Religious Literacy in a Secular Classroom

In the Article, “Religious Literacies in a Secular Literacy Classroom,” Skerrett conducts a research study on the diverse religious literacies of students in a general education classroom. Skerrett’s primary research question was how can a literacy teacher and her diverse students engage in Christian religious literacies and what are the outcomes? Skerrett observed and interacted with a 9^th grade reading classroom a few miles outside a major metropolis in South Western United States. She conducted her research through the use of qualitative data. She interviewed students, made observations inside and outside of the classroom, and analyzed student work. In the end, Skerret concluded that classroom teachers can successfully inquire into students’ religious literacies.

Skerret mentions how religion has been seen as a topic that cannot be discussed within a secular classroom. A specific quote stands out to me. She states, “scholars have identified a widespread mistaken view among educators that the U.S. Constitution forbids teaching about religion and a pervasive fear that religious discussion or content will ignite controversy” (Skerret 2014). Looking back on my education, I do not recall a time that a teacher asked about my religious background or the those of my peers. I believe that this has also shaped my view as a teacher, as I would most likely refrain from any religious conversations with my students. However, this article helped me realize that it may not be as controversial as I once thought! Student come into the classroom with a variety of religious backgrounds. These beliefs shape the way they think, learn, and how they view the world. To ignore the cultural and religious backgrounds of students is to neglect one of their most diverse literacies. Mrs. Campbell, the teacher in Skerret’s study, allowed students to discuss religion freely. She did not specifically identify with a religious background and stayed more neutral through her discussions and opinions. However, she used texts that could be open to religious interpretations. This gave students the opportunity to interpret texts through their prior knowledge. Sometimes, the open conversations regarding religion led to tensions and conflict amongst the students. In these cases, Mrs. Campbell would remind her students of their shared commitment to classroom community.

I believe that one of the most important ways of engaging students in disciplinary literacy is to acknowledge the disciplines that students are already literate in. Religion is one such discipline that students can bring into the classroom and use to shape the way they read and interpret texts. The discussion of religion amongst students should not be discouraged by teachers, but instead, celebrated.

Skerrett, A. (2014). Religious literacies in a secular literacy classroom. Reading Research Quarterly, 49(2), 233-250.