Virtual Teaching 2021

Virtual Teaching 2021

The ubiquitous field of online teaching and learning has been taken by force. It has been introduced from private institutions, businesses, and many more. Now that hybrid teaching or even 100% virtual learning is in place it is most important to keep youth motivated and connected with learning. With the experiences of virtual teaching we have discovered more challenges of screen fatigue, lack of peer interaction, limited face-to-face interaction, and so many social-emotional opportunities.

We are sharing information from our experiences as well as educators on Twitter who have shared successes with online teaching.

Trust

Building trust takes months to build with learners in person. So building trust online with new people that you do not know has even more bigger paradigms. I recommend use the same tools on building trust that you did with your learners pre-COVID: learn about their interests, speak regularly with their family, and share your own personal experiences.

Being vulnerable enough allows learners to see your humanity and expands their own understanding of each person In the virtual environment. The more that you all learn about each other; trust can be given. Another way to increase the power of trust is being willing to be vulnerable and facilitate conversations. Facilitating is where you as the educator “guide” instead of being the convener of the information.

Accountability

Being unable to see your learner’s work or having a lack of high speed internet is a challenge. However, remaining consistent and intentional about what your learners are responsible for and what you are responsible for is huge. I remember when I told my adult learners to turn in their fieldwork in one week, only 2 submitted their work. However, when I said that if you submit your work and we will schedule 1-on-1 each week with submissions, then 80% of the learners submitted their work.  I discovered that providing this measure of accountability motivated each learner than just asking for a submission. Yes, one-on-ones took time, but I had a team who helped facilitate those 15-30 minute sessions.

Attitude

Having a positive or encouraging attitude goes a long way than others. Learners still pick up on this and sometimes can feed into it or remain into it. It is most important to remember that your learner has many more things occurring in their lives which they cannot share. However, having a good attitude shift makes a huge difference for your participants.

Be Prepared

Virtual learning takes a new approach to preparedness. Questions, presentations, management, and many other areas. However, it is utmost to be prepared with any lesson opportunity. Learners are now used to this cadence and preparedness making them realize their time.

Build Connections

Just like any classroom, you have to build connections and common ground with your participants. The use of visuals shows the diversity in our world and builds conversations. Another example, ask a participant to be the “DJ.” Where they play a short playlist during your break or thinking times. When we discover someone’s personal interest, connections can be built. 

 

Facilitate

Facilitation puts learners at the forefront of learning. Instead of delivering the sole instruction, facilitation guides learners to discover learning. In this article, “Mirroring, paraphrasing, and tracking are three tools you can leverage to help you with active listening. Mirroring is when you repeat back the speaker’s words verbatim. It helps the speaker hear what they just said, shows neutrality, and can help establish trust. Remember, with mirroring you’re keeping your tone warm and accepting and you’re using the speaker’s words, not yours.”

Value Pauses

To encourage more discussions, I pose a question and inform them that anyone can speak up. If it becomes uncomfortable, I will say the question in another way and then turn my camera off. Being not visibly there informs the learners their speaking time is encouraged and was effective to push learners to talk without assuming they would receive my opinion.

Discussion

It will be important to think of creative ways to encourage dialogue. Digitizing learning is still human-centered. Think about all of the ways that you engaged your learners before virtual learning. Thumbs-up, music, clapping, movement, and many more. You can still do these methods it will just be individualized. You can read more in this article from Edutopia.

 

When it comes to teaching and learning, nothing more is valued than face-to-face and in-person learning. However, we know that there are magnificent human beings who can still propel their children online.

When it comes to teaching and learning, nothing more is valued than the face-to-face and in person learning. However, we know that there are magnificent human beings who can still propel their children online.

If you would like to discuss more, please contact us on the About page.

 

These teachers summarize what it means to teach. All in all, we thank you educators for amplifying the knowledge and experiences of our youth.

 

 

 

Reading Pictures with Struggling Readers

Reading Pictures with Struggling Readers

Using images to build reading comprehension.

 

Images add more information to the vocabulary word because they refer to what the word actually is.

Teaching your child how to read is a marathon. You might be feeling overwhelmed at times or even at ease. Whatever the case, it is important to keep pushing and believing that your child will attain the skills to be a successful literate individual. Visuals brought an added feature to the conversation and uplifted stories when I was teaching. The use of imagery can be a critical asset when breaking down complex topics.

Ultimatly, we live in a visual world, and integrating visual literacy skills can assist your struggling reader to read. Think about all of the people who use visuals in their lives: Deaf or Hard of Hearing, painters, photographers, software developers, UI/UX professionals, and so many more. Images support these individuals everyday. So when you are transitioning from books with many images to a few, think about how you can continue utilizing images to make your reader blossom.

I am sharing information from this study ,Avgernou & Petterson (2011), Toward a Cohesive Theory of Visual Literacythey describe visually literacy as: Visual Perception, Visual Language, Visual Learning, Visual Thinking, and Visual Communication.

 

Images are produced from the artist’s perception. So a visual reader needs to learn how to describe, explain, and provide evidence for their thinking. The intent on teaching visual literacy is to use vocabulary, awareness about the image, and connections to the world around them.

Planning Theory into Practice

Start by being comfortable and using materials that interest your reader.

For example if your reader enjoys comic books then agree to read 1:1.

  • For every comic book, then the other book has to be an academic text. This way you can see how your child is applying their knowledge from their personal books.

With visual literacy it is key that your reader acquires this skill so that they can interpret visuals on other places. Visuals come from the artist’s perspective, their culture, and even intent. Remember to keep this in mind as well.

1. Visual Perception

Prior experiences and image context support visual perception.

  • Tell me what you think about____?
  • What does the caption on the text say to support this image?
  • What is the image (video or image) telling you?

2. Visual Language

Visual language is about explaining the meaning and having a clear understanding about what they see.

  • Explain what you understand about this image?
  • Detail the lines, colors, or graphics
  • How do the colors affect the images?

3. Visual Learning & Visual Communication connected

Visual Learning is where a reader is motivated to interact with images. They communicate with images.

  • How are the scenes and characters interacting?
  • How is the time period portraying????
  • How do the illustrations relate to the text?
  • What themes are being constructed as you read?
  • Can you show me???

4. Visual Thinking

Linked with visual thinking. Visual thinking includes more image specific vocabulary.

  • Do the images make you change your mind?
  • How are images framed?
  • What are the elements that make this image critical?
  • Vocabulary: foreground, background, contrasts, lighting, borders, size, scale?

You can find more in Reading the Visual: An Introduction to Teaching Multimodal Literacy (Language and Literacy Series) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teen Stories: Booklist Inspired by Jerri Craft’s Graphic Novel “New Kid”

Teen Stories: Booklist Inspired by Jerri Craft’s Graphic Novel “New Kid”

“New Kid” by Jerry Craft is a graphic novel that shares the drama and experiences of Seventh Grader Jordan Banks. Banks lives in a New York neighborhood. He lives amongst Black youth and enjoys his time with them. When it is time to get back to school, his parents surprise him into enrolling into a private school. This school is in a different neighborhood, and Jordan is even escorted by a wealthy classmate in their limo. As a Black teen, Banks had to adjust to the expectations of his school where his school had predominantly white students. 

He experienced bias, discrimination, and prejudice amongst his peers and teachers. Right away, he just did not fit in with students nor classmates. His teacher said that saying the word “Dawg” is not nice and that he is a human being. Whenever he challenged his teacher, she never saw his side. 

What Jordan realized was that this school required him to play in his first organized school sport. This experience gave him a new experience and insight about his school culture. Over time his attitudes remain the same and some change. This graphic novel visually shares the joys and constraints that this teen lives of living in two different worlds. 

1. New Kid, by Jerry Craft

Below are additional books where teens have to manage transitions, friendships, and self-discovery. 

2. blended, by Sharon M. Draper

 

3. Twins, by Varian Johnson
A Graphic Novel

4. The Usual Suspects, by Maurice Broaddus

5. Public School Superhero by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
A Graphic Novel

6. Genesis Begins Again, Alicia D. Williams

7. Ghetto Cowboy, by G_Neri
Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson

8. For Black Girls Like Me, by Mariama J. Lockington

9. Middle School, The WORST Years of My Life,
by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
A Graphic Novel

10. The Long Ride by Marina Budhos

How to Teach A 4th Grader to Read a Picture

How to Teach A 4th Grader to Read a Picture

A lesson on how to read a picture with a 4th grader. 

Reading images might be complicated, but using real world examples and discussions makes it easier to read images. 

A parent, N.J., provided a visual-literacy lesson with her daughter in December 2020. In her original social media post, she wrote:  “My daughter and I are studying Frida Kahlo as a well as imagery and symbolism (mainly using poetry.) One of her activities today will be to visit the Museo Frida Kahlo and survey some of her paintings via Google’s Arts and Culture link. “

 

 

You can find her lesson connected to the common core standard-enhance her daughter’s reading comprehension and visual literacy. This visual Common Core Standard indicates CCSS. ELA-Literacy.CCCRA.R7, “Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.”

Implementing a visual literacy standard indicates that you are viewing lines, colors, objects, patterns, animations, interactions, and more. The viewer is searching for cues to better understand what they are viewing.

Literacy Ideas states, “We can think of visual literacy as involving the similar processes of interpreting images and creating images. In a fast-moving world, with ever-increasing diagnosis of attention deficit disorders, we increasingly rely on images to quickly convey meaning.”

Reading images has a place for reading, comprehending, and understanding. When a young person reads a text with many pictures, you can use that time to-ask questions about the images, relate images to the real world, show examples, and build a conversation about what you see.

 

Below you can view more about N.J’s lesson at home.

Materials

Introduction

We started reading a book about Friday. I asked opened ended type questions “What Do You Think?”

Explore

As we progressed, the book discussed the names of her paintings and the concept of surrealism. As an observation/art activity I printed one of work and asked, “What do you think she was feeling?” or “What makes you think…” “How does the color in the background make you feel that?” (Many of Kahlo’s paintings Hancock vibrant backgrounds.)

On a notecard, I asked her to write what she thinks each object represents. Later we discussed why.

Extension

We transitioned a bit into Shel Silverstein, Maya Angelou and Nikki Grimes. We focused on illustrations and poem titles to predict what the poem was discussing or how the author was trying to communicate the point of you.

I allowed her to visit a museum and eventually select a painting to observe.

 

N.J’s at home activities allowed her daughter to think about the words and images. As you are at home with your children, what is working well in your home?

Black History Facts about Civil Rights Leaders

Black History Facts about Civil Rights Leaders

As we look into celebrating Martin Luther King’s holiday, we should remember the individuals who fought alongside him to bring African Americans justice, equality, jobs, freedom, and so much more. Unknown organizers, freedom riders, activists, and marchers participated. Notably though, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Fannie Lou Hamer, and “Bob” Moses, are a select few of the individuals who were leaders in different ways during the Civil Rights era. The selfless efforts of these leaders and Martin Luther King,  earned African Americans freedom in the 1970s.

Learn more about each individual below.

1. Asa Philip Randolph (1889-1979)

Born in Crescent City, FL. Moved to NYC at 22 years old. 1915 Randolph started a political magazine called The Messenger which challenged labor policies, politics, black leadership, the war, and more. Randolph wanted to shift the narrative for laborers. So in 1925, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, a union for Black railroad car workers, formed. Randolph’s work did not come easy, he was arrested, saw lynchings, and was born 24 years after the Civil War Ended. He influenced President Roosevelt to pass an Executive Order banning discrimination. By 1963, worked with Bayard Rustin to serve as a director for the March on Washington.

A Philip Randolph, Labor Leader Here

Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Rising of the Black Middle Class

2. Bayard Rustin (1910-1987)

Born in West Chester, PA. As a young person wrote poetry, played sports, and even sit-ins. 1936, Rustin joined the Young Communist League, but left early on. Worked closely with A. Philip Randolph to march for jobs and freedom to the U.S. government. Rustin was sadly beaten by Tennessee police for refusing to get off of a bus in 1942. 1947 spent 22 days on CHAIN GANG, and published his experience. He was active to end racial injustice in India, South Africa, and even advised Martin Luther King. Rustin stood for gay rights because he identified as a gay man during his lifetime.

We Are One, The Story of Bayard 

Troublemaker for Justice

 

Leaders Like Us: Bayard Rustiin

3. Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977)

Born in Mississippi. At six years old, Hamer worked in the cotton fields. Early on, her father was a successful land owner but angry white citizens poisoned the animals. 1962, Hamer and 17 others rented a bus to register to vote. Hamer’s group was denied to register and arrested. Hamer worked as a sharecropper as an adult, and because she tried to vote, she was fired. 1963, Hamer and SNCC started voter education training sessions. Group was arrested and Hamer had permanent kidney damage. 1964, Hamer formed Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenging delegation of all-white members. Hamer was a voice for the oppressed, and was unafraid to use it for change.

Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer

 Brave Black First: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World

4. Robert Parris Moses (1935- )

Born in New York City and earned a master’s degree from Harvard in 1957. Was a high school math teacher for a short period of time. 1964, organized the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project recruiting northern college students to increase Black voter registration. Moses worked with Hamer on the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and attended the Democratic National Convention in 1964. Moses believed that local people must develop their own leadership rather than depend on civil rights leaders. Moses is co-author of the book Radical Equations-Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project. Moses started “The Algebra Project to improve the math skills of young people.

Books About Peace

Books About Peace

Our nation is in turmoil and we need to think about the wonderful things that we have. Below is a list of books that builds discussions on acceptance, acts of kindness, gratitude, togetherness, mindfulness, and overcoming challenges for peace. We have listed books for PreK-5th grade readers about Peace. 

Pre-K-2nd Grade

1. Can You Say Peace? By Karen Katz

       

A picture where you can see the lives of children living in India, Africa, America, and other parts of the world. You learn what the word peace sounds in different countries. You can have a rich discussion on what peace sounds like and looks like in different countries.

2. We Share One World, by Jane E. Hoffelt

Beautiful images demonstrating the environment and lifestyles of children living in different parts of the world. Images are illustrated  to find the beauty in everyone’s community. Book is written to demonstrate how we are all connected on the planet.

3. I Am Human, by Susan Verde
A Book of Empathy

A book of affirmations about a little boy. “I find joy in friendships.” “I am a Human.”

4. Peace is an Offering, by Annette LeBox

Sharing experiences on what peace looks like. Peace can be showing gratitude, caring for insects, words one uses, and even caring for others. Many people want peace, but the author and illustrator simplify those experiences showing that peace occurs through someone’s actions and experiences.

5. All Are Welcome Here, by Alexandra Penfold

Children at school are playing during recess, in the cafeteria, in their own classroom and other parts of their school. The pictures support the message detailing “All are welcome here.” Children are from different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and physical appearances. The message is clear that no matter who you are and where you are from, you are welcome.

6. The Seed of Compassion by 14th Dalai Lam

“There are many simple ways to bring more happiness to this world.” The 14th Dalai Lam shares how he was chosen into his role and the teachings that his mother taught him. This story is for children to apply lessons on their own lives. He teaches that you must protect and nurture your seed (mind).

3rd-5th Grade

7. Grandpa Stops A War, by Susan Robeson

Paul Robeson was an actor, athlete, singer, and activist, April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976. He was a man who stood over 6 feet tall. Robeson was unafraid to speak against white supremacy. This story demonstrates Robeson’s ability to use his gifts to change the hearts and minds of people living in turmoil. During the Spanish Civil War, Robeson traveled to Spain and visited men on the battlegrounds. On the mike, he sang and soldiers stopped fighting to hear the sound of Robeson. Robeson lived during complicated times, and believed that artists had the responsibility to speak about injustices. He used his gifts to do that.

8. Hiawatha and the Peacemaker, by Robbie Robertson

A rich narrative about an American Indian named Hiawatha. He sought revenge because  an evil Chief desecrated his home and killed his family. One morning,  a spiritual man traveled across the land carried a message called “The Great Law.” He changed the heart of Hiawatha, and he agreed to journey alongside him. Hiawatha spoke this message for the Peacemaker connecting different Nations so that tribes could form peace. Each time they visited different tribes, others joined. Hiawatha proclaimed, “Together we paddled as [one] nation.” On their visit to the evil warriors tribe, Tadodaho, the Peacemaker sought healing over darkness. So he healed Tadodaho’s body, and Five Nations were formed.

9. A Bowl Full of Peace, by Caren Selson

Story based on a true experience where a Japanese family lived before their city of Nagasaki was bombed. Before the war, food was abundant, and families gathered around Grandmother’s bowl. When war struck, food was scarce but Grandmother’s bowl still offered food to warm the family’s heart. When Nagasaki was struck, millions perished. However members  of Sachiko’s family survived and used Grandmother’s bowl to eat ice chips. Unfortunately due to radiation, Sachiko’s family members died. However, the bowl now was used to remember what happened. Despite the hardship, Grandmother’s bowl is a reminder of the times of prosperity, famine, war, and reconciliation. Sachiko tells her story to restore peace.

10. Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

Wangari is taught to enjoy the delicious fruits in her Kenyan Village. Wangari is a part of the Kikuyu people. During Wangari’s childhood, many girls did not attend school. However, her parents gathered the money to enroll her. When it was time for Wangari to attend secondary school, she had to leave the village and attend school in the city. Her family told her to remember the mugumo tree and to protect it. Wangari loved science and studied photosynthesis. She ended up migrating to the states to further her studies. After graduation, Wangari went back to Kenya to do something for her village. Villagers laughed at her for empowering women to work and educate themselves. However, Wangari did not stop calling her work the “Green Belt Movement.” Wangari’s movement threatened a corporation so she was jailed. Luckily her supporters on the outside fought for her freedom. Wangari eventually became a minister of the environment and continued planting trees.

11. Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time by Tanya Lee Stone

A book about young women across the world. These girls are speaking out, protesting, and fighting for the rights to give other girls an equitable future. The author and photographers documented their stories in person to show how they live. These girls have inspiring stories that are pushing to challenge the tremendous challenges in their communities. If any of these girls solve problems, peace and hope can impact our future.

Oral Reading Fluency

Oral Reading Fluency

Reading can be a joy for some and a chore for others, and that largely depends on a reader’s skill and ability. If you aren’t a strong reader, you might not enjoy reading as much as someone who has strong reading comprehension skills or who read a lot when they were younger. But the only way to build those skills is to practice, which is why building these skills during a child’s formative years (ages 0-8) is imperative for long term reading success. During these years, children undergo rapid cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, making it a prime time to learn the skills necessary to develop lifelong literacy skills. One of these necessary skills is oral reading fluency.

Oral reading fluency consists of three primary components/skills: accuracy, speed, and vocal expression. With those three components in mind, oral reading fluency is the ability to read connected text quickly, accurately, and with emotional expression. In doing so, there is no noticeable cognitive effort that is associated with decoding the words on the page. These skills lay the groundwork for reading comprehension, with readers who master oral reading fluency being much more likely to better comprehend the information offered to them from literature. 

In order to teach these skills, it is important that students understand the reasoning and process behind learning each piece of the pie. A great breakdown of these skills is explained in the blog post, “Teaching Oral Reading Fluency”, from the website “Teaching with a Mountain View”. The post breaks the process of oral reading fluency into five parts: accuracy, expression/prosody, punctuation, pace, and comprehension. 

Below is a breakdown of each skill and what success looks like in developing strong oral reading fluency:

  1. Reading accurately means that young readers are not eliminating or skipping over words when reading text, nor are they adding in words that are not included in the text they are reading. 
  2. Reading with appropriate expression requires students to inflect their voice at appropriate points when reading, without over exaggerating the content.
  3. A key follow up to reading with expression is paying attention to punctuation. Encouraging comprehension of punctuation teaches readers to understand the author’s intended interpretation of text by recognizing what the use of exclamation points, commas, italics, or bolded words mean.
  4. Proper pacing when reading means that students are not reading too fast, to the point where they are not comprehending the words on the page, but are reading at a pace equal to the flow of a natural conversation.
  5. The final building block of oral reading fluency is comprehension. This means that readers understand the text they are reading and are reading to learn, not just to check a task off a list or say they completed it.

In an article posted by The International Literacy Association, experts recommend that rather than encouraging students to read alone, silently, or to themselves, reading out loud or with groups helps to facilitate stronger oral reading fluency abilities. This can be listening to others read aloud, performing readings and books as plays to engage students, and making sure to acknowledge not only a student’s skills that need additional support, but also the skills they have mastered or shown growth in. This is why it is vital to read to children at a young age, by reading aloud and modeling strong reading fluency, children learn what accurate and proper reading looks and sounds like, helping them to do it themselves.       

To support the development of oral reading fluency in young readers, Pennez has developed a web application, Read2Think, which is intended to provide support as young readers work to build these skills. Read2Think is a web application that assesses a child’s oral reading skills. Stories are written for Kindegarten-Sixth Grade Readers. They are written on, above, and below. Read2Think utilizes Natural Language Processing software and is designed to be responsive, listening to the child, and adapting to their reading needs. Read2Think was created not only with the intent of providing evaluation of a child’s reading skills, but also to provide teachers and parents with a resource to better understand where a child is in their literacy education. Reading aloud, either with friends, teachers, family, or with Read2Think, empowers young readers to build their literacy skills to not only be able to understand the text in front of them, but to comprehend the meanings and intent behind those words as well. 

                                                                  

 

Evaluating Literature with BIPOC

Evaluating Literature with BIPOC

When you choose literature featuring Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), it is important to know how “deep” you want to get into the content. Readers can read from identifying elements about the culture to becoming emotionally there with the events taking place. The examples below are explanations on expanding your knowledge of different cultural experiences.

Level 1: Shows customs such as holidays, and cultural elements

Shades of Black, A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra L. Pinkney

A picture book with positive affirmations and images of children. Pinkney says, “I am Black, I am Unique.” Pinkney compares the different shades of each child to vanilla ice cream, golden brown sugar, velvety orange, and much more. This book shows more cultural elements about the uniqueness of Black children.

This is the Rope, by Jacqueline Woodson

A story about a family’s connection on migrating from the South to the North. A rope that had significance to the little girl’s grandmother living in South Carolina, to the rope being used to tie luggage on a car, and then used to hang a sign on a family reunion. This story highlights how something as small as a rope is passed down to different generations as a family “heirloom.”

Level 2: Describes concepts and themes, folktales

Chicken in the Kitchen, by Nnedi Okorafor

Anyaugo woke up one evening to a decadent chicken roaming in the kitchen. She is afraid the chicken will ruin their yam dishes. She found guidance from Wood Wit, a nature spirit. The Wood Wit gave her advice, and Anyaugo calmed the chicken down. When the chicken left, she learned that ancestors returned to dance showing that death was a natural part of life. This chicken was an ancestor coming back for a midnight snack. This story incorporates a folktale about her African village. 

The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth from Puerto Rico, by Nina Jaffe

 

This Taino creation story describes how the island of Puerto Rico came into existence when the Earth was a desert without water.

 Level 3: View different perspectives. Gives historical accounts and authentic culture. 

Island Girl, by Junot Diaz

A little girl must illustrate the land where she was born. She is sad because she moved away as a tiny baby and her friends all knew about their ancestral lands. So she asks her grandmother, her cousin, the baker, the barbershop owner, her mom, and her building superintendent about the island. Lola discovers the world that she left behind was beautiful full of culture, music, and even danger.

Ho’Onani Hula Warrior, by Heather Gale

This book provides Hawaiian vocabulary and context about Hawaiian societal roles. Ho’onani preferred doing things differently. For example she wanted to perform Kane, or traditional Hawaiian chants. Her sister did not approve of her because these chants are traditionally performed by men. Ho’Onani was determined and told herself, “Strong and steady. “One the day of the performance, Ho’Onani was strong and made the crowd applaud and wonder in awe. This story challenges cultural statuses, and celebrates perspectives as well.

Level 4: The reader is empowered to change and own the curriculum. It is from historical and social events from different characters where the reader is empowered to take action. 

The Lost Tribes, by Christine Taylor Butler

Ben Webster lives a boring life in Sunnyslope. California. He craves two things, a spot on the school’s basketball team and an adventure with his globetrotting uncle. But there are two problems. Ben can’t play basketball and his uncle doesn’t seem to like him much. One day both dreams come true. His skills at basketball suddenly improve and he earns a place on the team. The same day his uncle arrives ahead of a storm and makes an offer: solve a puzzle-filled game in seven days and Ben can join his uncle’s last expedition. But the digital game isn’t as easy as it looks. Enlisting the help of his sister and friends, Ben soon suspects the game is more than it seems. Little does he know that the clues point to the true nature of the “family business.” You will learn about each of his friend’s origins: African, Navajo, Guatemalan, and Nepal. Just as the title recommends, you will discover Lost Tribes.

American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang

Written for a teen audience, this book ties three stories: folktale, and two modern tales together. In the folktale a Monkey King desires to master disciplines. Adolescents in the two modern tales struggle with fitting in and dealing with stereotypes. Each story is distinctly different with the plot, setting and characterization. However at the end you realize they all have the same meaning at the end with character development and inner struggle. I would hope this book would empower the reader. In essence we all carry preconceived stereotypes and ideas about different races and cultures. This book addresses how someone deals with Asian stereotypes, and the reader would hopefully relate to them and change.

 

When it comes to choosing literature for children, always consider their educational needs. Currently literature and experiences need to be more inclusive because this world has a set of diverse people who can contribute to the greater good of our society. We hope these evaluation methods can assist you as you determine books that young children to adolescence read.

Making the argument for children’s literature that represents BIPOC

Making the argument for children’s literature that represents BIPOC

Growing up, what was your favorite book? Did you have one? Was it a common classic, like “Goodnight, Moon” or “The Giving Tree”? Or something unique to your upbringing? 

Who was the main character in your favorite book? Did they remind you of yourself? Did they look like you?

For many adults and children, the answer to that last question is probably, “no”. Children’s books historically have featured two types of main characters: animals and white children. And when 40% of the U.S. population identifies as Latino, Black, Asian, or Indigenous, that’s a problem.

According to a study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, in 2013, of the 3,200 children’s books published, only 93 featured characters or storylines relating to the Black diaspora. That’s only 3% of children’s books published in 2013.

So, why is representation of people of color in children’s literature important and necessary? 

In 1988, educator Emily Style introduced the phrase “windows and mirrors” to refer to literacy and books. The phrase refers to the fact that books have the ability to serve as “windows” into a world unknown or unfamiliar to readers, and as “mirrors” for readers to see their own likeness, experiences, and stories told by the author. This phrase expanded in 1990, when author and educator Rudine Sims Bishop added that books serve as “sliding glass doors”, giving readers the ability to see, and access, something they had never experienced before.

But when all the books you read tell stories that focus on anthropomorphic animals, which are animals given human mannerisms or characteristics; or children and characters that don’t reflect your everyday experience, it can be difficult to turn that experience into a “mirror” or a “sliding door”.

Author Walter Dean Myers acknowledged this in his 2014 article, “Where are the people of color in children’s books?” In this article, Myers, author of the award-winning young adult novel “Monster”, reflects on the moment when his love for reading and his own identity as a young Black man collided.

Books did not become my enemies. They were more like friends with whom I no longer felt comfortable. I stopped reading. I stopped going to school. On my 17th birthday, I joined the Army. In retrospect I see that I had lost the potential person I would become — an odd idea that I could not have articulated at the time, but that seems so clear today.” 

In order to ensure that students and children from historically marginalized backgrounds are able to engage, connect, and develop their love for reading and literature, it is imperative that they are given the opportunity to find literature that not only reflects them, but tells their own unique stories and experiences. But that doesn’t necessarily just start with authors.

In 2015, Lee & Low Books, an independent publisher of multicultural literature, published the first major study examining staff diversity in publishing. Results found that across the 40 publishing houses and review journals that participated in the study, 80% of staff self-identified as white. 

NPR focused on the topic of diversity in publishing in their 2016 article, “Diversity In Book Publishing Isn’t Just About Writers — Marketing Matters, Too”, speaking with Kima Jones, owner of the Los Angeles-based publicity company Jack Jones Literary Arts. From Jones perspective, there is a dire need for diversity in publishing, not just authors and writers, in order to provide the systems level support for writers of color.

There needs to be more women of color in publishing, in positions of power, period. As I see other book clubs and speaking series, reading series, organizations pop up that are dedicated to writers of color, queer writers, disabled writers, other marginalized writers, I’m like: yeah, do that! This is what we need.”

In order for authors to tell stories about diverse characters and experiences, they have to not only make it through the publishing house doors, but ensure that the team working with them on publishing, marketing, and distributing their books understand the story being told and the audience being emphasized. If they’re unable to do that, they run the risk of having their book be underpublicized, not reaching the communities they are trying to uplift.

Diversity in children’s literature doesn’t just benefit children of color, but all children, allowing from an early age for conversations to take place relating to race, religion, ability, and other ways that we, as humans, each come from different backgrounds while sharing similarities. Offering stories and characters that represent people of color allows children not from these groups to build empathy for others, while simultaneously encouraging positive recognition of self for children of color. Think about it, if you are making soup, you need a grouping of diverse ingredients: water, broth, vegetables, seasonings, and meat. When these ingredients blend together, you are fed and sustained. Similarly, a range of ingredients and experiences from people of color can enrich the minds of youth and build their understanding to reduce fear and improve care and love for not only their in-group, but those around them. While anthropomorphism (characterizing animals or other non-human entities with human characteristics/abilities) in literature does have its benefits, allowing writers to tell stories about morals, ethics, and serious situations while placing an emotional distance between the reader and the characters, when every children’s book places that distance, it can be difficult for readers to connect with the story on a human level.

As parents, reading to your child is a necessary part of child development and is one of the simplest ways to foster a love of learning and build connection with the little human you’re raising. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind what values you hope to instill in your child as they grow up, and how their exposure to literature that reflects not only the world they experience every day but also the world beyond their lived experience can contribute to their development. Making an effort to seek out children’s books and resources that reflect BIPOC and their perspectives, is one of the simplest ways to build your child’s ability to empathize with others, especially those who may not look like the people they are exposed to everyday. 

 

Children’s Stories about Hanukkah

Children’s Stories about Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a holiday celebrated in December for 8 days. The start date might change which begins each year on the 25th day of the Jewish month. This day is also spelled Chanukah. For centuries, Jewish people have had to fight for their religious freedom. Hanukkah is such a special time because they can reflect and remember the story of the Maccabees. These warriors stood up for their religion. 

Today families all across the world celebrate this holiday with food cooked with oil, light the Menorah, play games, gather, and enjoy the blessings they have. These children’s books below are a window into this celebration.

Light the Menorah!, A Hanukkah Handbook by Jacqueline Jules

A nonfiction picture book explaining what occurs on each night and what happened historically on each night of Hanukkah. This story provides a holistic explanation on why and how Jewish members celebrate during this time. Book also has recipes and crafts to celebrate this holiday. 

Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas by Pamela Ehrenberg

A family celebrates Hanukkah with dosas, mango lassi, and the Menorah. A boy’s younger sister is a climber. While the family prepares for their celebration, his little sister climbs and climbs. To get his sister’s attention, he signs a song, and she climbs down. On the day of Hanukkah, the boy and his family were locked out of their home. He was able to sing a song to his sister and she climbed into the small opened window to let them in, saving Hanukkah. 

A Hanukkah with Mazel, by Joel Edward Stein

Misha is a poor artist. One day a cat was found in his barn. Misha cared for the cat and named her Mazel. Misha did not have enough candles to light up for Hanukkah so he painted the menorah and candle lights each night of Hanukkah. Mazel became his good friend where they ate Latkes and Mazel drank milk. Misha, the artist, enjoys his Hanukkah with his new friend Mazel.

Little Red Ruthie, A Hanukkah Tale, by Gloria Koster

This treasured story of Little Red Riding Hood is written to celebrate Hanukkah. Ruthie had to take a stroll to her grandmother’s house to make Latkes for Hanukkah. On her walk, a wolf threatened to eat her, but she tricked the wolf that he could eat her after she was stuffed 8 days later after her Hanukkah meals. The wolf ended up pretending to be Ruthie’s grandmother, just like the original story. However at the end, Ruthie tricked the wolf and he was too stuffed from her latkes to eat her. 

Meet the Latkes, by Alan Silberberg

Latkes are potatoes that are grated down and fried that families eat during the Hanukkah celebration. A fictitious family of Latkes discuss the origins of Hanukkah. A grandfather tells his family why it is important to decorate the house, why he says Chanukah over Hanukkah, and most importantly why Hanukkah is celebrated. It is celebrated to commemorate the Maccabees who fought for religious freedom from a dubious king. The menorah is burned for 8 days, because the Jews who won against the king witnessed their oil lamp burning for 8 days when they did not have enough oil for 8 days. This was considered a miracle and that is how Hanukkah began. 

All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah, by Emily Jenkins

A story inspired from other books by Sydney Taylor. 

It is 1912 in New York’s Lower East Side. Gertie’s four sisters and mother prepare the meal for Hanukkah. Gertie is four and she wants to help in the kitchen. However, when everyone is stirring, grating, whipping, and mixing, Gertie watches with delight. Gertie tries so hard to help, but Mama takes her out of the kitchen because she knows Gertie cannot help. Even though Gertie is sad, she listens to her sisters preparing. When Papa gets home he surprises her and lets Gertie light the first candle on the menorah. 

The Missing Letters, A Dreidel Story by Renee Londner

Dreidels are a cultural element to the celebration of Hanukkah. Dreidel letters are personified. These letters live in a dreidel makers shop. When they are made they think that Nobody likes them because the dreidel does not stop on them. So the next day the dreidel maker discovers the letters on each dreidel are missing. To comfort his helper, he discusses why the dreidel is so significant during Hanukkah. Once the missing letters discovered their importance, they changed their minds and reappear on the dreidels. 

Hanukkah, by Rachel Grack

A nonfiction text describing how Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. Story explains the significance of lighting the menorah, whey eating foods made with oil is significant, and more. You can get a glimpse into this wonderful celebration.