What Decolonized Literacy Really Looks Like in Secular Homeschooling

What does decolonized literacy actually look like in a secular homeschool beyond book lists, reading levels, and grammar worksheets? In this episode of Secular Homeschool Revolution, host Ashley breaks down how dominant literacy practices often prioritize polish, compliance, and respectability over meaning and voice, and why even progressive homeschoolers can unintentionally recreate harm at home. We explore what literacy looks like when it’s rooted in relationship, culture, and truth-telling rather than performance. From audiobooks and graphic novels to oral storytelling, messy writing, and real-world communication, this episode reframes reading and writing in ways that honor children’s voices without abandoning skill-building. You’ll hear: Why decolonized literacy is a practice, not a curriculum How dominant literacy mirrors respectability politics (and etiquette culture) What actually counts as reading and writing How to support literacy without recreating school at home What decolonized literacy is not and where structure still matters This episode is especially helpful for new homeschoolers, progressive families, and anyone questioning grade-level pressure, academic performativity, or “doing homeschool right.”