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"Culturally relevant texts help students understand who they are and where they come from because they connect to students’ lives, not just to their cultural heritage. Listening to stories read aloud in a native or second language develops vocabulary, story structure, and listening comprehension."

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Krisztina Markus
The teachers need to keep in mind who their students are: their cultural background, are they immigrants or first-generation Americans. Teachers need to choose books that children can relate to culturally because they will have the background knowledge to make inferences. It will also help them to define who they are. Reading historical texts about that culture will help understand the cause and effect of certain events; it will deepen their cultural identity and connection with their family, which is crucial for our emotional well-being.

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Using culturally relevant texts and materials promotes engagement from different cultures. This can greatly add to the classroom culture!

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I love the idea of creating opportunities for students to be inspired by a Culturally Relevant story, then engage in activities that tell their own story.  This helps students understand the "WHY" behind their learning and develop self-empowerment and identity.  It helps teachers understand students more deeply and contribute to their success as learners.  I also love the idea of having guest speakers and readers contribute to storytelling. (Robyn Ulibarri)

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I love the idea of creating opportunities for students to be inspired by a Culturally Relevant story, then engage in activities that tell their own story.  This helps students understand the "WHY" behind their learning and develop self-empowerment and identity.  It helps teachers understand students more deeply and contribute to their success as learners.  I also love the idea of having guest speakers and readers contribute to storytelling. (Robyn Ulibarri)

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A study of Latino students identified 3 stages of cultural and linguistic identification. Stages are 1) listening to oral story telling, 2) creating individual historical narratives, and 3) using biographies to develop broader historical understanding.

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Using culturally relevant text allows for students to make more of a connection to what they are reading. It helps them understand more about who they are and their culture. It also allows teachers to learn more about their students.

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Culturally relevant texts help students understand who they are, where they come from, and also gain a better understanding on their peer's culture. These texts can also help a child's reading improve. Relevance to one's life can lead to greater comprehension.

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Reading and discussing something that student have prior knowledge about not only helps them to engage but to draw deeper connections and understanding. Choose texts that make mention of events and information from a child's experience and draws on their background and culture.

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Literacy through culturally relevant texts. Veronica Paredes

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Literacy through culturally relevant texts. Veronica Paredes

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Understanding the background of the students is helpful for teachers looking for adequate literacy. When you know their background make sure you find literacy that make them proud of what they are and where they or their family come from. Students can help to their teachers how they rate the texts or books, if students find something interesting.

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Many books written about cultural groups perpetuate sterotypes and it is important to read and review material, even if it has been historically used. Make sure to review not only text but illistrations in the book as well.

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Using culturally relevant texts provide the link of prior experience to learning comprehension. It engages the students on a personal level and helps them understand who they are and where they come from.

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When a child can recognize their own identity through the implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy, they can make inferences and bridge potential gaps in their understanding.

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The links that students made between the texts and their own background made opportunities for them to make inferences and for asking questions, as a study revealed.

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Using culturally relevant texts in which students are able to see themselves represented may be the key to true literacy. If a text cannot be embodied, how understood is it, truly?

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Culturally responsive instruction draws on a student's cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance style to provide more effective learning.

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" Effective social studies teachers include children’s voices in the curriculum and enhance classroom community and cultural identity by asking students to tell and write their own historical narratives, by seeking out students’ families as resources for knowledge, and by asking students to learn from important historical figures in their culture’s history."

I like this quote because it speaks to honoring the students' cultures and recognizing that families are partners an contributors to the learning. By including families and stories, it increases a teachers access to "funds of knowledge," which in turn personalizes learning and leads to better outcomes for kids. --- Ligia Chis

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Culturally relevant texts help students understand who they are and where they came from.
Culturally relevant texts have the ability to bridge any gaps that are made between the school and the world of any individual student.

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It is very important to create a sense of belonging in the classroom, including texts that allow all students to identify with either the situations described or a feature of the character will create and promote diversity. This will also allow students to learn and enrich their own culture.(Ivonne Almazan)

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It can help students develop a sense of belonging and identity when the students are able to connect home life to what they are learning at school.

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Culturally relevant text can help shape a young person's identity and sense of belonging, especially those who are bilingual and multi-racial.

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Books that reinforce stereotypes are prevalent in many children's books and it's crucial to be aware of them as well as to be selective in the books choosen for the classroom. Books that are culturally relevant to students as well as books that are relatable to student experience help student engagement and promote literacy/ comprehension skills as books that are interesting/ relevant to students will encourage them to read more on their own.

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Teachers can create experiences that provide for the study of culture, individual time development, and time, continuity, and change as students engage in the literacy process. One way to determine whether a book is culturally relevant is to have students assess it using a Cultural Relevance Rubric. The students will rate each book on several criteria including the setting, socio-cultural factors, and the language characters use. I love this idea!

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Culturally relevant texts help students understand who they are and where they come from because they connect to students’ lives, not just to their cultural heritage.

Using culturally relevant texts can provide a link between prior knowledge and reading comprehension

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Background knowledge is so important in reading comprehension.  Culturally relevant texts help students be better able to draw from their personal experiences when trying to comprehend a story.