Examining the Selection and Utilization of Diverse Children's Literature in Classroom Instruction: A Longitudinal Study

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: Theories and Methods of Analytic Engagement With Children's and Young Adult Literature (Table 7)

Abstract

This roundtable will describe four phases of a study as an examination of the critical importance of the selection and use of diverse children’s literature. The four phases included 1) development and field-testing of a rubric focused on examining diversity in children’s literature, 2) utilization of that rubric with preservice teachers, 3) analysis of diverse children’s literature used in elementary classrooms, and 4) examining current shifts in diversity in children’s literature. Findings demonstrate first, that the rubric is a tool that invites discussion about what makes a book diverse. Second, the rubric can be a mental model to use in selecting and evaluating literature for classroom instruction. Third, there is a need for teachers to utilize more diverse literature.

Authors

• Jackie M Arnold, University of Dayton
  Presenting Author

• Mary-Kate Sableski, University of Dayton
  Presenting Author