Critical Expressionism: Expanding Reader Response in Critical Literacy

Abstract Critical literacy requires that readers have both the ability and the deliberate inclination to think critically about texts of all types, meaningfully question their origin and purpose, and take action. Response to reading from a critical stance has typically been limited to discussion but has recently expanded to include other modes of response.Critical expressionismis the term that describes this newly expanded, more encompassing type of critical response. In this article, the authors begin by defining critical literacy and critical expressionism. Next, they detail how to teach students to become critically literate and engage in critical expressionism. Then, the authors provide classroom examples of critical literacy in action, traditional and multimodal texts, and critical expressions that students created in response to reading from a critical stance. The authors also explain how critical literacy and critical expressionism lead to deep comprehension, a more insightful level of reader understanding.