What are multiliteracies?

For SLPs working with middle school students with language-based learning disabilities (LLD), using a multiliteracies framework and critical media literacy are your secret weapon for engagement!

Multiliteracies, or expanded literacy (New London Group, 1996) recognize that both digital and print media are literacy formats you can use in therapy for reading, writing, and pragmatics.

Media literacy teaches students to analyze messages, advertisements, and author intent (Mirra & Garcia, 2021). This is terrific for middle school students who are working on pragmatics, critical thinking, and executive function.

The best part about embracing multiliteracies is that it opens up digital media, including social media, video games, and YouTube, to formats for speech-language therapy.

Here are a few ways you can incorporate critical media literacy into your weekly sessions to target inferencing, pragmatics, and critical thinking.

1. Social Media

Most teens and tweens are on social media platforms, but students with LLD often need additional support.

Middle school speech therapy activities can include:

1. Critically examining the accuracy of posts about a topic of interest.

2. Study influencers to decide what they are selling and what hashtags indicate a post is actually an ad.

3. Review social media safety. There may be guidelines through your school district but extra instruction never hurts!

2. YouTube

Work on perspective taking and self-advocacy with videos on YouTube.

1. What are the guidelines for leaving comments about videos?

2. How is neurodiversity and other topics like stuttering or dyslexia depicted in videos?

3. Watch TED talks that are relevant to your students.

3. Video Games

Video games offer a unique platform for literacy. From streaming live comments to reading rules and defining terms, the possibilities for creative speech-language therapy activities for middle school are endless.

Here are a few ways I have used video games in speech therapy sessions with older students:

1. Create a video game dictionary with your students based on their favorite game.

2. Write a user guide for favorite video games with students as the experts.

3. Teach students how to react to online bullying or negative comments from other gamers. Go into more detail with differences between "trash talk" and cyberbullying.

Conclusion

Speech therapy with middle school students is anything but boring! If you feel intimidated about where to start, tap into your students interests.

With your language toolbox and expertise, help kids become smarter consumers of media online!

References:

Abendroth, K. (2023). Using multiliteracies to target critical media literacy for adolescents with language learning disabilities. Topics in Language Disorders, 44(2), 83-95.

Mirra, N., & Garcia, A. (2021). In search of the meaning and purpose of 21st-century literacy learning: A critical review of research and practice. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(3), 463–496. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.313

New London Group, Cazden, C., Cope, B., Fairclough, N., Gee, J., Kalantzis, M., Kress, G., Luke, A., Luke, C., Michaels, S., & Nakata M. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60–92.

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