Abstract
Nearly 800 million people in the world are illiterate which means world illiteracy is an epidemic. Over the last 65 years, global illiteracy has increased steadily by 4% each year with countries in the Central African Republic making up a large percentage of the illiteracy rate. The researcher conducted a qualitative content analysis to examine the quality of multicultural literature on eighth-grade summer reading lists from 10 private schools in the Northeast in the effort to vet non-biased multicultural literature that would prove useful in reading role models’ effort to increase literacy skills while honoring inclusive practices in literacy for diverse learners. Qualitative content analysis was used to answer the following research questions: (a) What percentage of summer reading books portray author’s authority or the author’s formal background, or first-hand knowledge of the protagonist’s cultural background and fit the category of multicultural literature that the literature “recognizes, accepts, and affirms human differences and similarities related to gender, race, handicap, and class” (b) What percentage of summer reading books include universal themes that present multiple dimensions of a culture objectively and without biased images? (c) What are the demographics of the people selecting summer reading literature choices? The research included in this study is meant to bring awareness to the idea that mono-cultural selections limit reader engagement, especially in diverse learners. Additionally, quality multicultural literature, in the middle school language arts program, can foster racial tolerance, celebrate diversity, and increase literacy skills in emerging readers.
Presenters
Rachel SlaughterGIFTED Lead Teacher, Special Education, The William Penn School District, Pennsylvania, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Multicultural Literature, Diverse Learners, Reader Engagement
