KEY FINDINGS
> > In “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors,” Professor Rudine Sims Bishop writes, “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 the society of which they are a part” (1990). > > “One important goal is for literature to offer readers a realistic and authentic mirror of their own lives and experiences. If children recognize themselves reflected accurately and sympathetically in the books they read, they may develop positive self-images and sense of worth” (Lehman, Freeman, and Scharer, 2010). > > “Writing [is] a means to make sense of and critically shape [one’s] multiple identities” (Muhammad, 2015). > > “It becomes vital to not simply advise the next generation of scholars, but to also mentor them in ways that help to cultivate their minds so they are prepared to use their voices in powerful ways to improve and advance the state of educational progress.” (Muhammad, 2015). More to Know: Value Students’ Literate Experiences Typically, school literacy centers around reading, writing, listening, and speaking—and traditional texts and textbooks. Spears-Bunton and Powell (2009) suggest that this view of literacy is narrow; as a result, students who experience alternative literate experiences in their homes and communities—which aren’t valued by the school—may be viewed as “at risk.” For example, though some children may not routinely enjoy a bedtime story, they may participate in a rich, complex literate experience in their church and choir. It’s essential that educators work to understand and value the literate experiences every child brings to school. As Phyllis Hunter (2012) reminds us: What do we consider reading? If we’re talking Hamlet or the Federalist Papers, kids may not be reading as much. But if we recognize the time they spend on the Internet and with social media as opportunities for reading and writing, then the number of minutes kids these days spend on both is not declining.
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DIVERSE LEARNERS
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