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Explanation:

Use storytelling with props, visuals, and actions to captivate young learners. This can involve students participating by acting out scenes or making sound effects.

Engagement:

It encourages imagination and participation, making learning fun and dynamic, which helps young students stay focused.

Resource:

Use storybooks related to different cultures or themes to teach lessons, catering to diverse backgrounds.

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One of the most natural ways to build awareness of race and social justice into your classroom from the beginning of the year is to choose books that kids can see themselves in.

So, when you're choosing books for your classroom, think in terms of not only how these books can help set the tone for the year, but that help children to see themselves as heroes and heroines of their own stories.

When kids see themselves in books, they see characters who look just like them who have overcome challenges, who have faced obstacles, and who have made a difference in the world.

Here are my favorites (so far)! If you know a book that you feel should be added to this list, please comment below and let me know. 😊
Also, please note that because I am an Amazon Associate, I will receive a small fee if you purchase from these links. I truly appreciate your support!
All right, let's dive in to this amazing list - just click the pics to learn more about each book:1.

The Day You Begin

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson is a wonderful book for the beginning of the school year as children enter a new classroom and wonder if they'll fit in, if there's anyone like them in this new place.

It's a book all about feeling different and gathering the courage to connect with others, even when you're afraid and even when you feel or look different from other kids.

2. I Am Enough

I Am Enough by Grace Byers is about owning your gifts and having faith in who you are. It's about respecting yourself and the importance of kindness to others.

Of course, these are all lessons we teach children at the beginning of the school year and throughout the year, but the difference is that this book features a young black girl - again, helping children to see heros and heroines that look like them.

3. Skin Like Mine

"From the Creators of Hair Like Mine, Skin Like Mine, the second book in the Kids Like Mine Series, is a fun, easy-to- read for beginners as well as advanced readers.

An entertaining yet creative way to address and celebrate diversity among young children. Guaranteed to make you smile and a bit hungry."

Source: Amazon

4. Our Class is a Family

"Teachers do so much more than just teach academics. They build a sense of community within their classrooms, creating a home away from home where they make their students feel safe, included, and loved.

With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, "Our Class is a Family" is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it's safe to be themselves, it's okay to make mistakes, and it's important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family." Source: Amazon

5. Henry's Freedom Box

"A stirring, dramatic story of a slave who mails himself to freedom by a Jane Addams Peace Award-winning author and a Coretta Scott King Award-winning artist.

Henry Brown doesn't know how old he is. Nobody keeps records of slaves' birthdays. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market. Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday -- his first day of freedom." Source: Amazon

6. Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

"This beautifully illustrated New York Times bestseller introduces readers of all ages to 40 women who changed the world.

An important book for all ages, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relates true stories of forty trailblazing black women in American history. Illuminating text paired with irresistible illustrations bring to life both iconic and lesser-known female figures of Black history such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, pilot Bessie Coleman, chemist Alice Ball, politician Shirley Chisholm, mathematician Katherine Johnson, poet Maya Angelou, and filmmaker Julie Dash." Source: Amazon

7. The World Needs More Purple People

" Actress, producer, and parent Kristen Bell ( The Good Place, Veronica Mars, Frozen) and creative director and parent Benjamin Hart have a new challenge for you and your kids: become a purple person by embracing what makes YOU special while finding common ground with those around you."

Source: Amazon

8. Masked Ninja: A Children's Book About Kindness and Preventing the Spread of Racism and Viruses

"Through a child's eyes, the world may seem chaotic with coronavirus (COVID19), masks, and social distancing. Masked Ninja explains what's going on in our current pandemic and shows us actionable steps we can take to prevent the spread of viruses and racism.

Find out what happens in this comedic book about pandemics, viruses, and kindness.

Source: Amazon

9. This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World

"Follow the real lives of seven kids from Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda, and Russia for a single day! In Japan Kei plays Freeze Tag, while in Uganda Daphine likes to jump rope. But while the way they play may differ, the shared rhythm of their days-and this one world we all share-unites them.

This genuine exchange provides a window into traditions that may be different from our own as well as a mirror reflecting our common experiences. Inspired by his own travels, Matt Lamothe transports readers across the globe and back with this luminous and thoughtful picture book."
Source: Amazon

10. What If We Were All The Same!

This book "embraces all of our beautiful differences. Aimed to help children understand there are many great reasons for being friends with those who are different than they are. Whether they have red hair or brown hair, green eyes or blue eyes, long legs or short legs, light skin or dark skin, glasses, uses a wheelchair or anything else, it's absolutely OKAY!
Our differences are what makes us unique and if we truly think about it, would you want to be the exact same as someone else?

What If We Were All The Same! is fun-filled with rhymes and colorful illustrations, and brings attention to tough topics children can relate to." Source: Amazon

11. It's OK to be Different

" By highlighting the ways kids are different from one another it helps children to accept themselves and others as the beautifully unique individuals that they are. It's OK to be Different encourages kids to be kind and befriend those who are different from themselves, showing young children that they don't have to look alike or enjoy doing the same activities to be kind to one another.

Readers will come away with the message: "You should always be kind to those who are different from you. Because to them, YOU are different too." Source: Amazon

" Who better than Sesame Street to teach us that we may all look different on the outside-but it's important to remember that deep down, we are all very much alike. We all have the same needs, desires, and feelings.

Elmo and his Sesame Street friends help teach toddlers and the adults in their lives that everyone is the same on the inside, and it's our differences that make this wonderful world, which is home to us all, an interesting-and special-place. This enduring, colorful, and charmingly illustrated book offers an easy, enjoyable way to learn about differences-and what truly matters. It is an engaging read for toddlers and adults alike." Source: Amazon

" Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it- Yoon-Hey." Source: Amazon

"Feeling different, especially as a kid, can be tough. But in the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful.

In Just Ask, United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids (and people of all ages) have. Using her own experience as a child who was diagnosed with diabetes, Justice Sotomayor writes about children with all sorts of challenges--and looks at the special powers those kids have as well. As the kids work together to build a community garden, asking questions of each other along the way, this book encourages readers to do the same: When we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask." Source: Amazon

15. When God Made You

" From early on, children are looking to discover their place in the world and longing to understand how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. The assurance that they are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe is certain to help them spread their wings and fly.

Through playful, charming rhyme and vivid, fantastical illustrations, When God Made You inspires young readers to learn about their own special gifts and how they fit into God's divine plan as they grow, explore, and begin to create for themselves." Source: Amazon

16. One Big Heart: A Celebration of Being More Alike than Different

"From skin, hair, and eyes in a multitude of colors to different personalities and interests, God gave us all special traits and characteristics that make us uniquely ourselves. And we all have things in common too: like sharing fun and laughter on the playground, a sense of curiosity, big feelings, and so many other things that show how we are all more alike than we are different." Source: Amazon

17. All Are Welcome

"Discover a school where-no matter what-young children have a place, have a space, and are loved and appreciated.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students from all backgrounds learn from and celebrate each other's traditions. A school that shows the world as we will make it to be."

Source: Amazon

18. Last Stop on Market Street

" Every Sunday after church, CJ and his grandma ride the bus across town. But today, CJ wonders why they don't own a car like his friend Colby. Why doesn't he have an iPod like the boys on the bus? How come they always have to get off in the dirty part of town? Each question is met with an encouraging answer from grandma, who helps him see the beauty-and fun-in their routine and the world around them.

This energetic ride through a bustling city highlights the wonderful perspective only grandparent and grandchild can share, and comes to life through Matt de la Pena's vibrant text and Christian Robinson's radiant illustrations."

Source: Amazon

" Every day all over the world, children are laughing and crying, playing and learning, eating and sleeping. They may not look the same. They may not speak the same language. Their lives may be quite different. But inside, they are all alike. Stirring words and bold paintings weave their way around our earth, across cultures and generations.

At a time when, unfortunately, the lessons of tolerance still need to be learned, Whoever You Are urges us to accept our differences, to recognize our similarities, and-most importantly-to rejoice in both." Source: Amazon

" George has a house made from a big cardboard box, and he says that no one else at the playground can come in. Not Lindy, because George's house "isn't for girls," nor Freddie, because it "isn't for small people." Sophie can't come in because, George says, "This house isn't for people with glasses." But when George leaves his house for a moment, everyone piles in, and on his return, George gets a taste of his own medicine. Aided by Bob Graham's striking illustrations of an urban playground, Michael Rosen tells the tale of a little boy who makes a big discovery - that letting everyone into his playhouse is a lot more fun than keeping them out." Source: Amazon

21. Your Name is a Song

"Frustrated by a day full of teachers and classmates mispronouncing her beautiful name, a little girl tells her mother she never wants to come back to school. In response, the girl's mother teaches her about the musicality of African, Asian, Black-American, Latinx, and Middle Eastern names on their lyrical walk home through the city. Empowered by this newfound understanding, the young girl is ready to return the next day to share her knowledge with her class. Your Name is a Song is a celebration to remind all of us about the beauty, history, and magic behind names." Source: Amazon

I hope you've enjoyed this incredible list of titles to help highlight and teach diversity in your classroom! If you know of other titles that you feel should be added to this list, be sure to comment below to let me know.

💛 Lori

Dr. Lori Friesen | Beginning Teacher Mentor

Creator of the R.E.A.D.Y. for School Academy, Dr. Lori Friesen has mentored thousands of beginning teachers across the country through her workshops and courses. Host of the popular podcast, and creator of the innovative literacy program for 1st and 2nd grade, Dogs Help Kids Read and Succeed, Dr. Lori is dedicated to serving educators and inspiring learners. Learn more at drlorifriesen.com and at howdogshelpkids.com.

Want to listen to the Beginning Teacher Talk podcast on a different platform? Here are the links:

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21 Children's Books that Teach Diversity

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You're going to love this incredible list of children's books to help you teach diversity and compassion in your elementary school classroom! 21 titles and growing. 😊

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Explanation:

Create different stations in the classroom where students can explore topics hands-on, like science experiments, art projects, or math games.

Engagement:

Movement and variety keep children interested and allow them to choose activities that appeal to their interests.

Tools: Use tools like Pinterest for finding creative center ideas.

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200 Classroom centers ideas | classroom centers, classroom, kindergarten literacy

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From classroom centers to classroom, find what you’re looking for on Pinterest!

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Explanation:

Have students teach parts of a lesson to their classmates in pairs or small groups.

Engagement:

This boosts confidence, reinforces their learning, and helps students learn from each other.

Resource:

Cooperative learning techniques can be found in educational research: Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009).

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Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher, 38, 365-379. - References - Scientific Research Publishing

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Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher, 38, 365-379.

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Explanation:

Allow students to choose projects based on themes that interest them, such as environmental issues or historical figures.

Engagement:

This personalized approach increases student investment and connection to the material.

Technology Integration:

Use Google Slides for presentations.

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Google Slides: Online Slideshow Maker | Google Workspace

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Use Google Slides to create online slideshows. Make beautiful presentations together with secure sharing in real-time and from any device.

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Explanation:

Incorporate game elements into lessons, like points for participation or levels of achievement.

Engagement:

This method transforms learning into a fun competition and motivates students to engage with the content.

Resource:

Tools like Kahoot can make learning enjoyable while tracking progress.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Explanation:

Use open-ended questions to facilitate discussions that encourage critical thinking and allow students to express their opinions.

Engagement:

This approach promotes deeper understanding and connection to the subject while valuing student voices.

Resource:

Educational frameworks on discussion techniques are useful here: Paul, R. W., & Elder, L. (2008).

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Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. (Paul and Elder, 2001). The Paul-Elder framework has three components:

1. The elements of thought (reasoning)

2. The intellectual standards that should be applied to the elements of reasoning

3. The intellectual traits associated with a cultivated critical thinker that result from the consistent and disciplined application of the intellectual standards to the elements of thought

According to Paul and Elder (1997), there are two essential dimensions of thinking that students need to master in order to learn how to upgrade their thinking. They need to be able to identify the "parts" of their thinking, and they need to be able to assess their use of these parts of thinking.

Elements of Thought (reasoning)

The "parts" or elements of thinking are as follows:

1. All reasoning has a purpose

2. All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve some problem

3. All reasoning is based on assumptions

4. All reasoning is done from some point of view

5. All reasoning is based on data, information and evidence

6. All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas

7. All reasoning contains inferences or interpretations by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data

8. All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences

Universal Intellectual Standards

The intellectual standards that are to these elements are used to determine the quality of reasoning. Good critical thinking requires having a command of these standards. According to Paul and Elder (1997 ,2006), the ultimate goal is for the standards of reasoning to become infused in all thinking so as to become the guide to better and better reasoning. The intellectual standards include:

Intellectual Traits

Consistent application of the standards of thinking to the elements of thinking result in the development of intellectual traits of:

Intellectual Humility

Intellectual Courage

Intellectual Empathy

Intellectual Autonomy

Intellectual Integrity

Intellectual Perseverance

Confidence in Reason

Fair-mindedness

Characteristics of a Well-Cultivated Critical Thinker

Habitual utilization of the intellectual traits produce a well-cultivated critical thinker who is able to:

Raise vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely

Gather and assess relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively

Come to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;

Think open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and

Communicate effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems

Paul, R. and Elder, L. (2010). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. Dillon Beach: Foundation for Critical Thinking Press.

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Ideas to Action is the University of Louisville's quality enhancement plan, focused on undergraduate education and created as part of the reaccreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

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Explanation:

Use images, charts, and videos in lessons to support vocabulary and concepts for EL students.

Engagement:

Visual aids help bridge language gaps and make the content accessible, thus enhancing understanding and involvement.

Resource:

For effective use of visuals in teaching, check the work of Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2017).

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Explanation:

Provide options for how students can demonstrate their understanding, such as through videos, presentations, or written reports.

Engagement:

This accommodates different learning needs and allows students to work in ways that suit them best.

Resource:

Research supports differentiated instruction, found in Tomlinson, C. A. (2001).

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In most elementary classrooms, some students struggle with learning, others perform well beyond grade-level expectations, and the rest fit somewhere in between. Within each of these categories of students, individuals also learn in a variety of ways and have different interests. To meet the needs of a diverse student population, many teachers differentiate instruction. This Digest describes differentiated instruction, discusses the reasons for differentiating instruction and what makes the approach successful, and suggests how teachers can start implementing this type of instruction. The Digest notes that teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student readiness, interest, or learning profile: (1) content--what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information; (2) process--activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content; (3) products--culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit; and (4) learning environment--the way the classroom works and feels. The Digest also discusses reasons for differentiating instruction, including the ample evidence that students are more successful in school and find it more satisfying if they are taught in ways that are responsive to their readiness levels. Noting that there is no recipe for differentiation, the Digest suggests broad principles and characteristics that are useful in establishing a defensible differentiated classroom. The Digest concludes with suggestions for teachers as they begin to differentiate, begin to differentiate more proactively, or seek to refine a classroom that can already be called "differentiated." (LPP)

Descriptors: Classroom Environment, Classroom Techniques, Curriculum Development, Diversity (Student), Educational Change, Educational Strategies, Elementary Education, Heterogeneous Grouping, Individual Differences, Individualized Instruction, Student Needs, Teacher Expectations of Students, Teaching Methods

For full text: http://ericece.org.

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ERIC - ED443572 - Differentiation of Instruction in the Elementary Grades. ERIC Digest., 2000-Aug

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In most elementary classrooms, some students struggle with learning, others perform well beyond grade-level expectations, and the rest fit somewhere in between. Within each of these categories of students, individuals also learn in a variety of ways and have different interests. To meet the needs of a diverse student population, many teachers differentiate instruction.

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Explanation:

Use forums or platforms like Padlet for students to discuss topics online

Engagement:

This promotes interaction and gives everyone space to share ideas, especially for those who may be shy in traditional settings.

Resources:

Padlet provides tools for creating interactive boards.

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Explanation:

Utilize online simulations or videos related to the subject matter that allow students to explore concepts more deeply (e.g., science labs or historical reenactments).

Engagement:

Simulations make abstract concepts more concrete and allow hands-on learning digitally.

Resource:

Explore various simulations at PhET Interactive Simulations.

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Over 1.1 billion simulations delivered

160interactive simulations

97language translations

3001teacher-submitted lessons

Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model.

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Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model.

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Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning.

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Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning.

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Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms.

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Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms.