Curating for Change: A Four-Year Study of Early Childhood Educators’ Picturebook Selection Practices

• In Event: Selecting and Teaching with Diverse Books in Challenging Times: Learning from Research with Pre-Service Teachers, Teachers, and Teacher Educators

Abstract

This longitudinal case study explores how 24 early childhood educators (ECE) from 12 schools developed as picturebooks curators over four years of sustained professional development. Grounded in Critical Literature Response Framework and Dialogic Pedagogy, this study employed narrative inquiry and thematic analysis to examine the picturebooks selected by ECE, as well as their discussions and interviews. Findings highlight three key developments: (1) educators broadened and deepened their picturebook selections, shifting from a focus on foundational literacy toward more inclusive and interest-driven themes; (2) ECEs moved from isolated decision-making to collaborative, reflective curation; and (3) interthinking among colleagues transformed how ECEs used picturebooks in classrooms, fostering practices that promote empathy and inclusion.

Authors

• Mengying Xue, University of Missouri

• Maile Newberry-Wortham, University of Missouri

• Angie Zapata, University of Missouri

• Candace R. Kuby, University of Missouri

• Kassidy Beach, University of Missouri