Reading the Players: Developing Critical Consumers of Sports Media

Authors

Katie Dredger, James Madison UniversityFollow
Katherin Garland, Sante Fe CollegeFollow
Crystal L. Beach, University of GeorgiaFollow

Abstract

Sports media is ubiquitous, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers can use topics around current sporting activities and events in the classroom to engage readers and to teach skills of critical media literacy. Serving as a primer on critical media literacy, this article, grounded in educational theory, gives practical and easily accessible texts and creative lesson ideas to spark engagement, build community, encourage collaboration and foster achievement in secondary ELA classrooms.

Author Biography

Dr. Katie Dredger is Professor and Academic Unit Head of Middle, Secondary, and Mathematics Education at James Madison University. She was a secondary teacher ELA teacher prior to dedicating herself to educator preparation. She enjoys day hiking in Shenandoah National Park.

Dr. Katherin Garland is an associate professor of education at Santa Fe College. In a past life she was a high school English teacher, a literacy coach, and an assistant professor of English education. Her work is centered on using media as culturally relevant pedagogy in a digital age.

Dr. Crystal L. Beach works with K-12 educators to (re)imagine rich literacy learning opportunities across all content areas. A former ELA teacher, her heart is always in the classroom, and she remains committed to helping students become critical readers, writers, and thinkers in the world around them. Her research focuses on multimodality, digital literacies, and rural education.

Recommended Citation

Dredger, Katie; Garland, Katherin; and Beach, Crystal L. (2025) "Reading the Players: Developing Critical Consumers of Sports Media," Virginia English Journal: Vol. 73: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.bridgewater.edu/vej/vol73/iss1/2