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Music is a great wat to incorporate multicultural perspectives in education. Educators can introduce a different country each month and include a song and dance that the class can practice together along with information about musical instruments that originated from the country. There will be a history lesson, country sports will be incorporated in P.E., and food will be provided at the end of each month. families will be encouraged to participate through volunteering to speak to the class about countries that they may be from, reading, cooking, and helping with the song and dance. Choosing countries that represent the students in the class and community can foster an inclusive classroom environment.

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Holidays around the world is an effective way to introduce students to holidays that are celebrated in cultures around the world. Students can focus on a different holiday each week that covers reading, writing, and art. Learning about different holidays through reading and class discussions exposes students to multiple perspectives and students can research and write about all the interesting details pertaining to the holiday. Art that is used in the holidays will be a fun and engaging activity that can be displayed throughout the classroom.

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Bilingual KidSpot is an excellent resource to access, research, and purchase books that represent all students. Educators can find books that align with various age ranges and topics. A classroom library that represents all students emphasizing empathy, understanding, and respect is vital for an inclusive classroom environment.

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Multicultural children's books are an important part of every child's home library. After our very popular list of Diversity books for kids, we have now come up with a list of some of our favourite multicultural books for kids which is sure to be just as popular. Below you will find:

Multicultural children's books for babies to pre-school

Multicultural children's book for early elementary

Multicultural children's book for older elementary

Why kids need multicultural books?

As parents, we wear many hats; we're a nurse, a chauffeur, a chef, a math teacher, a coach, and a life coach among others. One job that we, as parents, should proudly show our children - more so to be an example to emulate - is be a proponent for the underrepresented.

During the past few years, several incidents have led to stronger advocating better representation in clothing, workplace, and television. Those who are underserved and underprivileged are finding their voices and fighting for their rights to be heard. We can join the cause by raising children who are aware that the world is not just black and white, but an array of vivid colors, much like the people around them.

There are many ways to do this. One incredibly easy way is to read them books that show diversity. Go to the library and borrow ones that feature characters of different races. Stock their little libraries at home with books that teach about empathy and understanding and acceptance.

Books are an essential guide as we traverse in this multi-faith and multi-ethnic world we live in to avoid diving in and swimming deep into the sea of stereotypes. Whether you want to encourage your children to see the world from someone else's perspective or read stories about someone who look like them, we've got you covered as we have compiled a few books that represent different races and books that tell your kids it's okay to be different!

Multicultural Books for Babies to Preschool

Our favourite multicultural children's books for ages 0-5yrs

Hats of Faith

Author: Medeia Cohan
Age range: 2 - 5 years
This is a simple yet clear-cut multicultural book for kids that's a great read for children young and old. The bold and striking illustrations show different individuals of different skin colors wearing headwear pertaining to their own faiths.

This children's book is especially useful in helping to identify external manifestations of faith in order to eliminate fear of the unknown. This is a good foundation to start teaching mutual understanding that can lead to further research for inquisitive minds.

A great quote in the book that essentially summarizes the whole point of this article: "Learning about each other makes it easy to be more understanding. Being understanding helps us spread love and peace."

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Shades of People

Author: Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly
Age range: 2 - 5 years

What's great about this multicultural children's book is that it uses photographs of real people. Children are not seeing just illustrations that may or may not resemble a person. They are seeing actual individuals who could be in their class, their neighbor, someone waiting at their pediatrician's office, or in a restaurant with their families.

This book celebrates diversity and talks about the different shades of humanity and even mentions that within some families, there are also different shades. This is definitely a great multicultural conversation starter with your young ones.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Lola at the Library

Author: Anna McQuinn
Age range: 2 - 5 years

This multicultural book for kids is racially representative, yet not riddled with self-affirmation and historical narratives. It's simply a sweet story about a little girl having a fun day trip to the library with her mother.

If you're on the hunt for a perfect book to help instill a love of reading and books in your child, you have found it. A beautiful narration that encourages visiting your local library and making the trek a fun one.

The illustrations are soft and lovely, which make you feel all warm and cozy as you turn each page. Lola at the Library is part of a series of books Lola Reads that follow book-loving Lola in her everyday life adventures. What's more, the books are also available in Spanish.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes

Author: Roseanne Thong
Age range: 2 - 5 years
An engaging book that teaches children shapes in forms of everyday items and includes the Latino culture. The illustrations are colorful, and the poetic verses integrates math as well as Spanish vocabulary. Overall a great read for young children that show diverse characters.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Multicultural Children's Books for Early Elementary

Our favourite multicultural books for kids suitable for 4-8yrs.

All Are Welcome Here

Author: Alexandra Penfold
Age range: 4 - 8 years
From the text that rhymes to the incredibly diverse characters shown, this multicultural book for kids is a winner. Both the story and the illustration show our similarities as well as differences in physical appearance, heritage, cultural traditions, and even food. Each page will surely make a child feel safe and included.
"We're part of a community. Our strength is our diversity. A shelter from adversity. All are welcome here."

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

The Story of Chinaman's Hat

Author: Dean Howell
Age range: 5 - 8
If you've ever visited the island O'ahu in Hawaii, you are certainly familiar with the popular Chinaman's Hat. This multicultural kids book narrates an original legend of how Chinaman's Hat came to be. It features two different cultures and a creative story that alters the Hawaiian islands forever.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Drum Dream Girl

Author: Margarita Engle
Age range: 4 - 8 years
Inspired by a true story, this wonderful book is set in Cuba about a little multi-racial girl's adversity against societal norms and her determination to succeed in a patriarchal field. The beautiful prose is captivating, and the illustration is appealing. Such a wonderful book to empower young girls to keep on dreaming and attain the unattainable.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Thank You, Omu!

This is an enchanting and delightful narration about kindness, generosity, and gratitude. The author's Nigerian roots are reflected in the evocative illustration and the wonderfully written story resembled folklore. A heartwarming story that makes you realize that all it takes is a small gesture such as sharing a pot of stew to strengthen a community and spread the sense of belonging.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Yasmin in Charge

Author: Saadia Faruqi
Age range: 5 - 8 years
Yasmin in Charge is another of our favourite multicultural children's books. This easy-to-read chapter book is a collection of four stories about a Pakistani girl Yasmin and how she takes charge and creatively problem solves. She is quick-thinking and clever. Her adventures favorably exhibit Pakistani culture with Urdu vocabulary and traditional dishes riddled throughout each chapter.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Fish for Jimmy

Author: Katie Yamasaki
Age range: 6 - 9 years

This is a tale that takes readers back into the dark time period in America's history when those of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps. In addition to the historical context, readers are inspired by Jimmy's brother Taro who reminds us of love, courage, and what family is about despite tribulations. While a motivational story with vibrant illustrations, this children's book serves as a reminder for readers to not allow history from repeating itself.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Multicultural Children's Books for Older Elementary

A list of multicultural children's books for older children aged 9-12 years

Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah

Author: Laurie Ann Thompson
Age range: 4 - 8 years
This inspiring multicultural kids book is a true story that not only features a Ghanaian character, but also one with a disability, who shows the world that anyone can do anything.

Powerful and uplifting story about courage and perseverance. A must-read indeed for any child.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Ghost

Author: Jason Reynolds
Age range: 10 and up

Another inspirational tale and deeply moving. Beautifully written with the dialogue and characters being relatable. Authentic and captivating with a great plot and character development. Truly an enjoyable book for older children.

"You can't run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be."

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Esperanza Rising

Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Age range: 8+
This is one of our favourite multicultural children's books for older kids. It is a story about immigration, culture shock, hard work, patience, and hope. Esperanza deals with the loss of her father, the struggles of fleeing her home country Mexico and having to live a different life culturally and socioeconomically.

With Spanish words so seamlessly woven and based on true events in her grandmother's life, the author crafts a tale that explores eye-opening subjects about Mexico, the Great Depression and the plight of Mexican-American laborers, child labor and labor strikes, and profound discrimination.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

Africa Is My Home, A Child of the Amistad

Author: Monica Edinger
Age range: 10 +
Told from the perspective of 9-year-old Magulu, this book is enthralling as it is heartbreaking. With beautiful illustrations on each page to help with visualization, this book sensitively chronicles enslavement and American slave trade, homesickness, and other hardships Magulu encounters as she was taken away from her home.

Informative, descriptive, yet still child-appropriate, this multicultural children's book is a must-read when touching upon the difficult topic of slavery.

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

The Skin I'm In

Author: Sharon Flake
Age range: 12+
This book is about a girl who is being bullied for her dark skin, but she finds her voice. It is a realistic and relatable story about bullying, pain, self-esteem, fitting in, standing up for yourself, and self-love.
"To look in the mirror and like what you see, even when it doesn't look like your idea of beauty."

FIND THIS BOOK HERE

All kids deserve multicultural books

Books can certainly shape our world even from a very young age. By encouraging children to read multicultural books, and books that highlight diversity, young readers are enlightened of the truths regarding lives they don't live.

Stories that showcase diversity, inclusion, and empathy can indeed affect and change people's minds, which in essence is a great tool to combat fear and bigotry.

We hope you love these multicultural children's books, please let us know your favorites in the comments!

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15+ Multicultural Children's Books that all kids should read - Bilingual Kidspot

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15+ Multicultural Children's Books Multicultural children's books are an important part of every child's home library. After our very popular list of Diversity books for kids, we have now come up with a list of some of our favourite multicultural books for kids which is sure to be just as popular.

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There are many historical events that have shaped our nation into what it is today. Discussing and learning about multiple perspectives through social studies, geography, and history lessons is a good way to introduce multiculturalism to students. Discussing the history of underrepresented minorities in the nation's history opens up dialogue that promotes empathy, open mindedness, and above all change. Lessons can integrate and emphasize the history and perspectives of all individuals including Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, and all other minorities.

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In order to utilize a student's cultural background an educator needs to build a relationship with the students and families. Educators can provide families with questionnaires that help them get to know their children. Important questions include observed holidays, family traditions, preferred ways of communicating and interacting, interests, and any other important details that the family wants to share to better tailor teaching approaches.

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Ice Breaker activities encourage teachers and students to get to know each other and also introduces students to different perspectives. This activity can help educators learn more about their students and help them prepare relevant and engaging lessons.

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Curriculum adaptations for diverse learners

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Curriculum adaptations for diverse learners

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Multi-sensory materials can help engage students with the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and movement to reinforce and enhance learning. Individualized instruction and differentiated instruction are vital in a classroom with diverse students. Utilizing assistive technology can help educators communicate with English language learners. Emphasizing collaboration with students through flexible grouping is an option that will benefit some students. Getting to know your students and their unique learning style is important along with being prepared with different methods to reach every student.

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Curriculum Adaptations for Diverse Learners - Prep With Harshita

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In order to create an inclusive learning environment, curriculum adaptations for diverse learners can be implemented

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An inclusive classroom that respects and celebrates cultural differences must be free of bias. Avoiding stereotypes and modeling respect is vital. Activities and teaching that helps students navigate from the familiarity of their own culture to a different culture is a start to an inclusive classroom (Howe & Lisi, 2024). Cultural craft projects such as Japanese origami, Malaysian paper kites, Batik prints, and Mexican masks are some examples of hands on, engaging activities that celebrate cultures.

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20 Creative Ideas for Teaching Kids About Different Cultures

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How to Creating a Culture-Celebrating Classroom Creatively.

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Displaying women in history throughout the classroom along with history lessons that emphasize the important contributions that women have made will help girls feel empowered, seen, and valued.

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Celebrating individuals with exceptionalities and all the contributions they make to make our nation what it is will help students relate and empathize with everyone in the school community.

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Inclusive language is a way of speaking and writing that is free of bias and stereotypes (Korchynska, 2024). An educator can model and emphasize the importance of respecting individuals of all cultural backgrounds. Gender pronouns need to be used with sensitivity and respect. Ensuring that lessons are free from bias language like fire man or police man and replaced with firefighter and police officer are important, to show students that we are all part of the community, and we can all be whatever we are led to be. Teaching inclusive language promotes respect and empathy while preparing students for the real world (Korchynska, 2024).

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1. Blog

2. Beyond gender pronouns: teaching inclusive language for all students

In today's increasingly diverse and globalized world, it's essential for teachers to go beyond simply teaching vocabulary and grammar.

We must also ensure that our students are equipped with language that fosters inclusivity and respect for all individuals, regardless of gender, identity, or background.

Understanding inclusive language

It's about acknowledging and respecting the identities, experiences, and cultural backgrounds of all people.

While many discussions about inclusive language focus on gender pronouns, there's much more to consider, especially when working with students who may be encountering these ideas for the first time.

Whether your students are teenagers preparing for higher education or adults looking to advance in their careers, inclusive language is an essential skill.

In professional settings, being able to communicate with sensitivity and awareness can open doors and build positive relationships.

Nevertheless, I am more than sure that you can name more reasons for incorporating inclusive language into your classes.

Start with awareness, not judgment

For both teenage and adult students, the concept of inclusive language might be new.

Contextualize language choices

Teaching students why inclusive language matters is just as important as teaching them how to use it.

For teenagers, classroom debates or discussions about popular culture are excellent ways to introduce the subject.

You can ask questions like, "How do we talk about characters from TV shows or movies when we don't know their gender?"

For adults, you might connect inclusive language to professional scenarios: "How do we address an email when we're unsure of someone's preferred pronoun?"

Incorporate pronouns naturally

Pronouns are often the entry point to teaching inclusive language.

For teenage students, who are likely immersed in social media and discussions around gender identity, you can tap into their existing knowledge.

This makes it feel more natural.

Encourage open dialogue

Encourage respectful discussion, allowing students to learn from each other's perspectives.

This not only helps clarify misunderstandings but also promotes empathy and critical thinking.

For example, you might ask them to think of ways to rewrite job descriptions or advertisements to make them more inclusive.

This promotes collaboration and deepens their understanding of how language shapes the world around them.

Here are some effective activities that I tried myself, which work well with both teenage and adult learners.

Role-playing scenarios

Role-playing activities allow students to practice inclusive language in a controlled, real-world context.

For example:

Role-play a conversation at a school event or on social media where they meet someone new.

Distribute the roles, so students can focus on introducing pronouns naturally and using gender-neutral language.

This teaches respectful language for workplace interactions.

Pronoun practice through profiles

A fun way to normalize pronoun use is through writing activities where students create profiles for fictional characters or classmates.

Have students create social media bios for fictional characters, including their names, interests, and pronouns , for example, "Alex loves playing soccer. They are also really into video games".

This makes pronoun usage a natural part of everyday language.

Have students write short professional bios or LinkedIn profiles.

Include respectful language for referring to individuals when pronouns are unknown.

For instance, you might discuss how to refer to a job applicant or a colleague in a resume or letter of recommendation.

Inclusive language bingo

Turn learning into a game with a Bingo activity that focuses on identifying and using inclusive language.

Students listen for these terms during a listening exercise or group discussion and mark them on their cards.

Rewrite biased language

For me, one of the most effective ways to teach inclusive language is by highlighting biased or outdated terms and asking students to rewrite them more inclusively.

Provide sentences or short paragraphs containing biased language (e.g., " The fireman saved the day").

Have students rewrite them using inclusive language (e.g., "The firefighter saved the day").

Use professional examples such as job descriptions or company policies.

Have them rewrite texts to make them more inclusive (e.g., change "he/she" to "they," or replace "chairman" with "chairperson").

By using role-playing, media analysis, discussions, and games, you can engage students while giving them practical tools for navigating real-world social and professional environments.

Teaching inclusive language in the ESL classroom goes beyond grammar rules and vocabulary lists - it's about preparing students to be thoughtful, respectful communicators in a diverse world.

As educators, we have the opportunity to empower our students with language skills that reflect the inclusive values of the modern world, ensuring that everyone - regardless of gender, background, or identity - feels seen, respected, and valued.

Article authors & editors

Solomiia Korchynska

Author

CELTA-certified teacher of General English

© Grade University 2024, by Teacher Training Department of Grade Education Centre

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Beyond gender pronouns: teaching inclusive language for all students

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Learn how to teach inclusive language in the classroom, going beyond gender pronouns to create a welcoming environment for all students. Discover practical strategies and tips for fostering inclusivity.

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Getting to know families is vital to better serve students. Ensuring that you are always respectful and keep all conversations on topic with the students' best interest will help ensure that families feel heard and valued and are part of their child's educational journey.

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Individuals who reside in the community where an educator is teaching can come into the classroom to enhance lessons. If there is a history or social studies lesson, educators can invite individuals from museums and other facilities to come in and discuss in further detail the history and information behind the lessons.

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Family and community involvement in education is vital to ensure the success and well-being of students and society as a whole (Eden & Chisom, 2024). Educators can have parent workshops that include collaboration on their child's education while implementing ideas from families. Emphasizing that you are a team with families can help with family involvement in education. Welcoming volunteers and encouraging families to participate in cultural events where they can set up booths that represent their cultural background can promote an inclusive school community.