While research unequivocally points to the need to teach the language that supports participation in reading and writing activities in middle-grade classrooms, many educators grapple with how to create the instructional conditions that promote equitable and just opportunities for students to learn the Language of School Literacy (LSL). In this article, I operationalize the Access-Voice-Choice (AVC) framework and illustrate its application through teaching vignettes. The AVC framework engages educators in considering how to in which language serves as a medium: (1) for giving learners "access" to concepts and content contained in school texts and to the communities where this knowledge is produced; (2) for amplifying student voice; and (3) for providing learners with "choice" in the language they use in the classroom and in the linguistic communities in which they choose to participate. This critical framework offers a useful heuristic model to think about "how" and "why" we teach LSL to our students. I argue that if the goal of our instruction is to develop in students the ability to use language critically and flexibly, we must create the sorts of classrooms that position them as critical and flexible language users from the start.