Putting+it+into+Practice+by+Mei

Putting the Recommendation into Practice Submitted by Mei Ling Han

To enhance literacy experiences for all students, teachers can choose literacy materials that represent the culture of their students. Choosing culturally accurate literature helps all students gain an understanding and appreciation for each other. The following are some stories which represent the Asian cultures. When the class is reading the story, the teacher can preview any words the students may have difficulties with. As the story progresses, the teacher can engage students to explain parts of the story containing the targeted words, and then review the words’ meanings. Using the preview-review technique has been shown to be an effective way of developing vocabulary in English Language Learners (Ulanoff & Pucci, 1999). Another class activity the teacher can use to link literature and students is small group discussions using teacher given prompts. After discussion, they report their responses and insights to the class. Engaging in discussion gives students an opportunity to use their oral language skills. To extend the learning to the students’ homes, teachers can have the students do various home activities with their families. Using //A Song for Ba// as an example, student can find out:
 * //The Ugly Vegetables//, Grace Lin, 1999
 * //Moon Festival//, Ching Yeung Russell, 1997
 * //Grandfather’s Journey//, Allen Say, 1993
 * //The Moon Lady//, Amy Tan, 1992
 * //A Song for Ba//, Paul Yee, 2004
 * //The Khan’s Daughter, A Mongolian Folktale//, Laurence Yep, 1997
 * what type of cultural music their families listen to
 * bring traditional music to school
 * what are the traditional musical instrument used in their culture
 * draw these instruments
 * what songs their families sang
 * cultural costumes worn for special occasions; bring it to show
 * where their parents or grandparents came from; be able to show it on the map
 * how they entertain each other
 * how they addressed their elders; names used to represent grandfather/grandmother
 * terms of endearment used in their families
 * activities you do only with your grandfather or grandmother

When the students return to class, they can share what they have learned from their families. As they share, they are connecting with the story on a personal cultural level. They learn about their own culture through their families. These activities are also serving as a bridge between school and home life, including the students’ home as part of the learning. They realize how they can contribute and enrich their literacy experience by going outside the book. Finally, they learn more from each other as they share. Similar activities can be replicated for other book representing other cultures. Here are some sites which offer a variety of multi-cultural books for children to enjoy: http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/multicultural.htm In this article you'll find leads to 50 great books, plus advice from top educators, writers, and illustrators on how to spot literature that transcends stereotypes. http://www.nea.org/readacross/resources/50multibooks.html This list of must-have multicultural books was compiled by the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is reprinted here with their permission. http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/ This web site contains links to **annotated bibliographies** of children's multicultural books appropriate for the elementary grades (kindergarten through grade six). Cultural groups currently listed include: African Americans, Chinese Americans, Latino/Hispanic Americans, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans, and Korean Americans. Books are categorized by genre: realistic fiction, information (non-fiction), traditional literature, biography, historical fiction, poetry, and fantasy. Each annotation includes an approximate **grade level** designation, e.g., K-3, 4-6.