K-7 classrooms are diverse spaces where students and teachers navigate cultures, languages, and (racialized) identities as they engage in disciplinary teaching and learning. They are also spaces harmfully impacted by raciolinguistic ideologies and a persistent separation of language and content instruction. Consequently, critical teacher education scholarship advocates for more systematic integration of antiracism, multilingual pedagogies, and disciplinary content in preparation programs. Aligned with such calls, this critical action research project outlines four teacher educators' attempt to integrate these priorities across two mandatory courses focused on language arts and supporting multilingual learners at a large Canadian university. In turn, we ask: How did elementary teacher candidates (TCs) attempt to braid these priorities in designing read-aloud lessons? Along a continuum of learning, what characteristics distinguished more and less tightly braided attempts? Key lesson-design tasks included selecting read-aloud texts, establishing content and language objectives, planning content-language scaffolds, and reflecting on design choices. Thematic analysis of 30 small-group assignments and reflections by 122 TCs indicates that critical (disciplinary) consciousness and contextualized language supports were distinguishing features of more tightly braided lesson plans. We conclude with a discussion of these findings and their implications for teacher education knowledge, curriculum, and program design.