Important factors in understanding decision-making with inclusive literature include the importance of literature, nature of inclusive literature, aspects of effective teaching, and the impact of values, cognition and behavior. These factors all impact decision-making and the use of inclusive literature in the classroom.
Importance of Literature
To fully understand decision making with literature background on the value and importance of literature read with children is necessary.Literature read with and to children has long been recognized as having beneficial effects on academic learning and literacy. Reading together is an essential practice within the literacy curriculum of elementary schools and is known to have beneficial academic effects. Many values of reading with children including enjoyment, reading for a purpose, developing a sense of story, increasing vocabulary, expanding linguistic repertoire, and creating a community of readers connected through shared knowledge (Fountas &Pinnell, 2016). In his classic Reading Handbook, Jim Trelease explains how reading together awakens imagination, improves language skill, functions as the heart of education, and serves as the single most important social factor in American life (Trelease, 2017).
Although the power of reading to and with children as a tool for gaining and improving literacy skills is well documented, it may also hold potential power as a tool for developing an inclusive environment. Authors and teachers comment on the effect of various books upon their lives. Anna Quindlen writes that through books she:
traveled not only to other worlds, but unto my own... learned who I was... wanted to be... might aspire to, ...might dare to dream about my world and myself...learned the difference between good and evil, right and wrong. (Quindlen, 1998, p. 6)
Reading stories is a way of introducing students to life, the mind, the value of personal experience and stories, and the ability to courageously question themselves and life (Kohl, 1995). Literature can be a mirror and window for the reader, reflecting to children a view of themselves, and showing what other people are like and seeing themselves as part of humanity (Bishop, 1990).
It is essential to address the issue of labeling race and ethnicity with students at grade school as these labels have the potential of either empowering or demoralizing a person in terms of self-identity, power, and worth. More importantly, allowing others to label your own identity takes away your power to determine your own destiny as a human being. It is interesting how this script begins to shape your sense of belonging (Thorsos, 2016, pg. 95).
The power of literature affects children’s lives, a form of education and socialization with society’s “...deepest hopes, fear, expectations, and demands” (Apol, 1998). This power brings responsibility and necessitates “a close examination of the content, assumptions and ideologies, both overt and covert, of children’s literature is imperative” (Boutte, 2002). Without conscious effort, educators may inadvertently contribute to the legitimization and reproduction of stereotypes and biases. It is important that all children in our classrooms see people who look like them and people who do not look like them (Mitchell, 2003). A major limitation in children’s books is the negative or absent representation of females, people of color, people with disabilities, etc. (Boutte, 2002; Diamond, 2001).