Abstract
This chapter describes how a children's literature educator provided a space for preservice teachers to select, read, and discuss diverse and social justice literature through read-alouds and literature circles. In addition, the preservice teachers questioned and challenged their own assumptions about their world during a semester-long read-aloud partnership with elementary students focusing on diverse or social justice children's literature. The college students involved the children in discussions around the texts and planned response activities for them. The findings suggest that partnerships, emphasizing diverse literature, help preservice teachers practice how to choose diverse books, experience the value of read-alouds, and discover how to encourage discussion around diverse texts.
TopIntroduction
So far reading aloud with our fourth-grade buddies has impacted me the most…I have learned how to choose books, strategies on how to read-aloud, how to teach about social problems, race and disabilities through children’s books; as well as how to lead discussions after reading a book. Through our cultural X-ray and literature circles, I have learned more about myself as a future educator and student. (Preservice teacher)
This opening vignette from a preservice teacher’s midterm self-reflection describes what she gained in a read-aloud partnership with fourth graders in a children’s literature course. To give preservice teachers hands-on experience reading aloud diverse children’s literature with elementary children, a partnership was organized in an undergraduate children’s literature course. This particular year, the preservice teachers worked in small groups with five to eight fourth-grade children to read aloud picturebooks over Zoom once a month over the course of the semester.
The first couple of years that I organized these read-aloud partnerships, I noticed that preservice teachers chose to share their childhood favorites or books that were “cute,” “sweet,” or with “happy endings.” The rationale of one preservice teacher was typical: “I tend to stick with ‘safe’ books, and stay away from books that may be controversial. I like positive, up-lifting, and inspiring books for children. I need to feel more comfortable reading stories that are about real-life issues and not always choose books with happy endings.” Having considered my preservice teachers’ proclivity to choose safe and familiar books to share with youngsters, I realized that I needed to push them out of their comfort zone and familiarize them with more diverse literature. Recognizing that every preservice teacher brings their own literacy discourses and histories, but also aware of the burgeoning social justice movements occurring in the United States as well as the multicultural student population, preservice teachers needed more opportunities to read diverse literature. By providing them opportunities to unpack their previous notions of schooling and children’s literature, I was hopeful that there would be shifts in their knowledge and that their mindsets might evolve and change (Ball, 2000; Mahalingappa, et al., 2018).
All teachers are responsible for teaching in a diverse society, and it is critical that teacher education programs prepare preservice teachers to work with students of diverse cultural backgrounds (Banks, 2016). Furthermore, with the changing student demographics in our K-12 schools and the mismatch between a largely monocultural teaching population and multicultural student population, the need for teachers to have the knowledge and skills to effectively work with racially, ethnically, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse children is imperative (Nieto, 2018). Consequently, five years ago I made a somewhat radical shift in the assignment, requiring the preservice teachers in my children’s literature courses to engage with diverse children’s literature as part of the read-aloud partnership. I encouraged them to take risks and step outside of their comfort zones to find and read books they normally wouldn’t choose, to interrogate the texts and to consider the world beyond their own experiences. This chapter explores the following research question: How did a read-aloud partnership, focused on diverse literature with K-8 learners, impact a largely monocultural group of preservice teachers?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Literature Circles: Small groups of students share their own ideas, opinions and personal experiences in response to literature. Through this dialogue, a new transaction or understanding of the text is created.
Social Justice Children’s Literature: This body of literature values diversity and all people. Everyone deserves fair economic, political, and social rights and opportunities. These books stand up for injustices in our world.
University/School Partnerships: Relationships in which preservice teachers work with children to provide them field experience. Likewise, children gain instruction from these partnerships.
Reading Aloud: When teachers or parents share books with children to foster a love of reading. In addition, reading aloud demonstrates how to read.
Interactive Reading Aloud: This is very similar to reading aloud but with an emphasis on instruction. Teachers model their thinking and share pre-planned questions as they read.
Diverse Literature: Children’s literature that represents underrepresented groups including race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and language.
International Literacy Association: A professional organization connecting research and teaching practice to improve the quality of literacy instruction across the globe.
Multicultural Children’s Literature: Diverse literature that accurately portrays marginalized people. This literature reflects the diverse cultures in our multicultural society.