What is it like to look for your reflection in a book and not see it? My students need diverse literature where they see themselves represented. Our school鈥檚 current book selection for teaching guided reading is deeply lacking in diversity. My learners need books that are a representation of their culture, journey, background, and experiences. Highly relatable books allow kids to identify with the characters. It's validating for kids to meet a character in a story who has hair that resembles theirs, wears glasses just like they do or eats food their family cooks. When kids read titles with characters who look like them, it helps form a connection to the book on another level. Identifying with the characters in a story allows for a deeper comprehension of the text because kids are making these kinds of self-connections.
Our reading block consists of a shared reading, phonics, writing, guided lesson around a reading strategy and independent reading time. These sets of books will be used during guided reading groups focused on a reading strategy. We have heard students say, 鈥淗ey, that character looks just like me!鈥 when a new book is presented to them. My goal is to have sets of books that are current and portray characters, authors, and illustrators that look like our students.
About my class
What is it like to look for your reflection in a book and not see it? My students need diverse literature where they see themselves represented. Our school鈥檚 current book selection for teaching guided reading is deeply lacking in diversity. My learners need books that are a representation of their culture, journey, background, and experiences. Highly relatable books allow kids to identify with the characters. It's validating for kids to meet a character in a story who has hair that resembles theirs, wears glasses just like they do or eats food their family cooks. When kids read titles with characters who look like them, it helps form a connection to the book on another level. Identifying with the characters in a story allows for a deeper comprehension of the text because kids are making these kinds of self-connections.
Our reading block consists of a shared reading, phonics, writing, guided lesson around a reading strategy and independent reading time. These sets of books will be used during guided reading groups focused on a reading strategy. We have heard students say, 鈥淗ey, that character looks just like me!鈥 when a new book is presented to them. My goal is to have sets of books that are current and portray characters, authors, and illustrators that look like our students.
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