Collective Knowing, Collective Growing: Centering Families in Virtual Literacy Work

ABSTRACT

Roc Reading Partners (RRP) grew from the belief that when children feel joy and connection, they thrive as readers (Muhammad 2020). What began as a pandemic‐era initiative has evolved into a university supported, community rooted model for equitable literacy engagement, designed to address resource inequities in districts where economic disparities limit access to age‐appropriate reading materials (Neuman and Celano 2012). This teaching and learning guide frames literacy as a social and relational process (Gee 2004; Heath 1983; Street 1984, 2008), positioning families as Co‐pedagogical partners. Grounded in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (Ladson‐Billings 1995, 2021) and informed by culturally and linguistically sustaining practices (Paris and Alim 2014), RRP centers joy as the heartbeat of learning (Muhammad 2020). The program utilizes structured accountability tools including culturally relevant implementation checklists and student‐led choice boards to curate identity affirming, culturally rooted literacy experiences. Nightly zoom‐based sessions incorporate micro‐professional development for tutors with continuous feedback loops that sustain high‐fidelity implementation and a collective commitment to rigorous, humanizing literacy experiences. Findings suggest that designing with rather than for families transforms virtual literacy instruction from a task of compliance into a community ritual that cultivates academic achievement, confidence, and a deep sense of belonging.