An Examination of the Representation of Gender and Race of Characters in First-Grade Core Reading Curricula

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Understanding Intruction, Motivation, and Learning in Literacy

Abstract

Literature provides students not only the opportunity to learn to read, but also to learn the about themselves, their culture, and societal values. However, most children’s literature does not represent diverse people or experiences (Bishop, 1990). Using a social constructionist and critical multicultural perspective, we examined the representation of gender and race among characters in three first grade core reading curricula. Our preliminary results revealed that while there is some racial diversity in these stories, the majority of stories favored White characters in both main and secondary roles. We also found that males were featured more often than female characters, especially as the main character. We further examine the impact this lack of diversity in literature can have for students.

Authors

• Robert H Kelly, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Ryan Iaconelli, The Ohio State University