Second-Grade Read-Aloud Resource: 50 Multicultural Books...

This summer I'm spending some time thinking about the picture books I will read to next year's second-grade class. My volunteer gig at an ethnically and economically diverse city public school is an all-time favorite activity of mine, but I'm always looking for ways to improve the experience for the children. When fall rolls around, I'd like to be better prepared with a strong list of books and additional background reading of my own.

Keeping in mind prior classes will help, too. For example, when we talk about "fiction" and "nonfiction," I'm going to put the words out on index cards so the children can see them written out. In lovely and heartfelt thank-you notes from the last group, a couple of the spellers-by-ear thought I was saying "fishin" and "nonfishin," which is adorable, but note cards will go a ways to clearing that up.

In terms of selecting books, this terrific list, among others, will come in handy: "50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know,"  from the Cooperative Children's Book Center, at the University of Wisconsin. It offers a good selection of titles, broken down into age groups ( "Preschool," "Ages 5-7," etc.). I wish I'd remembered to read Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding to the 2011-2012 students. Reading through these books this summer should be fun!

Comments

[tanita]

The Cooperative Book Center is such a resource!

I love that you are still reading to these guys. This summer I've been checking out all sorts of volunteer opportunities, and loving them all, but I hopefully will find one that mixes books with kids. Moving soon (to our new home, to PR, closer to you! And maybe with chickens, we'll be talking about that!) and I'm going to have to strengthen my Spanish. What better way that to read children's books! So, I'm hopeful to find some bilingual books to read aloud.

[adrienne]

"Fishin'" and "nonfishin'" made me giggle. The notecards are an excellent idea, I think.

[Susan T.]

Tanita, Puerto Rico! Wow, that is going to be great fun. Tech Boy will be teaching there? Several of "my" students' grandparents live on the island. For sure you should be able to get some galenas/hens there! Very exciting.

Adrienne, even though the teacher has explained the difference to them often, I could tell that some of them were still confused by the more abstract concepts! I'm sure I never heard the terms until high school, at least. That was pretty far back in the day, though.

[Mary Lee]

Thanks for the link! This will be SUPER helpful for a grant I'm writing this summer!!

(Tanita...Puerto Rico?!?!)

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

Mary Lee, you're welcome. Are you writing a grant for some new classroom books? Several of the second graders last year LOVED to write stories and read them to the class.

I am on the lookout for more resources, and hope to post some others this summer.

[Rebecca]

I love this! I used to be a pre-k teacher in a very culturally diverse classroom- Hispanics (from Mexico to Argentina), Indians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Egyptian, you name it. I LOVED working there and was sad to leave it behind when I moved back home to care for my father. I am very happy to see this list and I will be making sure I have read them all! My blog is new, but I am wanting to share as many multicultural books as possible!