Neoliberal Reading Interventions and Student Needs

Authors

Mahbuba Hammad, California State University, San BernardinoFollow

Keywords

neoliberalism, accelerated reader, hidden curriculum, leveled readers, reading motivation, cultural identity, equity, social justice, English language learners, immigrants, refugees, authentic text, shared reading

Abstract

This article discusses reading programs within the context of Neoliberalism and the extent to which they address student needs. The rise of such reading programs in the market economy has come at the expense of placing the burden of reading development solely on the shoulders of students after restricting their academic and personal growth. The article explores how this has been done without any consideration regarding the needs of ethnically and culturally diverse students; and without taking into account the relationship between poverty and educational outcomes. Without a doubt, this has affected the ability of students to think critically about their school curriculum and their position in society.

Author Statement

Mahbuba Hammad is a recent graduate of the EdD program at CSUSB. Her research focuses on the advancement of literacy skills and motivation to read among Arabic language learners; literacy as a matter of equity and social justice; and literacy's role in fostering student identities relative to their families and communities.

Recommended Citation

Hammad, Mahbuba (2019) "Neoliberal Reading Interventions and Student Needs," Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice: Vol. 9: No. 1, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/wie/vol9/iss1/1