It has become my goal this year to include more diverse books in my classroom. A large majority of children's books typically include a special talking character that tells the story. This could be an animal, an insect, or even an inanimate object. Although the characters are "diverse" in that I could read one book where a crayon is talking, and the next book where a dragon is, these are not relatable to my students who are reading them and do not represent the diversity in my classroom.
All students should have access to books that allows them to build connections and celebrates who they are. Students need to find connections and meaning in the books that are read to them and can do this when the main character is someone they can relate too. When they hear or read a book that has a main character that is someone who has the same background, ethnicity, language, race, body type, gender (the list goes on) as them, this allows them to build that personal connection to the book that might have been missing before.
When students can personally connect to a book it increases their level of engagement, it builds stronger relationships with their fellow classmates and teacher, and it helps builds their self-worth. It shows them that their differences should be celebrated, and valued. Building a classroom library where any student can find multiple books that celebrate who they are is my goal for my classroom this year, and every year.
About my class
It has become my goal this year to include more diverse books in my classroom. A large majority of children's books typically include a special talking character that tells the story. This could be an animal, an insect, or even an inanimate object. Although the characters are "diverse" in that I could read one book where a crayon is talking, and the next book where a dragon is, these are not relatable to my students who are reading them and do not represent the diversity in my classroom.
All students should have access to books that allows them to build connections and celebrates who they are. Students need to find connections and meaning in the books that are read to them and can do this when the main character is someone they can relate too. When they hear or read a book that has a main character that is someone who has the same background, ethnicity, language, race, body type, gender (the list goes on) as them, this allows them to build that personal connection to the book that might have been missing before.
When students can personally connect to a book it increases their level of engagement, it builds stronger relationships with their fellow classmates and teacher, and it helps builds their self-worth. It shows them that their differences should be celebrated, and valued. Building a classroom library where any student can find multiple books that celebrate who they are is my goal for my classroom this year, and every year.
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