Diverse literature makes all children feel welcomed, including those with unique life experiences or underrepresented lives.
How can we support and utilize diverse literature in the class, other than just stocking our rooms with the texts?
Use literature to expand literary understanding and encourage critical issues in race, gender, income, disability, and more!!
In "A Ride with Nana and CJ: Engagement, Appreciation, and Social Action", Bishop describes a three-pronged approach to meet these goals.
1.) Engagement through creating a personal understanding and relating to the text
2.) Appreciation of Craft- word choice, imagery, thematic development, setting, and characterization.
3.) Critical Stance- Analyzing the text critically (ex: poverty and hunger in "Last Stop on Market Street")
Teaching Critical Literacy Lesson Framework
Explain- What the critical literacy strategy is and how it works.
Demonstrate- The strategy using a think-aloud, a read-aloud, and a smartboard
Guide- The students to work in small groups or with partners to create responses
Practice- By having students work with partners or independently to apply the critical literacy strategy
Reflect- On how the strategy helps students read from a critical stance.
McLaughlin, M., & DeVoogd, G.L. exemplify multiple strategies and lesson plan examples to use like problem posing, patterned partner reading, and connection stems.
Some other suggestions were:
Theme Switch- tell the story from the opposite theme
Setting Switch- Tell the story with a different setting
Body-Style Switch- changing the characters body style
Clothing Switch- Change the characters clothing
How to use connection stems:
1.) Use connection stems to make a connection while reading.
2.) Complete the stems orally, in writing, or through a sketch.
3.) When students share their connections they should use text supports and personal experiences.
Example Stems:
That reminds me of...
I remember when...
I have a connection...
An experience I have had like that...
I felt like that character when...
If I were that character, I would...
I remember another book about this...
My Examples of connection stems:
Last Stop on Market Street: An experience I have had like that was when I volunteered with my church at a local soup kitchen just like CJ. It was on a different side of town, one that we didn't go to much. I wondered why it looked different from the other parts of town and why the people also looked different. It took someone explaining it to me for me to understand that we all have different definitions of home and we are all different in our own unique ways.
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship: I remember when I was little and saw a person walking with a dog. It wasn't on a leash but was wearing a vest. I went to pet it and my mama pulled my hand back. She explained how that dog was different. It was a working dog not a dog to play with. I was confused but as she continued to explain I understood.
Major Takeaways:
Rescue &Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
Discussion Ideas: Understanding Individuals with Disabilities, Understanding Service Dogs and their important roles, and Developing communities of compassion and inclusion.
Vocabulary
Writing Prompts
Community Engagement: Buddy reading, service dog roles, visit from service dog/police
Service Learning: Getting involved in community or school
Creating a positive school culture: positive posters, school walks and being kind
Conduct additional research
Last Stop on Market Street
Discussion Ideas: Understanding community, ways to volunteer and making connections to rural and urban settings.
Language
Imagery
Service Learning: Volunteering or learning how to get involved
Critical Stance: Understanding the illustrations
Red: A Crayon's Story
Discussion Ideas: Understanding support and various forms, perspectives, feelings, and individual talents.
Themes
Critical Stance: Analyzing the illustrations
Suggested Texts for you to read:
Red: A Crayons Story
Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship
Last Stop on Market Street
Sources:
Cappiello, M. A. (2015, March 9). Last Stop on Market Street. Retrieved from http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2015/03/last-stop-on-market-street/
Hall, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from
KCKPublicLibrary. (2017, January 10). KCKPL's Stories on the Bus: Matt de la Peña reads Last Stop on Market Street. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4irkUDbaIA
Magoon, S. (n.d.). Rescue & Jessica. Retrieved from http://scottmagoon.com/rescue-jessica
Martin, D. J. (2018). Candlewick Press Teacher's Guide: Rescue and Jessica: A life-changing Friendship. Retrieved from www.candlewick.com
McLaughlin, M., & DeVoogd, G.L. (2004). Critical literacy: Enhancing students’ comprehension of text. New York: Scholastic.