Leveraging Literacy Instruction to Support Learners Who Have Experienced Compounded Trauma

Abstract

Children can experience trauma in multiple ways and spaces which can have profound effects on their development and impact student engagement, approaches to learning, and student outcomes. In this chapter, the authors break down various types of trauma, adversity, and stress that can contribute to delays in children's development. Schools can impact children's pre-existing trauma (or cause new trauma), even unintentionally, and children's classroom behaviors can signal that trauma may be affecting them. Teachers can use instructional strategies that both buffer students to potentially mitigate the harmful effects of systemic and compounded trauma, and also meet academic learning goals. The authors provide some suggestions on how to use literacy learning strategies in elementary school to support learners, especially those who may be historically marginalized due to systemic conditions like racism. They conclude by providing their thoughts on how future research can continue to identify evidence-based ways to support vulnerable learners.