Classroom refresh: Including books with respectful representations of disability
The National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (2019) position statement on advancing equity in early childhood stresses the importance of all children seeing themselves positively reflected in their learning environment, curriculum, and materials. When evaluating classroom materials for respectful representations of all children, it is important to critically examine how students with disabilities are represented in the classroom library. While a growing number of books include children with disabilities, the portrayals are not always positive (Artman-Meeker et al., 2016). In this article, the outcomes of including positive representations of children with disabilities will be discussed and resources to assist in evaluating the quality of books will be shared.
Through reading and discussing books that include accurate and positive representations of children with disabilities or that address disability related themes, teachers promote disability awareness and support identity development (Meyer, 2021; Ostrosky et al., 2015; Pennell et al., 2018). For children with limited direct experiences with other children with disabilities, books can aid in the development of disability awareness by allowing children to encounter characters who are different from themselves, understand the challenges and experiences faced by individuals with disabilities, see characters with disabilities participating in everyday activities, and build an understanding of new words and concepts related to disabilities. Helping young children develop disability awareness can foster both empathy and inclusivity. For children with disabilities, having access to books that reflect their experiences and feelings can increase their sense of belonging and self-esteem (Meyer, 2021; Pennell et al., 2018).
Choosing appropriate books that are accurate and respectful in their portrayal of disabilities can be difficult. Numerous options are available to assist teachers in selecting and evaluating books:
- Artman-Meeker et al. (2016) offer five guiding questions for choosing books in their Guide for Choosing Children’s Literature. A copy of the full guide with expanded questions is available here.
- Meyer (2021) also offers a thorough framework for choosing books entitled Questions to Ask When Evaluating Text. The chart can be found here.
- STEMIE provides a Disabilities in Stem Book List of books about scientists with disabilities.
- Ostrosky et al. (2015) suggest a list of 18 books appropriately representing people with disabilities.
- The Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award recognizes authentic portrayals of individuals with developmental disabilities in books for children and youth. Download a list of all award-winning Dolly Gray books here.
References
Artman-Meeker, K., Grant, T. O., & Yang, X. (2016). By the book: Using literature to discuss disability with children and teens. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 48(3), 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059915618195
Meyer, L. E. (2021). Including disability in early childhood curricula. YC Young Children, 74(4), 29-37. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27095206
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2019). Advancing equity in early childhood education: A position statement of the national association for the education of young children. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/advancingequitypositionstatement.pdf
Ostrosky, M. M., Mouzourou, C., Dorsey, E.A., Favazza, P. C., & Leboeuf, L. M. (2015). Pick a book, any book: Using children’s books to support positive attitudes toward peers with disabilities. Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 30-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250613512666
Pennell, A. E., Wollak, B. & Koppenhaver, D. A. (2018). Respectful representations of disability in picture books. The Reading Teacher, 71(4), 411-419. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1632
For more information, contact Nora Bryant ([email protected]), Program Specialist T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Early Childhood Special Education, Reading