Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. Some people, especially the younger crowd, may find this hobby nerdy, geeky, plain, boring, etc... the list could go on. But I love to read. My all time favorite author Jane Austen.... I have 5 copies of Pride and Prejudice... it's like an obsession with me when it comes to P & P. I can't help myself... I've been able to tone it down for the past couple of years, but I still get that rush whenever I past by the English literature section at my local bookstore.
When I start teaching, reading will be one of my "fun" staples in class. Yes, it is an essential core subject that will be focus in class, like it is in all classrooms around the world, but I am going to make reading, as a group and individually, fun, excited and something that my students will look forward to everyday and everynight at home. One of my goals when I start teaching, will be teaching from a multicultural perspective. I believe that we can provide a strong education with touches on multiculturalism on all subjects, like English, social studies, science, math, etc. I think children should be expose to as much diversity as possible because they surround by so much diversity as it is. We live in a society that is not only a melting pot but also a salad bowl, at the same time. We're building and practicing many traditions today and it would be quite sad if we choose to ignore how diverse of a society we are. By reading and learning about different cultures, we are also learning about each other in the process. Everyone has a different and it is important to respect and appreciate that.
So how to do you start? How do you choose? Here are some books to choose from.
Navajo Sheepherder by Katie Henio
You'll follow Katie, a grandmother, as she moves between her traditional Navajo world and the modern world of her great-grandchildren.
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes
This book is full of poems by Danitra and her best friend, Zuri and you'll follow these city girls as they jump rope and swap dreams.
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
Mexican-American Maria tries her mother's wedding ring on while she is making tamales for Christmas dinner. When the ring is missing, Maria is sure it is in one of the tamamles and she and her cousins try to eat their way out of trouble.
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia PolaccoThis story chronicles the friendship between a lonely Jewish widow and a young African-American boy. It's a heartwarming story that the students will love!
Do you have a books that you love to read? Would you share them in your classrooms?
Meet Danitra Brown by Nikki Grimes
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto 
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Mary, I am so happy that you posted about books. I love them also, especially with these multicultural themes. From my observation of teachers, they cannot have too many books to choose from, either to read aloud or recommend to students. There are so many now to choose from. Can't forget the "old school" way of learning, it's to mix it in among all the video that we are heavily concentrated on for our class.
ReplyDeleteI really love the idea of blending two lessons into one. It is so time effecient which is so important these days when we have so many standards to teach! Blending reading and multiculturalism together is the perfect way to enhance a child's reading skills, and it also enhances their awareness of the people around them! I love the books you chose as well!
ReplyDeleteYour blog post reminding me of a book I really loved in elementary school called Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. It tells the story of Sadako a Japanese girl diagnosed with leukemia caused by the radiation from the atom bomb. I also have a great love of books. I hope to include many milti cultural books as well. One of my favorites for older students is 100 Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
ReplyDeleteI love reading as well and think that reading at a young age will promote reading for life. Reading multi-cultural books can open up a child's mind to different cultures that they may not be familiar with which can broaden their horizons. I think that multi-cultural readings especially today living in such a diverse world is a great way to open up children's minds. I like how you have suggested readings in your blog and I will definitely be checking those out at the library!
ReplyDeleteI also am proud to say that I love reading! Reading so fun and I believe that as teachers we need to show our students the joys of reading. As a young girl I would be involved in the summer reading program at the local library. I have always seen reading as a fun and enjoyable activity. I too hope to pass this love onto my students. I even have story time at the summer camp I work at!
ReplyDeleteI also feel that it is very important to read multicultural books. This creates a community for your students to feel like they are all included in the classroom. Books can open up worlds to students that they might never learn about otherwise. I believe that the more students learn about other cultures the more open minded and tolerant they will become.