Introduction As a reader, ask yourself: When was the first time you felt truly connected to a book? Can you think of a book you’ve read that’s reflected your identity or your experience? We live in a world that is a tapestry of cultures and multifaceted identities. The books our children read need to reflect our world. By motivating readers to select and discuss a variety of texts, and demonstrating a love of reading, children can grow up loving to read. And children who grow up loving to read and thinking deeply about the books they read become adults who love to read. In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop published an essay, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors,” about the importance of providing young readers with diverse books. This phrase emphasized the need for all children to experience diverse stories through the characters and real-life subjects they read about in books. In her essay, she identified that “when children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in a society of which they are a part.” She went on to discuss further the different reading opportunities all children should have, and the problems that could arise when they don’t have these opportunities. • Mirrors: When children read books that serve as mirrors, they see aspects of their own experiences and cultures reflected in texts. • Windows: When children read books that serve as windows, they gain insights into the world beyond their own personal experiences. • Sliding Glass Doors: When children read books that serve as sliding glass doors, they are intrigued and encouraged to step into the world of the story. By curating an engaging and culturally rich classroom library, you are ensuring that all students are able to experience these mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Traditionally, there have been far fewer books published by and about people of color. And while the number of books is increasing, especially as it becomes easier to self-publish or independently publish, it still requires effort to seek out and acquire the best of these books and get them into classroom libraries. Adding curated culturally responsive collections to your classroom ensures the best of these books find their way into the hands of young readers. It is important to note that diversity does not only reflect race and ethnicity; when curating a classroom library, one should be mindful to include books about all people whose identities, voices, and experiences have been traditionally underrepresented—like people with physical disabilities, neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, or people belonging to religious minorities. In this guide, you will explore how to help readers understand, select, and learn to engage with culturally responsive books in the classroom and beyond.
USING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE BOOKS IN YOUR CLASSROOM
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