TRRC Presentation - Multicultural Childrens Literature - Presentation Transcript

1. 2. Multicultural Childrens Literature Caitlin Ryan East Carolina University Tar River Reading Council April 14, 2011 Starting Off with a Game o Quickly, put the following terms into ONE of the boxes: o grandmother witch stepmother wolf o princess prince teenager frog o Goldilocks child troll GOOD BAD Do These Messages Matter? YES. A LOT. Consider this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyI77Yh1Gg This experiment and others like it have been repeated many times with similar results So what messages HAVE we been sending? What could we be teaching instead? 4. The Roles of Multicultural Lit. o WINDOWS o MIRRORS 3.

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What are some things youve learned about other people through books? What parts of your own identity were/werent reflected back to you in books? 5. Definitions of Multicultural Lit. Texts that reflect the racial, ethnic, and social diversity that is characteristic of our pluralistic society and of the world. o - Rudine Sims Bishop (1997)

Some Examples Racial: African American Asian American Native American Hispanic/Latino/a Americans Ethnic: International communities Cultural minorities Social Diversity: Different abilities LGBT communities Elderly/Aged Religious communities Class/Poverty Immigration 6. Advantages of Multicultural Lit. Reading multicultural realistic fiction can increase student engagement in literacy activities (Tyson, 1999) Multicultural literature is a catalyst for improved reading achievement among students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (Callins, 2006) o Children's books have the potential to support diversity in the curriculum and raise consciousness on cultural issues that have been historically ignored o Excellent opportunity to integrate social studies and language arts o Multicultural literature can help create classrooms where all students are valued 7. Choosing Quality Multicultural Lit. o Use already-existing resources! Award sites Coretta Scott King, Belpr, Rivera, etc. Joyner library TRC bibliography lists Links provided in this presentation Blogs of award-winning authors Cynthia Leitich Smith, Debbie Reese, Jacqueline Woodson, and others 8. Choosing Quality Multicultural Lit. o Accuracy Are the portrayals accurate? Are they up-to-date? Are you sure? o Portrayal of Characters Unique, not stereotypes? Enriched and guided by their cultural backgrounds? o Language Free of demeaning, offensive words and images? Character language fit the place, social situation? 9. Choosing Multicultural Lit.

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Perspective Is cultural diversity an asset? Are characters viewed as part of larger culture or as outsiders? Is it clear you dont have to give up nonmainstream culture to be successful? o Illustrations Are images culturally accurate? Are there a variety of physical features? Are cultural aspects specific, not just generic? o Overall Effect Does the book contribute to self-esteem of members of the culture portrayed? Can others learn from it? Does it allow multiple perspectives and avoid preaching? 10. Key Considerations: Native American Literature o Should reflect well-defined individual native nations, not generic Indians o Reflect today's Native American cultures, not just historical portrayals o Talk about the ways in which Native American cultures have influenced world culture o Avoid most books where all Indians are noble and all white people are bad o Joseph Bruchac, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Louise Erdrich, Michael Lacapa 11. Key Considerations: African American Literature o Include the diversity of the African-American experience, across class, geography, dialect, color, etc. o Dont ignore slavery or Jim Crow era, but include other portrayals too o Reject books with outdated images, offensive expressions, negative attitudes, or stereotypes o Eloise Greenfield, Floyd Cooper, Faith Ringgold, Jacqueline Woodson, Jerry/Gloria/Brian/Andrea Pinkney 12. Key Considerations: Asian American Literature o Represent the range of Asian American cultures and histories Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Hmong, etc. o Portray specific cultural elements o Incorporate historical events that students might not often learn about Japanese internment, Chinese Exclusion Act o Yumi Heo, Cynthia Kadohata, Allen Say, An Na, Linda Sue Park, Janet Wong, Lisa Yee, Laurence Yep, and Yoshiko Uchida 13. Key Considerations: Mexican American Literature o Look for good storytelling that avoids a patronizing "poor them, they're working too hard" tone o Select books that show Hispanic women in contemporary roles o Biographies demonstrate Latinos' contributions to the US and world o Accurate use of Spanish words and phrases provide realism and show respect for the culture o Carmen Lomas Garza, Alma Flor Ada, Gloria Anzalda, Francisco Jimnez 14. Teaching Multicultural Lit. o Present books throughout the year, not just at specific times o Use multiple genres of books Realistic Fiction, Folk / Fairy Tales, Historical Fiction, Biography, Nonfiction o Group them - with other books on the topic/genre and with other kinds of books o Ask a native speaker (student?) to help you pronounce words in other languages 15. Teaching Multicultural Lit. o Allow students to respond to and extend stories in multiple ways o Use critical literacy; address power o Arts-Based Response Transmediation moving from one mode or language art to another Multiple knowledge sources Makes interpretations visible Students work together to construct meaning 16. Experimenting with (Arts-Based) Response to Multicultural Lit. o Lets try some! o 91 Ways to Respond to Books website o Different stations to choose from Mapping Bigmamas Farm Living Pictures and Frozen Tableau with Toni Morrisons Remember Tableau: a strategy in which students create a scene and freeze the action, then discuss what is happening and their reactions to it. Using physical poses, gestures, and facial expressions, students convey the characters, action, and significance of a historic moment. 17. Wrapping Up o Multicultural literature can be used to help children identify with their own culture, exposes children to other cultures, and opens the dialogue on issues regarding diversity (Colby & Lyon, 2004)

offers children opportunities to celebrate who they are while learning about others Teachers will want to remember the roles of windows AND mirrors use already-available resources to select appropriate texts never rely on just one book continually reflect on messages they communicate through their curriculum 18. Additional Web Resources o http://www.learner.org/workshops/tml/index.html o http://staff.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/multicultural.htm o http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/multicultural.asp o http://www.adl.org/bibliography/ o http://www.ceutonline.com/diversity/ o http://www.tolerance.org/activities o http://www.oyate.org/ o http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/books/ o http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/ o http://www.slideshare.net/hildebka/notable-books-for-a-global-society-2011 o http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/presrvce/pe3lk28.htm o http://www.pampetty.com/appalachia.htm o http://frankrogers.home.mindspring.com/multi.html o Questions? Comments? Discussion? o Thank You! o [email_address]