ERIC Number: EJ1362768
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1536-3031
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using Children's Literature to Advance Antiracist Early Childhood Teaching and Learning
Spencer, Tamara
Issues in Teacher Education, v31 n2 p9-31 Sum 2022
All too often, race and equity are not discussed in early childhood contexts for fear that children are too young or innocent to grapple with such topics. In this yearlong action research study, I examine how children's literature can be used to implement an antiracist pedagogy in early childhood classrooms. Through the enactment of a critical children's literature teacher inquiry group, I examine the relationship between the use of diverse children's literature and a teacher's development as a social justice educator. Over the course of the academic year, the eight teachers received books written for young children that explicitly addressed diversity, equity, and justice. Through participation in the inquiry group and the opportunity to deeply examine children's books, teachers further developed into their identities as educators committed to social justice. This research sheds light on how teachers can be actively engaged in a teaching practice that disrupts patterns of inequity by bringing meaningful and relevant content into the lives of all the children in their classrooms. Findings also provide recent examples of antiracist early childhood texts.
Descriptors: Childrens Literature, Racism, Early Childhood Education, Social Justice, Faculty Development, Inquiry, Early Childhood Teachers, Teaching Methods, Diversity, Cultural Awareness, Teacher Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A