Using Disability Studies to Critically Close Reading Children's Literature

• In Event: Reenvisioning Early Childhood Education at the Intersections of Disability

Abstract

This paper investigates how K-5 classroom teachers describe their beliefs, concerns, and planning process for enacting read alouds featuring characters with disabilities. We explored educators' close reading of picture books to elicit the unpacking of beliefs about individuals with disabilities conveyed by literature. We sought to understand their thinking about how to enact these read alouds. Drawing on friendship as method and a DSE theoretical framework to analyze interviews and a focus group, we found that educators benefit from tools, conversations with peers, and practice when reading children's disability representations critically and the emotions of discussing disability identities as barriers to doing the work with students.

Authors

• Laurie M. Rabinowitz, Bank Street College of Education

• Amy Tondreau, Austin Peay State University