Texturing with multimodal texts across content areas : a translanguaging multiliteracies approach to teaching and learning

The purpose of this research is to show ways in which a bilingual teacher and emergent bilinguals interact and engage with multimodal texts in the science, social studies, and language arts curricula. Literacy events, literacy practices, and texturing with multimodal texts within and across content areas were framed under multiliteracies and translanguaging theory. The findings in this case study of a third-grade bilingual teacher and her class suggested how the supplementation of multimodal texts prompted authentic student engagement and flexible ways of teaching and learning in the bilingual classroom. The design, production, and distribution of new texts are key in promoting language development and gaining disciplinary knowledge. Together, the findings highlight a classroom that affords emergent bilinguals the use of dynamic linguistic and literacy practice content areas. In light of this, I propose a translanguaging multiliteracies pedagogical approach for teaching and learning.