Rooted in Reasoning
with Tannis Reis
Making Language and Learning Accessible
Across Formats
A collaborative publishing pathway connecting a dual-language book with audio, oral history, classroom learning and digital access.
Building a Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ Publishing Pathway
Books carry relationships among language, story, art, people and place. But moving a collaboratively created book from an initial idea into a publication that educators, learners and families can readily access requires another layer of thoughtful design. The goal was not simply to distribute books more widely, but to preserve and strengthen the relationships among language, story, people, and place as those materials moved into classrooms.
The project began during the COVID-19 disruption, when regular classes and in-person language programming could not continue in their usual form. In my leadership role, I coordinated a collaborative resource-development project through which Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ teachers could continue contributing their language knowledge and educational expertise.
Together, we began developing materials that could reach learners and classroom teachers even when direct language instruction was interrupted. What began as a response to an immediate need continued beyond that period, growing into an ongoing publishing pathway for books and connected learning resources.
My Role in the Project
Project Leadership • Publishing-Pathway Co-Design • Initial Concept Development • Publication Design • Layout and Formatting • Supporting Resource Development • Digital Learning Connections
Featured Example: I See shx̌un̓utun
This dual-language book illustrates the connected publishing approach that emerged through the project. Learners can move between print, audio, oral storytelling, transcripts, classroom explorations, and digital resources, creating multiple pathways into language learning.
Rather than existing as an isolated publication, the book becomes part of a larger learning ecosystem connecting reading, listening, language, place, story, mathematics, and digital exploration.
Why it mattered
Accessibility means more than placing a publication online. With a limited number of Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ teachers serving schools across the district, many classroom teachers wanted to introduce some language but needed support with pronunciation and appropriate starting places. Learners need different ways to enter, revisit and extend an idea. Some enter through images or print; others through spoken language, story, activity or conversation.
By connecting the book with audio, oral history and classroom learning, the project created several pathways into the same meaningful context. Educators could choose the pathway that best suited their learners while maintaining the relationships among language, story, people and place.
What was hidden
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The expertise of Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ teachers needed another way to reach learners when regular classes were disrupted.
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Classroom teachers wanted to introduce some language but often lacked confidence with pronunciation.
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Printed words alone could not communicate how the language sounded.
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Connections between language books and mathematics, science and place-based learning were not obvious.
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Collaboratively developed materials did not yet have a consistent pathway into publication.
What became visible
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Collaborative resource development created another way for Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ teachers’ knowledge and guidance to reach schools.
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Read-aloud recordings connected printed words with spoken pronunciation.
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Books, audio and classroom activities were designed as parts of a connected learning experience.
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Language resources revealed opportunities for mathematical, scientific and place-responsive inquiry.
What became possible
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Connections among books, audio recordings, classroom activities, and digital learning environments became explicit.
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Oral language supports were connected directly to printed resources.
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Learners could move between listening, reading, viewing, and classroom experiences.
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Relationships among language, story, people, and place could be explored through multiple pathways.
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A repeatable publishing and resource-development model emerged.
See inside "I see shx̌un̓utun"
The wider publishing collection
Created in coordination with the Hul̓q̓umín̓um̓ teachers of NLPS. Language knowledge, stories, translations, illustrations and cultural content remain credited to the contributors named in each publication. My contribution focused on project leadership, publishing design and connected learning resources.