Why is a Multicultural Classroom Library Important?
When looking at why multiculturalism in school and classroom libraries it is important to understand why there is the need. According to Ruth A. Oswald and Lynn Atkinson Smolen have multicultural books is “timely” because of the “increasing diversity in our schools”. According to the National Center of Education Statistics (2010), 45 percent of U.S. public school population enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade comes from diverse racial and ethnic background” (Multicultural Literature and Response: Affirming Diverse Voices pg.xi). Educators want to help develop children become empathic, understanding, and tolerant adults, by doing these things educators hope to lessen bullying and
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There are different genres, lengths, topics and styles but when selecting multicultural children’s literacy there are important guidelines to follow. According to Bishop,
If our society is to meet the challenges of democratic pluralism, all students need to recognize the diversity that defines the society, learn to respect it and see it in a positive light. In schools that appear to be increasingly segregated along lines of color and class, literature, television, and other media may present some of the few opportunities for all students to encounter people of different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. Literature, then, becomes one of the ways in which schools can affirm pluralism” (pg.3). There are many different types of books in classroom libraries.
There are different genres, lengths, topics and styles but when selecting multicultural children’s literacy there are important guidelines to follow. Mei-Yu Lu included a list of guidelines list to follow when selecting multicultural books for classroom libraries. The guidelines were developed by Beilke (1986), Harada (1995), Harris (1991), and Pang, Colvin, Tran, & Yang (1992). They recommend that multicultural literature
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Our school is primarily white. According to WISEdash we had 364 students enrolled for the 2014-2015 school year. Of those students 88.2% were white, .8% were American Indian. 2.2% Black, 7.1% Hispanic. Student’s families are also extremely poor 56.9% of the students are considered economically disadvantage. Knowing those statistics, I am very aware of the students and their families and the backgrounds they come from. As an educator I want my students to reach their highest potential and part of that is being a well-rounded
Cowhey’s book is broken down by the major themes and concepts she teaches her first and second grade students. Each concept relates back to her personal pedagogy of implementing a Multicultural Education. These major themes include empathy, freedom, peace, activism, community, and social justice. Cowhey’s pedagogy uses “language and literacy to teach about the world with rigor, depth, and challenge in a way that engages and
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
Yokota, Junko. "Issues in Selecting Multicultural Children's Literature." Language Arts Multiculturalism and the Language Arts. 70.3 (1993): 156-167. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Fegar, Mary-Virginia. “I Want to Read: How Culturally Relevant Texts Increase Student Engagement in Reading.” Multicultural Education, 13:3 (Spring 2006): 18-19. [E Journal]
Perhaps the most meaningful way to come to grips with the rather expansive scope of approaches and practices that make up the notion of “multicultural education” is to consider some of the various reasons that educators incorporate those approaches into their classrooms. While we will save the most important motivation—increasing instructional effectiveness—for last, here we will briefly review some of other the reasons that teachers incorporate multicultural education into their
Manning, L. & Baruth. L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th Ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Over the past several weeks, I have researched, read, and learned many new things regarding the topic of multicultural education. I have learned that all children should be taught to treat others with dignity and respect not matter what their culture, race, or family structure. I have also learned how important it is for teachers to explore multicultural education on a daily bases because it is necessary for the academic success for students how originate from different backgrounds.
“Authentic children’s books that include a variety of cultures can help future generations view people in different parts of the world, or even those in their own neighborhood, as equal members of society” (Morgan, 2009, 187). According to Madsen (2012), children’s literature can have a powerful message about social and moral behaviors and ideas which can be an influential tool for Multicultural learning and teaching. As stated in Gopalakrishnan (2011), in classrooms today, there is diversity of students and having multicultural children’s literature, especially authentic from an insider’s perspective allows students to have a discussion with students’ experience and their learning. Morgan (2009) stated children’s literature has not been having authenticity in representing the experiences that many minority groups. Multicultural children’s literature is important and it allows the children to see
Manning, L.M. & Barruth, L.G. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Multiculturalism is a term that we are all familiar with and when brought up, it is common to most people’s knowledge that it includes a diverse group of different cultures. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (2013) defines multiculturalism as “the co-existence of diverse cultures, where cultures includes racial, religious, or cultural groups and is manifested in customary behaviours, cultural assumptions and values, patterns of thinking, and communicative styles.” Under this definition, the organization also includes the following groups as ‘underserved’ in a multicultural society:
At a young age children believe almost everything that they hear. Parents and teachers need to be very careful and selective with what they talk about around children. One challenge that teachers and parents face is choosing the appropriate books to read for their young ones. One book genre that has caused a good amount of chaos and controversy are multicultural books. Adults are afraid of exposing their children to these kinds of books because they do not want them to be influenced by the negative stereotypes that many of these books contain. However multicultural books can help children to empathize with others and learn about different cultures, the right books just need to be selected. Parents and teachers need to find books that
Libraries should have a combination of books that reflects not only the group being taught, but also the diversity of the United States and the world as a whole. While there are more specific guidelines, a library or classroom should at least contain books that show a variety of ways of life, a wide range of family structures, and differently-abled and disabled people doing a variety of jobs and roles in family and society. If children cannot see themselves in the books they read, especially at a young age, they could get discouraged about reading as a whole which is the opposite of the goals of their teachers. Classrooms and libraries need to be changed so that one day good multicultural children’s books can just be considered good children’s
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students to gain a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably from a judgmental and prejudiced view. Diversity has a broad range of spectrums. Students from all across the continent; students from political refugees, indigenous Americans, and immigrants bring their cultural and linguistic skills to American classrooms. Students not only bring their cultural and linguistic skills, but they bring their ethnicity, talents, and skills.
Multicultural literature should play a significant role in a classroom, because it allows for students to see ideas and thoughts from a different perspective other than their own. Students will hopefully have learned some key attributes when it comes to what they world is like, and what different cultures are, but they learn it from, their families, and however it is portrayed in the media. These perspectives however, can be skewed and biased based on what the family and the media believes. Using multicultural literature in the classroom will open up not only a look into the information and ideas of a culture, but also the ideas and practices they perform, and what they believe in.
As a young teacher, I aimed to have my students read multicultural literature because I wanted to open my students’ eyes to the differences between people on this planet we share. I wanted them to see the differences as a beautiful, natural thing. However, looking back at those early years, I did little to enhance what my students were reading other than handing them a book and helping them read through it with some discussions that were not about controversial topics, only about character actions. That left my students to struggle on their own to understand the different perspectives and rich lives in which they were presented. With good intentions, I failed to get my purpose across, and I only left students with more questions. Reflecting on my teaching, and working to enhance the reading of multicultural literature, I found that I had to begin at the beginning-how I would define multicultural literature and what purpose it would serve.