Adding Diverse Children’s Literature to Your Classroom

We live in a diverse world. Children learn about people from other cultures and places in their history classes. Music teachers incorporate music from around into their curriculum. However, an area that can be overlooked is your shelf of children’s literature. How diverse is your library?

Kids of color, neurodiverse students, and non-binary people often do not see themselves represented in literature. Children’s books should feature these often marginalized people in a non-stereotypical, real human way. As award-winning author and illustrator Eric Velasquez said, “Once children see themselves represented in books, their existence is validated, and they feel that they are part of the world.”

So how do you choose new books or evaluate your current library? The most important thing to remember as you evaluate is to consider what the words and images are communicating. If you are interested in really diving in, we suggest reading the article “Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books” by Louise Derman-Sparks. This article will walk you through several checkpoints and things to be aware of before using a book in your classroom. Here are our quick takeaways:

 

Evaluating a book can be time-consuming, but it is vital to ensure your books are sharing the message of inclusion and include diversity.

 

Ready to add some diverse and inclusive books to your music room? Check out West Music’s Diverse and Inclusive Children’s Literature for books that fit the criteria. If you have a great book that you use in your classroom, please share it with us so we can grow our collection! Email jpalmer@westmusic.com if you have questions about publications, or have a great title to share.