Thursday, May 7, 2015

The GLSEN Companion to NEA’s Read Across America


       
This resource is a series of discussion guides produced by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to be used in coordination with the National Education Association’s annual Read Across America campaign. Read Across America is a reading motivation and awareness program which many schools around the country participate in by hosting guest readers, holding Drop Everything and Read periods, and hosting other activities focused on encouraging student literacy. GLSEN created this discussion guide to capitalize on this established educational tradition for the purposes of teaching young students about LGBT themes and issues. The books discussed in these guides are appropriate for elementary school students in kindergarten through 2nd grade, and they address gender and gender-expression based bullying and bias, family diversity, and gender roles/gender diversity.
        The discussion guides are centered around six children’s books that address these issues: And Tango Makes Three, Antonio’s Card/La Tarjeta de Antonio, Chrysanthemum, Oliver Button is a Sissy, It’s Okay to be Different, and Just Kidding. For each book, the discussion guides provide activities and discussion questions that precede and follow the reading of the story which ask students to discuss what they know and what they have learned about the different types of family structures, the harmful effects of bullying on peers, and the many different ways that people can express their gender. The questions are intended to make students question the stereotypes and biases that surround these topics, and to conclude that it is always right to treat others with respect, kindness, and understanding.
        In order to use this tool successfully in the classroom, the teacher must be willing to engage students in these discussions, and compassionately address students’ potentially problematic views. These discussions will address issues of gender and sexuality explicitly, and because these are sensitive issues in the classroom, the teacher must treat them with care. However, these discussions are also very necessary and important in the classroom, and lessons about kindness and respect for peers and all people do not have to be controversial. While many people might think that sexuality has no place in the classroom, because sex is not relevant in the lives of young children, this is not true. Students confront different family structures, restrictive gender norms, and bullying based on perceived sexuality and gender differences every day, and therefore, meaningful discussion about these issues is necessary for creating an inclusive classroom community.
I chose this resource because it builds upon an existing, popular curriculum, and because it provides and opportunity for student engagement and discussion. Because Read Across America is already a part of so many classrooms, it would be fairly easy for an educator to integrate this resource into their plans. In addition, this resource does not aim to override student thinking; instead, its goal is to engage students in meaningful thought and to validate their experiences. At the end of these discussions, students will be better versed in being understanding and compassionate members of their communities, which is a goal that goes beyond LGBTQ issues. To make these discussions even more meaningful, teachers can expand on this lesson by including more LGBTQ inclusive books in their school libraries, by encouraging students to use what they've learned about respect and inclusion in other arenas, and by making sure that the lessons they've learned can be applied to situations outside of those in these specific stories.

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