“You have to start with what they know:” Cultivating genius and joy with multilingual adolescents

Abstract

A historically responsive literacy (HRL) approach (Muhammad, 2020a, 2020b) fosters literary pursuits in learners, preparing them to transcend skill development and use literacy to shape a more just and compassionate world. Despite its transformative potential, not enough is known about HRL application with multilinguals, especially in secondary literacy settings. This study uses the HRL framework to explore the cases of six teachers and how they cultivate genius with their multilingual students. I analyze participant narratives and teaching examples from their bilingual settings, focusing on pedagogies of translanguaging and Transliteracy. Findings show how teachers centered students' strengths in language and literacy and this supported the development of skills and identity. Cultivating genius in students amplified joy for students and teachers. For equitable literacy instruction of multilinguals, teacher development must support pedagogy that builds on multilinguals' assets and engages multiple literary pursuits.