to their social contexts.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2019). Connections between reading identities and social status in early childhood. TESOL Quarterly, 53(4), 1060-1082.

Link: doi.org/10.1002/tesq.529

Full text: PDF

Abstract: This study explores the interplay between early reading, identity and bilingualism. Reading identities, or understandings about what reading is and whom one is as a reader, have been linked to reading achievement and the development of reading skills. Only a small portion of the overall research on reading identities has included dual language learners. This exploratory study provides a description of the reading identities of three dual language learners in prekindergarten. Data include child-centered interviews, child and classroom observations, teacher interviews and a family questionnaire. Methods centered on the use of child-oriented data collection protocols, and the inclusion of children in the interpretation of their own work and language. Through the exploration of three cases, this study documents the ways that reading identities were constructed, taken up and expressed by the participants. This study provides evidence that dual language learners are actively constructing ideas about reading, bilingualism/biliteracy, and whom they are as readers as they learn to read. These findings show that framing early reading in an identity perspective presents opportunities to look more holistically at the language and reading practices of dual language learners as they learn to read and navigate two or more languages at home and school.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2018). Being bilingual, being a reader: Prekindergarten dual language learners' reading identities. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 18(1), 5-37.

Link: doi.org/10.1177/1468798417739668

Full text: PDF

Abstract: For young dual language learners (DLLs) the process of learning to write and use language expressively differs from that of children who are monolingual English speakers. Yet these differences often remain unaddressed in curricula and in writing instruction. Despite a recent “identity turn” (Moje & Luke, 2009, p. 415) in the literacy field that has shifted attention to how children's identities shape writing practices and motivations for writing, common frameworks for understanding identity in literacy processes have been used only in a limited way to consider identities of both young children and DLLs. This article reports relevant theory and research on the writing identities of young DLLs to explicate a framework of writing instruction that is informed by these understandings. This framework is intended to provide a model for elementary-grade instruction that supports the language acquisition and writing development of DLLs, including positive self-identification with writing.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2016). Teaching young dual language learners to be writers: Rethinking writing instruction through the lens of identity. Journal of Education, 196(1), 31-40.

Link: doi.org/10.1177/002205741619600105

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Dual language and non-English books are an under-used tool for engaging children in language learning in early childhood classrooms. This article provides five approaches developed and refined by practicing teachers to use these books in early childhood classrooms to support children’s engagement and generate curiosity about language.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J., Chung, J., Kim, C., & Perdomo, Y. (2023). Promoting language learning through dual language and non-English books. Young Children, 78(1), 70-76.

Full text: PDF

Abstract: The number of multilingual families in the United States continues to grow. At the same time, schools in the United States continue to be oriented to monolingual English language norms, and typically offer limited language supports for multilingual learners. This reality perpetuates deficit-oriented mindsets toward including diverse languages within classrooms that, in turn, have negative impacts on families and their aspirations of raising their children to be multilingual. In this article, we examine language planning in families and schools through the experiences of two families. We propose that if language planning can occur across families and schools in meaningful and collaborative ways, language planning can be reframed as advocacy work.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J., & Kabuto, B. (2021). Collaborative language planning as advocacy work. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 65(1), 85-89.

Link: doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1165

Full text: PDF

Abstract: The language practices used by teachers in schools directly impact the language development and reading performance of multilingual children. Despite the important role of teacher language choices on children’s language learning, there is a considerable need to better understand what constitutes effective multilingual language practices for teachers. This study uses teacher inquiry to examine the language practices multilingual early childhood teachers develop, implement, and refine when supported to critically examine their teaching practice. Participants were five multilingual early childhood teachers with varying language histories, program settings, and professional experiences. Findings describe themes that capture the key practices and guiding ideas from the knowledge developed by these teachers. These themes provide guidance on practices that can leverage the language capacities of multilingual teachers, and show ways that multilingual teachers can make language choices that support multilingual learners. This study centers multilingual teachers’ voices and knowledge about language and culture, and highlights the critical role of teachers as producers of new knowledge and language practices.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2021). Teacher language practices that support multilingual learners: Classroom-based approaches from multilingual early childhood teachers. TESOL Journal, 12(3), 1-16.

Link: doi.org/10.1002/tesj.583

Full text: PDF

Citation (APA): Bolt, M. E., Rodriguez, C. M., Wagner, C. J., Proctor, C. P. (2019). Can we talk?: Creating opportunities for meaningful academic discussions with multilingual learners. Young Children, 74(2), 40-47.

Full text: PDF

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J., Ossa Parra, M., & Proctor, C. P. (2017). The interplay between student-led discussions and argumentative writing. TESOL Quarterly, 51(2), 438-449.

Link: doi.org/10.1002/tesq.340

Full text: PDF

Citation (APA): Ossa Parra, M., Wagner, C. J., Proctor, C. P., Leighton, C. M., Robertson, D. A., Paratore, J. R., & Ford-Connors, E. (2016). Dialogic reasoning: Supporting emergent bilingual students’ language and literacy development. In C. P. Proctor, A. Boardman, & E. H. Hiebert (Eds.), Teaching emergent bilingual students: Flexible approaches in an era of new standards (pp. 119-137). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Education researchers have extensively studied classroom discourse as a way to understand classroom structures and learning. This article proposes the use of social network analysis (SNA) as a method for discourse studies in education. SNA enables us to learn about the connections between persons and the patterns of relations within groups. This presents a novel approach to the study of discourse that may more accurately reflect current understandings of discourse as a social phenomenon. This article explains the theoretical links between SNA and the concept of discourse in education and then considers how SNA can be used to examine classroom discourse. A brief overview of promising methods is presented to provide examples of how SNA can be applied to discourse data. This article argues that continued exploration and applications of SNA could yield more complex understandings of the role of discourse in learning opportunities and outcomes.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J., & González-Howard, M. (2018). Studying discourse as social interaction: The potential of social network analysis for discourse studies. Educational Researcher, 47(6), 375-383.

Link: doi.org/10.3102/0013189x18777741

Full text: PDF

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2012). Getting ready for the “real world”: Teaching the transferability of literacy skills with visual texts. English Leadership Quarterly, 35(1), 8-10.

Full text: PDF

Citation (APA): Kabuto, B., Wagner, C. J., & Vasudevan, D. S. (2023). A literacy coaching collaborative: Preparing community-responsive literacy coaches. In S. Harmey & B. Kabuto (Eds.), Teaching Literacies in Diverse Contexts (pp. 128-142). UCL Press.

Link: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/173565

Full text: PDF

Abstract: There is a need for more adaptive clinical and practice-based learning that serves teachers who work in specialized contexts or who are isolated in their practice. Online teacher inquiry (OTI) is a model for practice-based learning that provides a systematic and intentional approach to improving professional practice through teacher-led inquiry in online learning networks. This chapter provides an introduction to the theoretical foundations of OTI and its utility as a frame for clinical experiences and practice-based learning for literacy teachers. The OTI model is explained with guidance on how to implement its various components to support effective inquiry in teacher preparation settings for literacy teachers. An example of the OTI model in use shows how it can provide specialized and isolated literacy teachers with a field-based experience that addresses a specialized area of practice.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2023). Practice-based learning through online teacher inquiry: Connecting literacy teachers in specialised and isolated contexts. In S. Harmey & B. Kabuto (Eds.), Teaching Literacies in Diverse Contexts (pp. 171-184). UCL Press.

Link: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/173565

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Online learning presents the possibility to connect and sustain communities of multilingual early childhood educators. This study reports on the effectiveness of an online teacher inquiry model to support early childhood educators’ learning on the role of multilingualism in teaching. The Community of Inquiry framework is used to evaluate the efficacy of a teacher inquiry program that was offered through a synchronous, online platform. Results show that online teacher inquiry models can be used to provide accessible and effective spaces for professional learning and growth, and can center multilingual educators’ ways of knowing and being about language, culture, and learning.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2021). Online teacher inquiry as a professional learning model for multilingual early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(2), 185-196.

Link: doi.org/10.1007/s10643-020-01060-6

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Purpose: This paper aims to report on the decisions two teachers made about how to engage with a five-year school–university collaboration that used professional development (PD) to foster changes in language instruction for teachers of multilingual learners. Design/methodology/approach: A longitudinal case study was used to examine the experiences of two teachers to provide insights into classroom-level decisions and changes in instructional practices. Findings: Changes in instructional practices occurred when teachers made active, engaged choices about their own learning and teaching in the classroom. Teacher learning did not follow a consistent trajectory of improvement and contained contradictions, and early decisions about how to engage with PD affected the pace and nature of teacher learning. Through personal decisions about how to engage with PD, teachers adopted new instructional practices to support multilingual learners. Positive changes required extended time for teachers to implement new practices successfully. Practical implications: This collaboration points to a need for long-term PD partnerships that value teacher agency to produce instructional changes that support multilingual learners. Originality/value: PD can play a key role in transforming literacy instruction for multilingual learners. Teacher agency, including the decisions teachers make about how to engage with professional learning opportunities and how to enact new instructional practices in the classroom, mediates the efficacy of PD initiatives. This longitudinal case study contributes to the understanding of effective PD by presenting two contrasting case studies of teacher agency and learning during long-term school–university collaboration.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J., Ossa Parra, M., & Proctor, P. (2019). Teacher agency in a multiyear professional development collaborative. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 18(4), 399-414.

Link: doi.org/10.1108/ETPC-11-2018-0099

Full text: PDF

Abstract: This article documents a collaboration between a second‐grade teacher and a university-based literacy coach to implement dialogic instruction as part of a 14-week cross-disciplinary curriculum unit. The coach-teacher dyad used digital technologies to enhance a problem-solving approach to coaching. The authors describe the coaching interactions, the digital tools used (e.g., email, FaceTime, text messaging, video and audio recordings), the problems that the coach-teacher dyad collaboratively addressed over three phases of the unit, and the student learning that occurred in response. Throughout, the authors highlight how the coach and teacher made flexible use of digital technology to carve out additional time and space for problem solving as they worked to support the language and literacy skills of a group of multilingual second‐grade students.

Citation (APA): Leighton, C. M., Ford-Connors, E., Robertson, D. A., Wyatt, J., Wagner, C. J., Proctor, C. P., & Paratore, J. R. (2018). “Let’s FaceTime tonight:” Using digital tools to enhance coaching. The Reading Teacher, 72(1), 39-49.

Link: doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1676

Full text: PDF

Abstract: Online learning presents the possibility to connect and sustain communities of multilingual early childhood educators. This study reports on the effectiveness of an online teacher inquiry model to support early childhood educators’ learning on the role of multilingualism in teaching. The Community of Inquiry framework is used to evaluate the efficacy of a teacher inquiry program that was offered through a synchronous, online platform. Results show that online teacher inquiry models can be used to provide accessible and effective spaces for professional learning and growth, and can center multilingual educators’ ways of knowing and being about language, culture, and learning.

Citation (APA): Wagner, C. J. (2022). PK-5 teacher perspectives on the design of remote teaching: Pedagogies and support structures to sustain student learning online. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 54(SUP1), S132-S147.

Link: doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2021.1888340

Full text: PDF