A Content Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Representation in Scholastic’s Weekly Reader and Book Clubs

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Family, School, Community Partnership Initiatives to Promote Literacy (Table 17)

Abstract

This paper presents findings of two studies which examined two of Scholastic Publishing Company’s most widely circulated resources for school and home: the longstanding book club flyers and weekly print magazines, Scholastic News and Let’s Find Out Weekly Reader. Using critical content analysis research methodology, the authors analyzed the race and ethnicity of characters in a 12-month span of K-2 book flyers and a four year compilation of K-2 magazines. Findings indicate that print media circulated from classrooms to the home can distort an accurate representation of race and ethnicity, and that teacher decision making about text selection and supplementation is critical for disrupting gaps and overrepresentation. Implications for teacher education and school to family print media are discussed.

Authors

• Lisa Buchanan, Elon University

• Kathy Renita Fox, University of North Carolina - Wilmington

• Molly Finn, University of North Carolina - Wilmington

• Ellie Cotton, Elon University