3B) Books that depict children’s language and culture
Provide books in the home language and books that depict the cultural and linguistic background of children in a positive light. Make sure children of each language and cultural background can see themselves represented in the classroom.
Video: Integrating Family, Culture, and Language in the Curriculum
This video shares examples for how educators can incorporate various strategies to inform their curriculum: Collaboratively create an environment that represents families through books in different languages, music, and providing utensils/food/dolls in dramatic play that celebrate diversity.Read More
Video: Integrating Home Culture and Language in Learning Activities and Environments
This video provides examples for what educators can do to create a supportive classroom environment for Multilingual Learners. Activities can provide opportunities for MLs and their families to learn about other cultures. Materials (dolls, labeling, books) should celebrate and represent the diversity of the children in the classroom.Read More
Video: Use and Display Culturally Familiar Content
This video shows educators how they can represent their children's diversity of languages and culture in the classroom.Read More
Video: Encourage Use of Home Language at Home and in Preschool
This video shares idea for educators to incorporate into their teaching to help encourage the use of children's home language.Read More
Booklist: libros en español—”espejos y ventanas”
For students to feel affirmed and visible at school, it is critical that their identities and experiences be reflected in the stories read in the classroom. This includes the language in which it is written. The books in this bibliography provide “mirrors” and “windows” into the myriad of identities for which we hold space. Through these books, listed in alphabetical order by title, students will have opportunities to see themselves and others and educators will have opportunities for rich discussion, follow-up lessons and exploration.Read More
Booklist: Spanish Literature for P1-3rd grade
This is a booklist of Spanish-language texts for 1-3rd grade.Read More
Booklist: Spanish Literature for PK-1st Grade
This is a booklist of Spanish-language texts for PK-1st grade.Read More
Strategy Overview: Family Empathy Interviews
A template designed to support conversation uncovering each family's "funds of knowledge" so teachers can design a culturally responsive and sustaining approach to instruction.Read More
Strategy Overview: Promoting a Sense of Identity
This strategy outlines ways teachers can work with families to promote children's sense of identity, connection to home language and culture, plus respect for diversity.Read More
Strategy Overview: Ensuring the Presence of Each Child’s Language
This resource provides a comprehensive list and explanation of the actions teachers can take to acknowledge, affirm, and support multiple languages in the classroom. Included are tips for engaging with families as "language experts" and capturing their linguistic knowledge on a planning template, and phrase cards with basic greetings in 10 common home languages.Read More
Website Article: Choosing Diverse Books for Your ELLs – Tips for Educators
This article is a comprehensive collection of tips, video interviews, additional links, and resources to support educators in choosing books for diverse Multilingual Learners in the classroom.Read More
Transcript: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
This is a transcript and additional resource list that accompanies the short video "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors."Read More
Video: Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
This is a short video interview with Rudine Bishop Simms, who explains her widely-used metaphor of books as "Mirrors, Windows, or Sliding Glass Doors" for students. She speaks about the importance of students seeing themselves represented in the texts and materials chosen for classroom instruction.Read More
Blog: Tackling the Challenges of Implementing Diverse Libraries at Your School
Access to culturally relevant books is critical for Multilingual Learners. This blog offers tips and suggestions on how to build a more inclusive collection of books in school libraries. Many additional resources and tools are linked.Read More
Guide: Selecting and Using Culturally Appropriate Children’s Books in Languages Other than English
This resource provides guidance on how to select culturally appropriate children’s books in Multilingual Learners’ home languages and how to share those books with children and their families. This guide also provides ideas for sharing books in languages that are not familiar to teachers and links to other book lists and digital libraries.Read More
Website Article: 5 Meaningful Ways to Support DLLs at Storytime
This resource explains how to adjust storytime experiences to ensure that Multilingual Learners (MLs) can fully benefit from these experiences. Intentional storytime experiences that incorporate children's home languages, visuals, props, and culturally relevant materials promote MLs' comprehension, vocabulary, and early literacy skills.Read More
Educator Toolkit: My Name, My Identity- Creating an Inclusive and Respectful School Community
This digital book supports the socio-emotional learning of students by introducing example lesson plans that center on Multilingual Learners' identity. The resource includes videos, book lists, lesson plans, and many extension activities and further resources to help teachers build a healthy, asset-based community in the classroom.Read More
Website: Teacher Interactions and Strategies to Support Reading for Dual Language Learners
This resource provides many strategies that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners’ reading and literacy skills.Read More
Book List: Multicultural Books for Preschoolers
This resource provides a list of books that celebrate different cultures and includes multiple languages. Teachers can use this list to ensure that they are providing books that are in children’s home languages, and that depict the cultural and linguistic background of children in a positive light.Read More
Digital Book Collection: Level A (Vietnamese)
This is a collection of high-quality Level A books written in Vietnamese. This resource helps teachers access books that depict Vietnamese children's language and culture.Read More
Digital Book Collection: Level B (Vietnamese)
This is a collection of high-quality Level B books written in Vietnamese. This resource helps teachers access books that depict Vietnamese children's language and culture.Read More
Strategy Overview: Si Se Puede
Si Se Puede is a set of strategies to elevate Multilingual Learners' perception of the status of their home language, countering the messages learners often receive about English dominance.Read More
Video: Affirming Language, Culture & Identity
This video shares asset-based strategies for teachers to engage with families, develop the socio-emotional health of children, and set up a classroom environment to support Multilingual Learners. This resource focuses on preschool but the content applies to all grade bands. Examples come from dual language classrooms.Read More
Booklist: Mirrors and Windows Literature
The literature on this booklist depicts the diverse languages, cultures, and identities of Multilingual Learners. Teachers can find a short description, related themes, and some read-aloud links for numerous “Mirror and Window” books.Read More
