Describes how a Chapter 1 class used "When I Was Young in the Mountains" by Cynthia Rylant to reflect on their pasts and share cultural similarities and differences. (MG)

Discusses some principles to keep in mind in facilitating learners' literacy development: recognize linguistic variety; facilitate authentic discourse; contextualize instruction on language structures within composing and comprehending; and design literature-based lessons with linguistic benefits in mind. Argues that, for acquiring English…

Argues that teachers cannot teach empathy, generosity, and kindness in the same way they teach solving a math problem, but that teachers can help raise awareness of these values and affirm them whenever possible. Describes five picture books that examine the importance of reaching out to others, and that may help move students from intellectual…

Reviews and discusses 51 children's books originally written in English that promote both international and cross-cultural understanding as they provide exciting glimpses of the cultural diversity of the world. (MG)

Shares how one teacher used literature to extend her fifth graders' multicultural knowledge of African-American culture. Discusses how fiction and nonfiction books were coupled with a literature-based basal program and integrated into existing classroom themes to provide a natural impetus for meaningful individual and group dialogue about other…

Building on the work of an earlier article ["The Word Writing CAFE: Assessing Student Writing for Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency," Dorothy J. Leal, "Reading Teacher," 59 (4) Dec 2005 (EJ738016)], these authors investigated the use of a simple assessment tool with a different audience to yield similar useful results. (Contains 3 figures and 4…

Offers insights into successful elementary instruction for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students in the regular classroom: learn as much as possible about each student's culture; encourage LEP students to share their history, culture, and language with the class; invite parents to take an active role; and employ the same literacy teaching…

Discusses how wordless picture books can be used as instructional aids to teach linguistically/culturally different students. Gives suggestions on how certain of these books can be used to examine differences between cultures. (FL)

Considers how learning to read can be difficult for Deaf students, but the task is even harder for Deaf minority students. Explores strategies to inspire an interest in reading and multicultural acceptance for Deaf and hearing students alike. (SG)

Describes a year-long study in a combined fourth- and fifth-grade classroom that observed student participation in literacy learning activities. Notes that as students participated in reading, writing, and talking about quality literature, they learned to make sense of texts by using contextual clues and connecting the reading to their own…

Reviews four resources that will help teachers make instructional decisions in classrooms with bilingual multicultural students. (MG)

Discusses, through the reflections of three educators, the need to address cultural diversity in the reading curriculum and the importance of using strategies consistent with an emergent literacy perspective throughout the early childhood years. (MG)

Describes a five-step sequence for the study of multicultural literature. Presents a detailed example of how the sequence can be used to study literature dealing with Native American cultural groups. Concludes with descriptions of how the sequence can be used and adapted with literature dealing with Black and Hispanic cultural groups. (MG)