Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date

Spring 2019

Academic Department

Education

Faculty Advisor(s)

Wendy Bellew

Abstract

Teachers have the opportunity to make small, yet important decisions to incorporate materials and methods in their current classrooms to support students who are underrepresented, and to minimize the disconnect between the changing student population and the teacher population. While there are programs, websites, and statements about these materials, one of the easiest implementations for current teachers is through the books in classroom libraries. In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop described books to be windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors for young people. Children need to see themselves reflected in books like a mirror. On the other hand, children need books to act as windows into the world around them—to see experiences different than their own. Research shows the importance of the inclusion of books that represent different cultures and experiences in classroom libraries. Early Childhood Education major, Kendra Fix, uses this research to curate a list of quality children’s literature selections and publish podcasts outlining ways to incorporate the books in the classroom. The results of this research, and collection of children’s literature, are being implemented in an early childhood center in Elizabethtown, PA. The project provides a resource for educators to curate and implement diverse literature in their own classroom using research-based criteria.

Notes

Honors in the Discipline

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS