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This is a quick blog post from a great resource website about why we need to include diverse books in our classrooms. The blogger talks about how multi-cultural literature supports our students and helps to develop a strong school community. Diversebooks.org also provides a huge wealth of resources in terms of finding and accessing multicultural texts.

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I know, I know. If you're reading this blog you're probably already invested in diverse books. But even though you're no doubt the most outspoken advocate for diversity in children's books, I bet you might know someone in your school or community who needs a little convincing of the benefits of choosing a book that represents a diverse experience for their next community-wide or all-school read.

From my own experience, I know that publishers are becoming more mindful of diversity and representation in the books they publish. I've seen firsthand the landscape of children's books change, how representation is weighed with importance rather than as a hindrance, and I've been encouraged and inspired by how many people with diverse backgrounds have joined publishing and continue fighting for changes. I also know we don't always get it right and we have a long way to go.

But the question of whose stories get told and by whom is not something we can ignore any longer as a society. It takes whole communities, just like yours, to make changes within children's books. And one of those ways is by choosing a diverse title for your next community-wide or all-school read.

Here are my top five reasons why you should choose a diverse read.

Mirrors: Allow You to See Yourself Represented in a Story and Explore Your Identity

It's been nearly three decades since " Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors " was published by Rudine Sims Bishop, the OG of representation in children's literature. In her essay, Bishop posits, "Literature transforms the human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation."

This is perhaps the most cited reasons for the inclusion of diverse books in schools and libraries-and for good reason! Our sense of identity, value, and agency are influenced by a wide array of things including home life, school, environment, and society, which includes the books we read. Choosing a book that represents the wider world around us can validate a reader's belief in their own importance and value as a member of society.

Windows: Bring Visibility to Cultures Different from Our Own

Another nod to Ms. Bishop is the concept of books as windows. For a community-wide read, this is a big one that we shouldn't ignore. Books that represent a variety of cultures and people help us understand those who are different than us by opening a window into that experience. If we only see characters and experiences that reflect our own, we're more likely to believe that our own experience is more important or valid than those that are unfamiliar.

It's important that marginalized children aren't the only ones reading and being exposed to diverse books, nor are their lives the only ones that will be enriched by reading them. Reading books that represent different abilities, cultures, beliefs, and skin colors help us change our attitude toward those differences. Offering a diverse title for a community read allows the reader to both step into the shoes of the protagonist and have a buffer from their reality. Seeing bullying or injustice happen in the world of a book can give a child a new perspective on what's happening in their own school or community.

Reading Builds Community Unity and Inclusivity

One of the reasons to have a community-wide or all-school read is to come together and learn from the book and each other; to become a community of engaged, educated, and empathetic members of society.

Ignoring part of the population through reading books about one type of people and culture undermines the program itself. By reading a diverse book for your community or all-school read, it reaffirms the value of everyone in the community and fosters an environment of inclusivity. It gives members of the community the opportunity to learn something new together and unite despite any differences in age, race or ethnicity, ability, or socioeconomic status.

Creates Openings for Discussions About What's Happening in Current Events

Curiosity is one of the most inspiring characteristics of children-they're little sponges for information! Choosing the right community read provides an opportunity for discussing current events that kids may have heard about on the news, in the classroom, or at home.

Reading about an experience in a book readies a child for a larger discussion in a safe space. For instance, reading a book about Malala Yousafzai can spark discussions about the education of girls and women in Pakistan. The empathy and understanding from reading a book can flow over into having a difficult discussion later at home or in the classroom.

Emphasizes Similarities: Kids are Kids No Matter How Different Their Backgrounds

Not every book featuring a diverse character spotlights that diversity as a different experience. Sometimes these books are simply a slice of normal life that demonstrates that when it comes down to it, we're all much more similar than we are different. Books of diversity shouldn't cause discourse among readers, rather, a well-written book reveals that simple truth of the human experience: we're not so different after all.

If you're planning your next community or all-school read, advocate for a book of diverse representation. If you need help deciding on just the right one, take into consideration these questions: Is there a connection to our community (historical, current, geographic)? Is there a need in our community for a specific topic? Is there a topic that is of particular interest to the community or that encourages involvement (such as volunteering, trying new recipes, solving mysteries, etc.)? And if you're still not sure where to start, take a look at some of my favorite books to use for community-wide and all-school reads.
My 10 Top Picks for a Diverse Community Read:
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen by Debbi Michiko Florence

* * * * * *

Danielle Yadao grew up in a multicultural home in Washington state. She's of Filipinx, Yakama Nation, and German heritage and spoiled by the abundance of different foods she grew up eating. She has an M.A. in Children's Literature from Simmons University and currently works at Scholastic in School & Library Marketing. Danielle lives in Brooklyn, NY with her deaf, 15 year-old pup.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Read a Diverse Book for Your Next Community Read

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I know, I know. If you're reading this blog you're probably already invested in diverse books. But even though you're no doubt the most outspoken advocate for diversity in children's books, I bet you might know someone in your school or community who needs a little convincing of the benefits of choosing a book that represents a diverse experience for their next community-wide or all-school read.

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Not all multi-cultural texts are created alike. Now that we know why we should include multicultural literature and texts in our libraries and classrooms, this weblink outlines how to choose texts for your school and your classroom, and what red flags to avoid.

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Let's start with a quick exercise.

Look at the books on your classroom bookshelves. Are the authors mostly White?

Are the characters mostly White?

If you answered "yes" to either question, it's time to diversify your bookshelf. If you answered "no," that's great. Keep diversifying your book selections!

Why Diversify?

Whether you're an educator, librarian, or parent, it's incredibly important that you help expose the children in your life to books with characters of rich, varied identities and experiences. Books can be windows into other worlds and different lives. They can positively challenge children's ideas and help them build a healthy awareness of themselves and the world.

As windows, books expose readers to lives and realities different from their own. When books serve as mirrors, they reflect children's identities or experiences back at them, and by doing so, the books affirm children's identities and experiences and send them the implicit message that they matter.

For example, the middle-grade novel Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim may serve as a mirror for Korean-American girls who-like the novel's main character, Yumi Chung-are navigating their family's Korean culture and the mainstream (White) culture. For readers who are not Korean American, this title can serve as a window because it gives them the chance to experience the world with a character whose life is very different from their own. Through story and imagination, readers learn about Yumi Chung's culture, language, and unique experiences.

Representation Matters

According to research on 2018 publishing statistics conducted by the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC), 50 percent of children's books featured White characters. A mere 10 percent of books portrayed African/African-American characters; seven percent depicted Asian-Pacific Islander/Asian-Pacific American characters; only five percent featured Latino characters; and a scant one percent portrayed American-Indian/First Nations characters. Here's the percentage that may make you really cringe, though: 27 percent of children's books published in 2018 featured animals as the main characters. No, you didn't read that wrong. In fact, the percentage of animals as characters in books was greater than the other groups combined.

This is a serious problem not only for children who are Black, Indigenous, and/or Asian, but also for White children, too. Children who do not see themselves reflected in the books they read or see negative depictions of their social and personal identities, may feel invisible or devalued. At the same time, White children who live in mostly homogeneous communities may not be exposed to the equally valuable cultures and experiences of other children. These White children, then, may have a distorted view of the world around them.

But educators, families, libraries-and yes, even reading program creators-can help fix the problem.
Suggested Reading: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
A Focus on Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Texts

Last winter, the Curriculum Associates' print product team recruited me, a senior editor working in digital instruction, to assist them in finding, choosing, and developing reading passages for our new print reading program, Magnetic Reading. Incorporating Dr. Sharroky Hollie's culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) pedagogical principles and high-quality, engaging CLR texts into Magnetic Reading was a top priority.

CLR texts positively depict cultural identities, such as those based on age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic background, and disability. When writing from their own culture and backgrounds, writers can draw from personal experiences to determine the personalities, interactions, and beliefs that determine a character's decisions and drive the plot. Writing characters from backgrounds that are not the same as the writer's own culture requires research and assistance from those who have lived the experiences depicted in the book.

In addition to prioritizing CLR texts, I sought OwnVoices texts. You might wonder: What's the difference between the two? OwnVoices texts fall under the umbrella of CLR texts. Whereas any writer can craft an informational or literary text that is culturally authentic-even if the culture represented is different from their own-an OwnVoices writer shares their characters' identities. The characters' identities and experiences are authentic because they are an extension of the author's identity and experiences. OwnVoices texts enable readers to learn about and connect to culturally authentic perspectives-perhaps different than their own-while amplifying the voices of individuals from marginalized or underrepresented groups.

So, with the particular focus of OwnVoices texts in mind, I, as well as other editors on my team, set off to search for high-quality, engaging excerpts from published books. I engaged in a reading marathon, combing through curated lists of culturally authentic, award-winning books. Over six months, I read about 50 middle-grade books, most of which had been published in the last few years. Equipped with pads and pads of sticky notes, I identified many possible OwnVoices excerpts to present to the rest of the Magnetic Reading passage team for review.

The Criteria

As I was finalizing my list of excerpts, I used the five Cs below to determine which texts I would ultimately present to my team.

You can also use my criteria to help you select titles for your classroom, school library, or summer reading, and recommend reading lists you give to students and families looking for excellent free-time reading.

Choose engaging texts.

Your selections should include unique perspectives that are relevant and interesting to children. Consider whether an informational topic will pique children's curiosity and push them to learn more about it. As for fiction, ask yourself whether the characters, events, or problems in the books you're evaluating would make children laugh, prompt them to think deeply, or help them see the world-and the people in it-in a new way.

Concentrate on culturally authentic stories.

Expose children to different cultures, experiences, and identities by choosing CLR (especially OwnVoices) texts. Avoid texts that tokenize diverse characters. ("Token" characters lack cultural depth and are merely in the text for diversity points.)

Consult experts.

Reach out to educators, librarians, and thought leaders for their input on which books to share with children. Early in my search, I contacted Aundrea Tabbs-Smith, an educational consultant who helps educators diversify their bookshelves. Aundrea gave me suggestions for high-quality, engaging books by diverse authors and explained why it's important to expose children to joyful stories about their cultural identities.

Celebrate joy.

Speaking of joy . . . children should be able to see themselves positively portrayed in the books they read. This is especially important for Black, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ children, whose identities are often marginalized by others. Joyful books remind children of all identities that their happiness and well-being matter.

Collect a variety of genres and text types.

Children need the opportunity to explore different genres and text types so they can learn and appreciate the characteristics of each as they develop their own preferences.

Reading Recommendations

I can't help myself. I just have to recommend three standout children's book titles that are excerpted in Magnetic Reading. Make sure your school or local library has them on the shelves. Your students will want to read the rest of the books after they read the passages.

by Mae Respicio. Twelve-year-old Kaia loves her easygoing, cheerful great-grandfather, Tatang, who lives with her in California. She relishes the time they spend together, especially their sunset strolls along the beach. But when Tatang tells Kaia and the rest of her family the shocking news that he's decided to return home to the Philippines, Kaia is devastated. What can she do to convince her beloved Tatang to stay?

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds. National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds gifts readers with 10 poignant vignettes of different students as they leave school grounds for the day. Here are a couple of my favorites. In "Five Things Easier to Do Than Simeon's and Kenzi's Secret Handshake," two best friends show how liberating and enriching the joy of true, deep friendship can be. In "Satchmo's Master Plan," a boy with a severe fear of dogs plans an alternative (and potentially lifesaving) route home to stay clear of the new dog on the block.

by Meg Medina. In this Newbury Medal award-winning novel, a lot is happening in Merci's world. Merci has started sixth grade and must perform community service as part of her scholarship for her Palm Beach area private school. As Merci's adjusting to middle school, she's also grappling with worrisome changes she sees in Lolo, her abuelo (grandfather). Juggling the responsibilities of family and school-as well as a new friend-how will Merci ever get through the year?

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Let's start with a quick exercise. Look at the books on your classroom bookshelves. Are the authors mostly White? Are the characters mostly White? If you answered "yes" to either question, it's time to diversify your bookshelf. If you answered "no," that's great. Keep diversifying your book selections!

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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For the teacher who is wanting to incorporate more anti-racist books into their classroom and more anti-racist books into their own reading, this webpage is the place to go. With a wealth of resources compiled in lists of anti-racist books for children, books for teens, articles, films and more this webpage provides resources for teaching students of all ages.

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Silence is complicity.

A blog, no matter what its subject, no matter how large or small its reach, is a platform. You use it to make your thoughts and feelings known. And if the world harbors evil, harbors racism, harbors pain and death and agony to a specific group of people in your society, if you just carry along without acknowledging it in any way, you are a coward. I am a coward. Normally I don't say much when things are bad, but even I have to open my eyes sometimes and say something.

What can a white librarian do to help, even a little, when injustice is so blatant? You can be an ally. You can work to actually actively fight racism when you hear it, see it, and you can acknowledge it. You can listen. Project Ready, a free online professional development curriculum by UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science (and that my library has been using to regularly educate its employees), created this rundown of what allyship entails (click on it to enlarge):

Check out Project Ready's Allies and Antiracism module, if you get a chance. All their modules are good, but that one is just amazing.

My role in my library is to manage our collections. Yesterday, I was asked to create a booklist for my city's patrons of some antiracist titles. I was immediately helped by about eight of my colleagues and, together, we created the following list of links. Please use this where it is most needed. Ebook links are to my own library system's Hoopla, Overdrive, and Kanopy sites, but if your library has any of those platforms then you may be able to check out some of these titles as well.

Thank you.

UPDATED TO ADD:

I was recently alerted to this rally on Thursday. Please try to attend if you can.

Books for Children (Fiction):

Books for Children (Facts):

Resources for White Parents to Raise Anti-Racist Children:

Podcasts:

Articles:

The Conscious Kid: Follow them on Instagram

Books for Teens (Fiction Ebooks):

Books for Teens (Facts - Ebooks)

Books for Teens (Fiction eAudiobooks)

Books for Teens (Facts - eAudiobooks)

Books for Adults (Fiction):

Books for Adult (Facts):

Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equity in Evanston by Mary Barr (ebook)

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon (ebook)

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (ebook, YA ebook, audio, Hoopla audio)

Lies my Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen (ebook, other ebook edition, YA ebook, Hoopla ebook, other Hoopla ebook edition)

Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation, by Derald Wing Sue (ebook)

A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn (ebook, other ebook edition, audio, other audio edition, Hoopla)

Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America, Fifth Edition, by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Hoopla audio)

The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (ebook)

When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson (Hoopla audio)

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: and Other Conversations about Race, by Dr. Beverly Tatum (ebook)

Articles to Read:

Films and Series to Watch on Kanopy

Additionally, Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein compiled the following resources in May 2020. Consider their helpful list of links to follow-up on as well:

Videos to Watch:

Podcasts to Subscribe To:

Organizations to Follow on Social Media:

More Anti-Racism Resources to Check Out:

Filed under: Booklists

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Antiracist Resources and Reads: Lists for All Ages

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Yesterday, I was asked to create a booklist for my city's patrons of some antiracist titles. I was immediately helped by about eight of my colleagues and, together, we created the following list of links. Please use this where it is most needed.

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This tool allows you to assess if a text or video is a strong multicultural resource or not and if it is a good fit for your school/classroom.

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Multicultural Literature That Brings People Together

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Multicultural Literature That Brings People Together

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This article advocates that educators use multicultural literature in classrooms and calls for authors and illustrators to produce stories that portray interaction between characters from multiple ethnic backgrounds. They highlight the benefits of children seeing themselves in literature which can lead to higher self-esteem and cultivates respect and acceptance of all people. The article also provides suggestions and synopsizes of many multi-cultural books that educators can explore and share.

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Using Literacy Approaches to Begin the Conversation on Racial Illiteracy

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Using Literacy Approaches to Begin the Conversation on Racial Illiteracy

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This article provides tips for elementary school teachers to have thoughtful and meaningful conversations about racism and social justice using literacy strategies. The article dives into ways to use literature circles,  dialogue journals, and writing impactful pieces to have conversations with the intention of eliminating racial illiteracy in the classroom. The article also gave lists of beginning and intermedial literature that teachers can incorporate into their classroom libraries and read-alouds.

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Respectful Representation of Disability in Picture Books

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Respectful Representation of Disability in Picture Books

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Often when we talk about multicultural literature differing abilities are left out of the conversation . This article provides insight and support for educators to search and evaluate books that offer respectful representations of disabilities that all students can enjoy. The article also shares a selection of books that the authors felt were inclusive and respectful.

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Complicating Literature Circles:Enacting Literature Discussions in an Early Elementary Classroom with an Anti-Racist Lens

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Complicating Literature Circles:Enacting Literature Discussions in an Early Elementary Classroom with an Anti-Racist Lens

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This article discusses the benefits of literature circles in the classroom but also highlights the importance of providing diverse and anti-racist texts within these circles. It provides lines of questioning for teachers to use in these small groups that lead to critical thinking, stereotype challenging, and investigating how characters differ in wonderful ways.
Additionally, this article provides literature that can give educators a jumping-off point.

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Libros for Language is resource for connecting teachers with books that incorporate languages other than English into their text. It supports the fluid use of language in our classrooms, as well as allow our students to see themselves in texts as they move between different languages.

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Libros for Language - A Digital Library for Translanguaging Books

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A digital library designed to support teachers in finding and using translanguaging books to support fluid language practices in their classrooms. The books featured on this site are examples of authors and illustrators who incorporate LOTE (Languages Other Than English) in their work, just as all multilingual people do in their daily lives.

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This strategy helps students consider if a text is a window or a mirror through practicing literacy skills and using technology. Students will decide if the author, speaker, characters or content in a text reflect students’ lived experiences (mirror) or provide a window into the lived experiences of people whose identities differ.

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When?

During and after reading

Why?

The world looks different depending on who and where you are, and students need practice understanding multiple points of view. The study of texts that reflect their own identities, experiences and motivations (mirrors) and also provide insight into the identities, experiences and motivations of others (windows) can move students toward more nuanced perceptions of the world around them.

How?

Before you begin

1. Read Rudine Sims Bishop's essay "M irrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors."

2. Sign up for a free account on polleverywhere.com. (With the free account, polls process up to 25 responses.)

3. Create a poll asking, "Is this text a window or a mirror for you?" Provide two answer choices: window and mirror. Note: polleverywhere can receive responses via text message or through a tablet or computer.

4. Choose a text to use with your students. Read the text and highlight sections that could be a window or a mirror for your students.

With students

1. Introduce students to the theory of windows and mirrors.

2. Share the text. Read the author and title. If necessary, have students conduct research about the identities of the author(s) and the background of the text. Alternately, provide that information for students.

3. Have students compare the author's identity groups to their own identity groups (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, class, ability, religion). What identities are shared? What identities are not shared?

4. Read the full text. Re-read the text if necessary.

5. Assess students' understanding of the text. Require students to cite textual evidence in order to demonstrate their understanding of the text's central message.

6. Ask students to take out their cellphone or device to participate in the real-time poll.

7. Display polleverywhere question with directions for voting. If possible, project the poll for the whole class to see. If projection is not an option, write the directions on the board.

8. Read one of the preselected excerpts of the text aloud to students.

9. Ask students to consider if the text excerpt offers a window or a mirror for them, make their selection and vote.

10. Announce the poll results to the class. Display them if possible.

11. Use the following questions to discuss poll results.

Why was this a mirror for you? Use text-based evidence to explain.

Why was this a window for you? Use text-based evidence to explain.

12. Conclude by having students discuss how the text-based evidence relates to the text as a whole.

English language learners

Excerpting the text will help English language learners isolate a smaller portion of the text and increase their comprehension. Highlight the excerpted section of the text ahead of time for ELL students. Chunking the text in this way can aid their understanding and increase their participation.

Connection to anti-bias education

Text as Window and Mirror incorporates identity and diversity domains of Learning for Justice's Anti-bias Framework. Seeing their identities mirrored in texts can foster positive social identity development in students by increasing their pride, confidence and healthy self-esteem, and recognizing traits of the dominant culture, their home culture and other cultures (Identity). Viewing a text as a window allows students to explore the lived experiences of others, building empathy and understanding while examining diversity in social, cultural, political and historical contexts (Diversity).

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This task helps students consider if the text is a window or a mirror through practicing literacy skills and using technology.

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Anti-Racist Education: Building Your Inclusive Collection & Curriculum

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Anti-Racist Education: Building Your Inclusive Collection & Curriculum

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This one hour webinar delves deep into anti-racist education and how educators can #DisruptTexts by seeking out newly published works that represent a diverse group of authors and content. When teachers challenge the resources and storyline of white supremacy, they create more inclusive and equitable curriculums.

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Anti-Racist Education: Building Your Inclusive Collection & Curriculum

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This 7 minute video is a great breakdown of what it means to be an anti-racist educator and why it is so critical. Creating a diverse library, a classroom and school environment that reflects our students' culture, and challenging our own comfort levels when it comes to talking to students about race are all things that educators can do to promote an anti-racist classroom.

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“Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Doors” | Akhand Dugar | TEDxMountainViewHighSchool

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“Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Doors” | Akhand Dugar | TEDxMountainViewHighSchool

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In this TedTalk, Akhand Dugar, a high school junior, tells the story of his own experience growing up reading books featuring mostly white characters written by white authors and the impact on his life when he discovered books featuring characters and authors that looked like him. Dugar became the author of a children's book called, "Stories of Maya and Sid, Making a New Friend," featuring a mostly deaf character who has cochlear implants. Dugar's TedTalk shows how transformational it can be to provide children with books and stories that provide mirrors, windows, and sliding doors into diverse cultures and experiences.

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“Mirrors, Windows, & Sliding Doors” | Akhand Dugar | TEDxMountainViewHighSchool

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Can A Children's Book Change the World? | Linda Sue Park | TEDxBeaconStreet

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Can A Children's Book Change the World? | Linda Sue Park | TEDxBeaconStreet

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Children's book author, Linda Sue Park, discusses how reading books about lived experiences of people from other countries and cultures can help children develop empathy and engagement in social action.

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Can A Children's Book Change the World? | Linda Sue Park | TEDxBeaconStreet

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Using interactive read alouds is a great opportunity to incorporate multicultural and anti-racist literature into your classroom. Interactive read alouds provide ELL students with visual supports, explicit vocabulary instruction and modeling of comprehension strategies.

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Interactive Read Alouds are one of my favorite things to do in the classroom, as you may know. 😉 I love doing them with my class, but they can be a pain to prepare for. Read on for 5 easy steps for how to plan an Interactive Read Aloud.

1. Pick a Book

The very first thing you're going to want to do is pick a book. Whether it's a mentor text for your reading or writing lesson, or your students need practice retelling or identifying the story elements, there are so many good books out there. You need to pick one that works with the skills you want to teach.

Some things to keep in mind when you're picking a book are:

The listening level of your students. The book does not have to be at their reading level, but it DOES have to be at their listening level. Some picture books will be too easy for them and some will be too hard.

The vocabulary level of your students. Just as you wouldn't want to read a book way over your students listening level, it's important to keep their vocabulary level in mind. If you have ELL students you will want to pay particular attention to the vocabulary. If they don't understand the words of the book, you cannot expect them to practice focus skills because they will be too busy trying to comprehend.

Is the book good literature? We all know those books that are not very high-quality. We always want to share books that set a great example for literature.

Is the book fun and entertaining? If you are excited to share a book with your students, they will be excited to listen and participate. If you are not, then they will not be either. They react to books how you react to books.

If you're looking for great books, check out this list HERE from the Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project from Columbia University, New York. If you use reading or writing workshop, this is an especially great list.

2. Read the book several times

Once you have picked your book you're going to read that book many times. Get to know and love that book. You will typically do two readings with an IRA so you want to make sure it's a good, quality book and one you don't mind reading over and over again. Believe me, if it's not a book you don't love, you're not going to want to do that IRA with your kids and they will definitely feel the way you do about that book. Like I said earlier, it is so important to express your love for every book you read so your students will feel the same way. Act as if it's a treasure to share this book with them.

3. Determine a couple of focus skills

A focus skill can be whatever you want to work on with your class. There are endless amounts of skills you can focus on with an IRA, it just depends on your class and your students. When you are picking focus skills I would suggest keeping it to 2-3. You do not want to have too many because then the students are not getting explicit instruction and practice.

Here are some focus skill ideas:

Depending on whether your book is fiction or nonfiction will also determine the focus skills. I typically will do an IRA twice with the same book, so if you want to have different focus skills for each time reading that works too.

When I plan an interactive read aloud, the first one will typically focus on predicting, connecting and vocabulary. The second reading I will often have a more common core focus where the students practice describing the story elements and retelling. Those skills are easier to practice after they have heard the story a couple of times.

4. Choose Vocabulary Words

The next step you're going to want to do is determine some key vocabulary words from your book. One of the best things about an IRA is the vocabulary instruction that happens. I would suggest picking 2-4 words that students will need to know in order to understand the book.

Here are some important tips when you plan an interactive read aloud

1. Think about common, important, and functional words

2. Explain the meaning with kid-friendly definitions and pictures.

3. Interact with the words (write/dictate sentences, draw picture, fill in the blank, compare, etc.)

4. Model and use repetition to practice words

If you have a high number of ELL students in your classroom, like I do, I typically pre-teach the vocabulary words before we start reading. That way when we come to them, they will already have an idea of what the words mean and will better be able to understand them and add them to their own vocabulary.

If you do not, then I will teach the words as they come up in the book. That way the students can predict what they think it means and use context clues to determine the meaning. That is a very hard skill, so I like to make sure we practice it as much as we can.

5. Plan Before, During & After Reading Activities

The last thing you're going to plan are the activities you want to do before, during and after reading. When you're picking activities, be strategic about when and where you do them. You don't want to stop too many times but you also want to stop enough so you can work on your focus skills.

Some things you can do BEFORE you read are:

Identify title, author, illustrator, and purpose for reading

Sneak peak at book

Activate background knowledge and schema

Make predictions.

Here are my activities for before I read the first time. I will often do all of these really quickly, as I find them all very important to do before reading this book.

Some activities you can do DURING your reading are:

Discussion and sharing

Make connections

Emphasize vocabulary

Respond to text & make it interactive!

There are many ways you can make it interactive. Here are some of my favorites: turn and talks (T&T), act it out, opinion (thumbs up/down), stop and jot/draw, class discussion.

Here's a sample of my first (1) reading with my thinking out loud and my activity, a turn and talk.

And here's an example from my second (2) reading with my think out loud and activity, an act it out.

And some activities you can do AFTER you read are:

I typically put all of my options for activities after I read on one sticky note. That way I can do one or several depending on how I felt the reading went.

Now, these are not all the things you can do before, during and after a read aloud. I have planned a 3 part series for things you can during IRAs, but these are definitely great places to start.

When you are determining your activities, take sticky notes and write your thoughts on them and the activities you want to do and stick it on the page you're going to do it on. That way, as you're reading, your thoughts and notes are right there and you don't have to remember what you wanted to teach.

Next, if you're doing two readings, do your sticky notes in 2 different colors to keep track of what to do during each reading.

I have created an interactive read aloud planner for you to use to help you prepare. I will use this planner before I do my sticky notes that way I have my thoughts and ideas all in one place before writing out my sticky notes.

Click >>HERE<< or the picture to get this planner to help you plan your next IRA.

Now, if you're really looking for easy IRA planning, I have done it for you for some of my favorite books. Click on the image below to see the resources I have made where I have planned 2 complete interactive read alouds for you.

More about interactive read alouds

Check out these other blog posts all about interactive read alouds

Or check out >>THIS<< blog post!

Please pin and share so others can see these tips.

There it is! How to plan an interactive read aloud. As always, I hope I've made it easy for you to implement interactive read alouds in your classroom. Please comment below or email me at paigebessick@gmail.com if you have anything to share!

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How to Plan an Interactive Read Aloud in 5 Easy Steps - Paige Bessick - The Interactive Teacher

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Interactive Read Alouds are one of my favorite things to do in the classroom, as you may know. 😉 I love doing them with my class, but they can be a pain to prepare for. Read on for 5 easy steps for how to plan an Interactive Read Aloud. 1.

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Creating a diverse multicultural classroom library that represents all students is a strategy to engage students in reading, validate difference, and cultivate empathy and understanding for the world around them. This article provides practical guidance for building a diverse classroom library.

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How you proceed from there-by removing the book from your library altogether or using it as a tool for learning-is up to you and your school or district leaders. In certain cases, you might want to label a book for your students as one that portrays negative stereotypes. Encourage your students (should they choose to read these stories) to talk about how these books stereotypically represent diverse communities and how they could be written in a more inclusive manner that reflects our culture today.

If you haven't read the story yourself or are unsure of how your own experiences may influence your perspective, do research online to find out what reputable sources are saying about the book. For example, the San Francisco Public Library put together a resource of several books containing negative stereotypes that the library continues to circulate for research purposes and because of public demand.

The bottom line: books that aren't telling the stories of marginalized people respectfully can be used to spur conversations about why these texts can be offensive. Note that there are many diverse books published in recent years that represent cultures in positive ways and are worth considering.

2. Include as Many Unique Perspectives as Possible

When you think about diversity for your library selection, be inclusive of many life experiences. While it's important to find stories that feature every race and culture, it can also help to include books featuring children with disabilities or nontraditional family structures, for instance. Students who deal with mental health issues would benefit greatly from reading about kids their age facing similar challenges.

Not sure where to get started? Here's a checklist that covers the many characters and perspectives that should be featured prominently in your library.

3. Consider the Stories That Feature Diverse Characters

While your students can benefit from knowing about the difficult moments behind the history of diverse communities, consider also having them read stories about diverse people in fun, casual settings. Ideally, your diverse classroom library will reflect both of these scenarios.

For example, you might add books to your library featuring Asian characters that focus on difficult and emotional subjects, such as immigration or Japanese internment camps, as well as about Asian children doing fun and exciting things, like battling magical creatures or playing in a band at school. This wide range of subject matters can help reinforce to your students that everyone is equal, and everyone deserves a wonderful life.

4. Ask for Help from Your Class

Another great way to build a diverse and inclusive library designed for your classroom is to include your students and their parents in the process. You might ask everyone in your class-whether through an online poll or by carving out time during the day-to share what kinds of stories they'd love to read. While not every family may be able to contribute, you can give them the option to donate any diverse books they have at home.

For instance, you can ask students to list specific titles or even just give a general description of stories they crave. Not only will your students get the chance to share what they're excited to read about, but they will also feel important and included. It's a win-win situation all around!

Including the parents in the conversation can also offer an inside perspective from someone who knows what would benefit their child. For example, their child may be struggling with anxiety and would benefit from reading stories centered around that topic. With this additional information and input, you'll be able to build an inclusive library filled with diverse stories covering a wide range of people and perspectives.

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6 Tips for Building a Diverse Classroom Library

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How you proceed from there-by removing the book from your library altogether or using it as a tool for learning-is up to you and your school or district leaders. In certain cases, you might want to label a book for your students as one that portrays negative stereotypes.

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This strategy focuses on how as teachers we need to support our MLs through providing them with intentional anti-racist instruction. The author suggests that we focus our reflection on three questions:

1. What have I been doing?

2. Why am I doing that?

3. How do my actions affect others?

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When I started my blog and podcast, I vowed that I would not be political because I do not want to ostracize my readers and listeners. But I've come to realize that because I have your trust, I have to use this platform to do the right thing, which is to be brave and host uncomfortable conversations about education and race relations.

I am sharing highlights from my podcast conversation with Dr. María Cioè-Peña because I need to confront this issue and realize that things I may be doing - even with the best intentions - might drive a wedge between students and the school or students and their families.

I know that you deeply love your students. So, because of that love we all have, I want to share María's framework for being anti-racist. Instead of a list of what to do and actions to avoid, she recommends that we continually reflect on our practice. To help us do that, she offers these three self-reflection questions:

1. What have I been doing?

2. Why am I doing that?

3. How do my actions affect others?

1. What have I been doing?

To model this process for you, I will take a practice that many people are still using in their schools: the English-only policy. When you run this policy through the first question, we see that we have been punishing students for not using English.

Punishment might be in the form of lost participation points, detentions, being sent to an administrator's office, being told to express an idea again in English, being separated from our classmates who speak the same home language, and being sent outside of class.

The purpose of this first question is to have us pause and take stock of our actions. It's simply a call to describe what we are doing and the actions that result.

However, it's the crucial first step because when we do not pause to consider the impact of policy enforcement, we may never realize we may be contributing to potentially oppressive systems. In the example above, we stopped to notice all the other micro-aggressions associated with English-only policies.

2. Why am I doing that?

We now examine our actions through this second question. We ask ourselves: Why are we enforcing an English-only policy? The possible answers might be that

We want to provide students with more opportunities to practice in the target language.

We want English-only students to be included in the conversation among multilinguals.

We want to make sure multilingual students are on task.

This second question identified our intentions and motivations. Only when we can clearly see our motivations can we critically examine them through an inclusive, anti-racist lens because the goal of anti-racism is to actively dismantle systems of oppression .

Plenty of harmful policies in a variety of contexts have had good motivations and well-meaning people behind them. But we cannot dismantle oppressive systems unless we first see the beliefs that fuel those engines and how they might harm others.

Well intentions does not always translate to equitable policies . That's why we need Question #3.

3. How do my actions affect others?

Let's examine how the motivations behind English-only policies may impact language learners.
► More opportunities to practice English
This motivation negatively impacts some language learners, especially beginners, because they will not be able to participate in class even though they are highly literate in their home languages.

The subversive message that this policy sends is that only one language is welcomed in class. If students want to participate, the entry ticket is to abandon their home language for mastery in English. It communicates that English is superior by designating English as the language for school involvement, implying that other languages are inferior and have no place or value in schools.
► Ensuring that English-only students are included in the conversation
The insistence that we include English-only students in every conversation comes at the expense of multilingual students. The impact is that some students may internalize that English-speaking students are more valuable than other students as they must be included even if it means other students (especially vulnerable beginning learners) are silenced.
► Making sure everyone is on task
This motivation explicitly communicates that the monolingual teacher does not trust students enough to speak/stay on topic in their home language. Again, this results in teachers policing students rather than supporting their interaction, and the students that must be policed are the indigenous and minority students. Instead of policing students, create activities that will make them want to engage in the activity so there will be less off-task behaviors.
► Separating students from their home-language groups
When students are separated from their cultural peers (as they often are), they internalize that they cannot be together if they use their home language. If this happens, then through lack of use, the policy will slowly erode their heritage language skills, which have been shown to increase literacy development in both languages and overall academic achievement (Cummins, 2014).

If students who speak the same language other than English are not regularly together, they may also start to lose a safety net - being around people who share similar values and practices - which may make school feel like an unsafe place. Furthermore, conversation is a known language tool to support students to understand content. Speaking in their home language, then, should be an academic strategy to foster comprehension (Zwiers & Crawford, 2011; Honigsfeld, 2019).
► Taking away points
When students lose participation points, they receive lower grades, which might impact them when they are applying to colleges. In addition, artificially lowered grades might cause them to be tracked into less rigorous classes, which further widens the opportunity and achievement gaps.

I did not go into all of the ways that English-only policies harm multilingual learners, but you can see even from this list that there are detrimental things we do to students in the name of a well-intentioned but misinformed policy that is, upon reflection, racist in nature if not intent.

Questioning all our policies and practices

Our education system can be problematic for many reasons, including

punishing and policing instead of providing responsive services

segregating instead of including everyone, and

privileging one culture over others.

Because we are part of this system, we have to intentionally reflect on our practices and policies using this anti-racist framework. If we do not, we may find ourselves supporting an education system that - whether intentionally or not - is devaluing and segregating our students and erasing their cultures.

I hope that, using María's framework, we will continue to question our practices and policies and have uncomfortable, brave conversations with our colleagues. Through our sustained conversations, we can gain allies in the anti-racist movement and better work together to dismantle any parts of a system that oppress others more than serve them.

Cummins, J. (2014, November 14). Reversing Underachievement among Immigration-Background Students: what does the research say? Politeknik. http://politeknik.de/reversing-underachievement-among-immigrant-background-students-what-does-the-research-say-jim-cummins-the-university-of-toronto-2/

Honigsfeld, A. (2019). Growing language & literacy: Strategies for English learners: Grades K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Zwiers, J., & Crawford, M. (2011). Academic Conversations: Classroom Talk that Fosters Critical Thinking and Content Understandings. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

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#119. Anti-racism instruction and MLs - TanKHuynh

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When I started my blog and podcast, I vowed that I would not be political because I do not want to ostracize my readers and listeners. But I've come to realize that because I have your trust, I have to use this platform to do the right thing, which is to be brave and host uncomfortable conversations about education and race relations.