Learn How to Support Your Child’s Identity and Early Literacy Development with Culturally Diverse Books
One of the best things you can do for your child, starting at birth, is read to them daily. We know that early language and literacy skills begin developing in infancy thanks to the exposure they have to language through music, books, and the supportive interactions they have with the adults in their lives. But reading with your young child isn’t just about building early literacy behaviors. It also helps them learn and respond to your voice, promotes parent-child bonding, and can be an enjoyable way to strengthen your child’s understanding of your family’s culture and tradition while exposing them to an increasingly diverse world around them.
Research has shown that children of all ages learn best and connect to a book when they identify with a book’s character or situation. According to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, who has been referred to as the “mother of” multicultural children's literature for her groundbreaking American children’s literature research and is professor emerita at Ohio State University, “children see their own worldview reflected in books, they gain self-confidence, and that when they see experiences that differ from their own, they develop curiosity and empathy.”
While it is the role of librarians and educators to ensure that the media, including books, in their libraries, child care programs and classrooms are culturally responsive and promote equity, families can influence their choices by recommending and donating books that reflect your child and family’s race, interests, home language and more.
In this “How to Diversify Your Bookshelf” article from the Little Lifelong Learners Blog, the author provides this great advice:
“Remember that diversity doesn’t just mean skin color. A truly diverse bookshelf should be a window to the world around us – so when we say ‘diverse books’ we of course are talking about race, but we’re also talking about books that depict characters of different ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities and sexual orientation. Books that show people practicing different religions, speaking different languages, coming from varied socio-economic circumstances, or having non-traditional family structures e.g., blended families.”
Below are some great tips from First Book for expanding your home library to include more diverse books. We also encourage you to join us for more parent tips, information, and conversation during our upcoming webinar, “Building Early Literacy Skills: Why Representation Matters,” on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at noon.
6 Tips to Creating a Culturally Representative Home Library
As you evaluate the books in your home, consider asking yourself these questions:
Does a single story or narrative about a group dominate? For example, books that feature Indigenous or Native American people should include more than folktales from the past, and books that feature African Americans should include more than stories about overcoming oppression.
Do we have stories that take place in different geographical settings?
Do we have books that celebrate different religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, nonreligious traditions, etc.)?
Do we have books with main characters from different countries?
Do we have books about (BIPOC) Black, Indigenous, or people of color that promote self-love and joy?
Do we have books that include a variety of family structures, e.g., nuclear families, blended families, multigenerational families, single-parent families, same-sex-parent families, and childless families, etc.
More resources and book lists to broaden your bookshelves:
The Open Book Blog provides a tool that families can use to help build more diverse home libraries as well as more suggestions about how to make the most of your time when reading with your child.
Books That Celebrate Diverse Holidays and Traditions from Brightly
Diverse Books for Children from Reading Rockets includes lots of great material and interviews that underscore the importance of diverse books from authors and literature experts as well as many booklists!
9 Picture Books for Preschoolers That Celebrate Diversity from Edutopia
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