EVERY VOICE HAS A STORY
Celebrating Black and Latino Boys | Empowering Girls in STEAM | Celebrating Girls of Color | Elevating Latino Stories
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITORIAL TEAM
In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop published an essay about the importance of providing young readers with diverse books. She used the phrase “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” to emphasize the need for all children to experience diverse stories through the characters and real-life people they meet in books. When children read books that serve as mirrors, they see reflections of their own experiences and cultures. When children read books that serve as windows, they gain insights into worlds beyond their own personal experiences. All children need access to diverse books that allow them to look in and look out, making text-to-self and text-to-world connections. Ideally, every classroom would contain a robust library filled with hundreds of books that reflect the mosaic of our society. Yet excellent texts with accurate, dignified, and appealing portrayals of people from marginalized backgrounds are still largely lacking from most classroom and school libraries (Thomas 2018, Routman 2018). And this lack of diversity takes a toll. When children do not see themselves in books—or worse, see only distorted or stereotypical reflections—they can internalize negative cultural views and feel as if school is not a place where they or their culture matter.
Each Rising Voices Library aims to shine a spotlight on those whose contributions and potential are often overlooked. When we foster a classroom community that supports positive representation and equity, children of all backgrounds benefit as they gain empathy, respect, and understanding. The goal of a Rising Voices collection is to empower educators to share literature and promote discussions that are too often lacking in American classrooms.
The Rising Voices Program Guide | 1
INTRODUCTION
The Rising Voices Library provides students with high-interest, culturally relevant texts that give context to today’s world while celebrating the stories of the historically underrepresented. These books, paired with innovative teaching materials, promote a classroom community that broadens the perspectives of students from all backgrounds and enables deep discussions about inclusivity, social justice, and empathy for others. Rising Voices encourages identity development through robust literacy instruction and empowers the next generation of critical thinkers and leaders.
Each Program Includes:
50 books per grade level (25 titles including 5 anchor texts, 2 copies each)
5 Teaching Cards (1 per anchor text) per grade level
Teacher’s Guide (either K–2 or 3–5)
Access to a digital resource site for educators
Storage bins
Labeling stickers
2 | Introduction
The Rising Voices Mission
We believe that we can change the scope of education across the country by committing to the following goals:
Positive Representation
Culturally Responsive Instruction
Unifying Students
We will elevate school communities with engaging authentic books that are representative of the multifaceted identities of our students.
We will equip teachers with the tools to implement robust literacy instruction and the supports to increase their cultural competency.
We will guide the development of students’ social-emotional skills so they can learn empathy and understanding while broadening their world.
The Rising Voices Program Guide | 3
REPRESENTATION MATTERS
Culturally Relevant Authentic Texts
Authentic texts—unlike contrived texts that are written to teach a skill—inspire students to reflect on how they feel about what they read. Books and instruction that are culturally relevant to students address both visible and invisible tenets of culture.
Rising Voices: Celebrating Black and Latino Boys Titles shown above: La Frontera, Carlos Santana, Crown, EllRay Jakes is Magic!, Starstruck
Rising Voices: Empowering Girls in STEAM Titles shown above: Shark Lady, I Want to Be a Doctor, Yasmin The Builder, Sarai Saves the Music, Little Robot
Rising Voices: Celebrating Girls of Color Titles shown above: Celia, Standing on Her Shoulders, The Little Red Fort, Front Desk, Planting Stories
Rising Voices: Elevating Latino Stories Titles shown above: Growing an Artist, Octopus Stew, Definitely Dominguita, Digging for Words, No Dogs Allowed!
4 | Representation Matters
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING
Culturally responsive teaching focuses on supporting underserved students through incisive instruction, social justice, and multiculturalism. When we provide students with the freedom to choose books that meet their interests, they become drivers of their own learning. This ensures that all students within the classroom community, no matter their background, are exposed to perspectives and insights that reflect both their experiences and the wider world around them.
Our Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching
An Emphasis on Family Engagement Teachers engage in dialogue with families to learn about their students’ religious, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds and how to fully involve parents and caregivers in the school’s social activities. A Classroom Community of Expectation All students receive the consistent message that the standards for their academic achievement are high. The Teacher as a Guide Teachers create a learning environment that’s relevant to students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences. A Student-Centered Curriculum Students are encouraged to direct their learning and work in ways that they find socially and culturally relevant. Learning with Context and Accommodating Difference People learn in different ways, and instruction that reflects those differences allows for students to feel more comfortable taking risks in the classroom. Reshaping the Conversation Teachers use inclusive language and encourage open, honest, and respectful discussions without making anyone feel ostracized.
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Culturally Responsive Teaching | 5
CONNECTING STUDENTS TO SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
The benefits of social and emotional learning extend beyond test scores. By connecting reading to social-emotional development, students can build a positive self-image as readers and learn valuable analytic and executive function skills.
CASEL Competency Goals and Assessment
Self-awareness
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior . The ability to accurately assess one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a growth mindset.
Self-management
The ability to successfully regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations —effectively managing stress, controlling impulses, and motivating oneself. The ability to set and work toward personal and academic goals.
Social-awareness
The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others , including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures. The ability to understand social and ethical norms for behavior and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
Relationship skills
The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups . The ability to communicate clearly, listen well, cooperate with others, resist inappropriate social pressure, negotiate conflict constructively, and seek and offer help when needed.
Responsible decision-making
The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms . The realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and a consideration of the well-being of oneself and others.
6 | Connecting Students to Social-Emotional Learning
Focus
Identifying emotions, accurate self-perception, recognizing strengths, self-confidence, self-efficacy
Impulse control, stress management, self-discipline, self-motivation, goal-setting, organizational skills
Perspective-taking, empathy, appreciating diversity, respect for others
Researchers have reported that children who participate in social and emotional learning programs perform about 13 percentage points higher in their grades and standardized test scores (Taylor et al. 2017).
Communication, social engagement, relationship-building, teamwork
Identifying problems, analyzing situations, solving problems, evaluating, reflecting, ethical responsibility
The Rising Voices Program Guide | 7
TEACHER’S GUIDES
The Rising Voices Teacher’s Guides provide:
Implementation strategies for integrating the texts into whole-class and small-group instruction, independent reading, and book clubs
Suggestions for how to support English learners
Engaging discussion prompts based on Rising Voices themes
Tips for creating safe environments for difficult conversations
Tools to facilitate whole-class read-alouds and literacy instruction that meet students where they are
Inspirational essays written to educate and inspire
Materials to help educators understand how to engage students in thoughtful and respectful classroom discussions about empathy, social justice, and inclusivity
Tips to help educators share information with families about how to connect classroom materials to students
Celebrating Girls of Color DEVELOPED WITH DR. M. ANN LEVETT
Books Celebrating Black and Latino Boys Celebrating Black and Latino Boys
Elevating Latino Stories Elevating
Empowering Girls in S.T.E.A.M.
GRADES K–2 TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE GRADES 3–5
TEACHER’S GUIDE
GRADES 3–5
8 | Teacher’s Guides
The Digital resource site provides:
Additional instructional support for teachers to use the books in Rising Voices as a launching point for the larger themes, to initiate important conversations, to facilitate meaningful discussion, and to model excellent writing Lessons at a glance with an overview of the skills and activities addressed on the Teaching Cards for each read-aloud anchor text in the library A reading log form to help children record, track, and reflect on their independent reading at school and at home Resources organized by theme and anchor texts: writing and book club discussion prompts, comprehension graphic organizers , theme charts and videos , and standards correlation charts A family letter in both English and Spanish that invites families to learn how to support reading and talking about books at home
Videos and articles for students to continue learning, and more!
I’m definitely learning to do a better job with culturally responsive teaching than I may have five or 10 years ago. A lot of it comes from the books that I’m sharing, recommending, and reading aloud … I’m trying to make sure I have a more inclusive cast of characters, authors, and illustrators, making sure that my read- alouds and recommendations and lessons reflect everyone.
—Katie , ELA teacher
The Rising Voices Program Guide | 9
TEACHING CARDS
A quick overview explains why this book is a Rising Voices anchor text and identifies teaching highlights.
The note offers a read-aloud tip and language support for diverse language learners.
An emphasis on academic language adds context and empowers students.
The “hook” engages students, gets them to anticipate the text, and builds on what they already know.
Suggested prompts support strategic responses to texts, higher-level thinking, and interaction as students turn and talk or discuss their ideas with the whole class.
10 | Teaching Cards
Each grade-level library includes five Teaching Cards that offer culturally responsive, in-depth options for exploring each anchor text as an interactive read-aloud, building vocabulary, practicing high-utility reading strategies, and extending literacy through writing, discussion, and other creative activities.
Students are scaffolded to revisit the text and actively practice a high-utility reading strategy.
Teachers can access websites to share more information about the author, illustrator, or content related to the book.
Teaching Card, Grade 4, Empowering Girls in STEAM
Students further connect with the text and its relevance to their lives. Options are provided for writing about reading, exploring social-emotional awareness using the CASEL framework, small-group book club discussions, and art or other creative activities.
The Rising Voices Program Guide | 11
SUPPORT TEACHERS by Elevating the Use of Culturally Relevant Books
Our literacy specialists work side by side with teachers to use the Rising Voices Library to facilitate culturally responsive teaching and help students of all backgrounds benefit from the stories of unique and diverse characters in these authentic and engaging texts.
Rising Voices Full-Day Training Choose any two of the following courses to support your implementation of the Rising Voices Library:
Building a Culture of Independent Reading Learn how to build a culture that encourages independent reading and ensures that students are thinking deeply about the books they read.
How to Confer with Students about Texts Explore proven strategies for conducting one-on-one meetings with students to help them become more incisive, engaged, and joyful thinkers and readers.
Read-Alouds and Shared Reading: Lessons That Engage and Activate Student Thinking Examine how to challenge students to think deeply while meeting your state’s standards with a combination of interactive read-alouds and shared reading exercises.
Reading Mini-Lessons: Lesson Planning and Delivery Explore foundational yet complex reading skills and learn how to unpack the magic of those skills for students in a step-by-step mini-lesson.
12 | Support Teachers
It’s not just kids of color, kids from the margins, who need diverse literature and media. It’s all kids who need stories about all kinds of people.
—Ebony Elizabeth Thomas , Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania Literacy, Culture, and International Education
Tomorrow’s leaders may not yet have seen themselves in a book. But we have the power to change that.
—Andrea Davis Pinkney , Vice President and Executive Editor for Scholastic Trade Books; New York Times best-selling author of Martin Rising: Requiem for a King
For more information, call us at (800) 387-1437 or visit scholastic.com/risingvoices
4738-05 8/22
Photos ©: cover (left): Blend Images - KidStock/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images; cover (center): Ariel Skelley/Getty Images; cover (right): © Corbis/Getty Images; back of front cover: FatCamera/Getty Images; 3: PeopleImages/Getty Images; 11: g&l images/Getty Images; 13: guteksk7/Shutterstock; 18: JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty Images.
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