"A critical literacy curriculum needs to be lived."

~ Vasquez, 2014

Critical Literacy as a Way of Being and Doing

The 2026-2027 school year will mark the start of my 44th year as an educator. I am currently a Distinguished Professor researching and teaching in a university setting. Before this, I was a preschool and primary school teacher for fourteen years.

My research interests are in critical literacy, early literacy, and information communication technology. My publications include sixteen books and numerous book chapters and articles in refereed journals. Through the years, I have held appointed and elected positions in scholarly organizations, including The National Council of Teachers of English, The American Educational Research Association, The International Reading Association, and The Whole Language Umbrella. I have been fortunate to have been honored throughout my career with awards, including the prestigious NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts Award (2019), the NCTE Advancement of People of Color Award (2013), the AERA Division B Outstanding Book of the Year Award (2006), and the James N. Britton Award (2005). I am also very proud to have been the first recipient of the AERA Teacher Research SIG Dissertation Award (2004). The NCTE Early Childhood Assembly honored me with a scholarship in my name - The Vivian Vasquez Teacher Scholarship. 

On this site, you will find information and/or links to a number of my publications. I update the site as often as I can. I hope you find this site useful.

Vivian

LATEST BOOKS

UPCOMING BOOKS

Critical Literacies as Ways of Being and Doing

Vivian Vasquez, Hilary Janks, Barbara Comber, Carolyn Clarke

Breaking the Cycle 

Through Diverse Pathways

to Learning

Toks Fashola, Vivian Vasquez, Gabrielle Harris

2019 NCTE Outstanding Educator in the English Language Arts 

Book Chapters

Book Chapters
Albright, J., S. Church, S. Settle and V. Vasquez. (1999). A Conversation about Critical Literacy. In Edelsky, C. (Ed.) Making Justice Our Project. Pp. 144-162. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 18 pages.

Harste, J., C. Leland, M. Lewison, A, Ociepka and V. Vasquez. (2000). Supporting Critical Conversations in Classrooms. In Mitchell Pierce (Ed.) Adventuring With Books. pp.507-554. Urbana, IL. National Council of Teachers of English. 47 pages

Harste, J., M. Lewison, C. Leland, A. Ociepka and V. Vasquez (2000) Exploring Critical Literacy: You Can Hear a Pin Drop. In Graham, B. (Ed.) Trends and Issues in Elementary Language Arts. pp.203-218. Urbana, IL: National Council Of Teachers Of English. 15 pages.

Vasquez, V. (2001) Constructing a Critical Curriculum with Young Children. In Critical Literacy at Elementary Sites. Comber, B. & Simpson, A. (Eds.). Pp. 55-66. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 11 pages

Vasquez, V. (2001). Classroom Inquiry into the Incidental Unfolding of Social Justice Issues: Seeking Out Possibilities in the Lives of Learners. In Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry. . Comber, B. & Cakmac, S. (Eds.). Pp.200-215.Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. 15 pages

Vasquez, V. (2005) Resistance, power-tricky, and colorless energy: What Engagement with Everyday Popular Culture Texts Can Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. In Marsh J. (Ed.) Popular Culture, Media and Digital Literacies in Early Childhood. Falmer Press, UK. 15 pages.

Vasquez, V. (2005) Creating Spaces for Critical Literacy with Young Children: Using Everyday Issues and Everyday Print. In Evans, J. (Ed.) Reading Isn’t Just about Books: 21st Century Approaches for 21st Century Children. David Fulton Publishers (UK) and Heinemann (USA) 14 pages.

Vasquez, V. (2005) Critical Literacy. In Larson, J. and Marsh, J. Making Literac Real. London, New Dehli, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Contributor. 38 pages.

Vasquez, V. , and VanderZanden, S. (2009). Critical Moves in Literacy Education. In Cooper, K. Critical Literacies in Action: Social Perspectives and Teaching Practices. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Vasquez, V., Harste, J., and Albers, P. (2010). In Baker, B. (Ed) New Literacies from Multiple Perspectives. Peter Lang Publishers.

Vasquez, V., and Felderman C. (2011). Critical Literacy Goes Digital: Exploring Intersections Between Critical Literacies and New Technologies with Young Children. In Myers, R., and Whitmore K. Reviving Reading. In Progress.