How Culturally Familiar Books Foster Reading with Hispanic Parents

Children connect with stories and themes that they know. If something is recognizable to them in a book, they will often relate to it in a way that draws similarities to the people and events in their own lives. Through this familiarity, reading becomes more enjoyable and serves a stronger purpose towards promoting successful literacy outcomes. Teachers who work with … Read More

State of Arizona Informational ELL Resources

The state of Arizona had 91,382 ELL students enrolled in grades K-12 during the 2012-13 academic year, making up 8.4% of the school population. Among those children, Spanish was spoken by a large majority at 70.5%, with Arabic, Navajo, Vietnamese, and Somali making up the balance of the top five languages currently spoken by non-English speaking students. The following is … Read More

How to Write a Children’s Book for Elementary Students

How to Write a Children’s Book for Elementary Students If you are thinking about writing a high-quality children’s book for elementary school students, it’s important that you consider your audience. Children of different ages and abilities can absorb, be read to, and independently read different levels of books. Elementary school is a time when children pass through several stages of … Read More

Creating a Diverse Library at Schools

Library services that cater to children are in danger of becoming obsolete without turning a keen eye toward diversifying their collections. The world today has never been more culturally diverse and, as the country embraces so many different customs and values of people from all around the world, it’s important that our school libraries reflect these rich ancestries and traditions. … Read More

What is Multicultural Literature and Why the Importance?

Children are like small sponges. They absorb everything. Books can have the most significant impact on a child’s mind as it allows them to unleash the full power of their imagination. Reading is among the most enduring influences on shaping a child’s social conscience and world view; therefore, it is essential that a child has access to literature that presents … Read More