Books as Partners: Diverse Literature in the Early Childhood Classroom

by Lesley Colabucci, Mary Napoli associate professor of education and reading, Penn State Harrisburg

Overview

How can diverse literature be woven throughout the early childhood curriculum? What kind of learning opportunities do high quality diverse books offer young children? Diverse books in the early childhood classroom can facilitate dialogue and understanding about differences, diversity, and respect. Books as Partners incorporates research from literacy, early childhood education, and multicultural education to support educators in their daily work with K-3 students. This professional resource provides research-based evidence for incorporating diverse literature in the early childhood classroom and features annotated bibliographies with a critical analysis based on knowledge of child development and best practices in literacy education.With the increased instructional demands within the early childhood setting, teachers can incorporate diverse text sets to meet national standards, ensure that selections are authentic and developmentally appropriate, and provide engaging literature responses across the curriculum. Teachers will be able to transform their classroom practices based on suggestions from the supporting research, classroom vignettes, multimodal text sets, and author/illustrator spotlights embedded throughout the book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475847352
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/30/2020
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.35(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.64(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 17 Years

About the Author

Lesley Colabucci is an associate professor of early, middle, and exceptional education at Millersville University of Pennsylvania where she teaches courses in children’s literature at the graduate and undergraduate level.

Mary Napoli is an associate professor of reading at Penn State Harrisburg where she teaches literacy education and children’s literature courses at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Partnering with the Self: Affirming and Understanding Identity 1

2 Partnering at Home: Knowing Your Family 19

3 Partnering at School: Being Friends 43

4 Partnering Within the Community: Nurturing a Sense of Belonging 59

5 Partnering Globally: Understanding the World 79

Appendix: Resources to Locate Diverse Selections 99

Index 101

About the Authors 107

Editorial Reviews

This captivating text advocates for young readers’ exposure to diverse books through thematic studies of topics that can pique their interests and evoke critical conversations. Young readers find pleasure in the everyday things around them. Sharing culturally diverse texts help them see themselves and the experiences of others through different lenses. Readers will enjoy perusing and sharing the text sets and vast array of diverse contemporary children’s books available. A must have for early childhood classrooms and school libraries.

Ruth McKoy Lowery

Every now and then a teacher comes across a resource that takes up permanent residence on the book shelf and becomes a guidepost and roadmap for instructional design. For any educator who values the use of children’s literature as a teaching tool for social issues, this book is that resource. Focusing on themes of identity affirmation, notions of family, developing and maintaining friendships, nurturing a sense of belonging, and understanding the world on a global level, Colabucci and Napoli introduce readers to hundreds of titles along with ideas for implementing them in early childhood instruction. Each chapter includes focus questions to set the stage, as well as an interview with a known children’s book author on the theme under examination. Recommended texts are up-to-date, readily available, and have strong literary quality. Also included are extension activities and resources such as websites, podcasts, and software applications. Most importantly, this book offers educators the opportunity to learn about having clear and open conversations with children on the social issues that affect their lives through the lens of engaging and relatable stories. Highly recommended.

Choice Reviews

Every now and then a teacher comes across a resource that takes up permanent residence on the book shelf and becomes a guidepost and roadmap for instructional design. For any educator who values the use of children’s literature as a teaching tool for social issues, this book is that resource. Focusing on themes of identity affirmation, notions of family, developing and maintaining friendships, nurturing a sense of belonging, and understanding the world on a global level, Colabucci and Napoli introduce readers to hundreds of titles along with ideas for implementing them in early childhood instruction. Each chapter includes focus questions to set the stage, as well as an interview with a known children’s book author on the theme under examination. Recommended texts are up-to-date, readily available, and have strong literary quality. Also included are extension activities and resources such as websites, podcasts, and software applications. Most importantly, this book offers educators the opportunity to learn about having clear and open conversations with children on the social issues that affect their lives through the lens of engaging and relatable stories. Highly recommended.

Choice

Lesley Colabucci and Mary Napoli’sBooks as Partners: Diverse Literature for the Early Childhood Classroom builds upon their impressive individual and joint scholarship on the place and value of children’s books in pedagogical contexts. This volume provides much-needed guidance for educators seeking to select high-quality, authentic, and accurate diverse youth literature for use in classrooms and libraries. Centering on themes such as families, friendship, and understanding the world, individual chapters provide overviews, criteria for evaluation, classroom vignettes, and lists of recommended books. Books as Partners is a valuable resource for educators, administrators, and all who care about identifying and choosing exemplary diverse literature for young readers.

Thomas Crisp