Abstract:
Incorporating multicultural children’s literature in elementary classrooms and
schools is imperative for helping students grow in their own identities and understandings
of the world. The problem, however, is that although a lot of research exists on this matter,
children are still lacking access to these vital resources. This project begins by reviewing
research that already exists, and then, a study was created to survey current elementary
educators about their experiences when incorporating multicultural children’s literature in
their classrooms and libraries. Once responses were collected, they were analyzed, and
solutions were posed for the challenges that survey participants shared when
incorporating this literature. Finally, these solutions and resources were shared with
preservice teachers during a professional development presentation.