“How can I make this text more accessible and inclusive for all of my learners?”

I have taught kindergarten for 19 years, and this is a question I’ve learned to ask myself when choosing books. Is the story or informational text inclusive of each and every learner and their need to be included and considered? Can I pair the book—particularly a book related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)—with makerspace, art, audio, and movement resources to forefront children’s learning and engagement? The diversity of reading materials and resources in my classroom library offers so many books to explore, inspires so many questions from children, and adds so much value to the learning experience.

I currently teach 18 kindergartners in Washington, DC. Many of them come from book deserts, where texts are not readily accessible. Those that are often lack content that represents children’s identities and lived experiences. To increase children’s access to diverse literature, I like to place books throughout our learning setting—in the class library, in table boxes, and in social and emotional learning areas like our relaxation corner. The fiction and nonfiction texts I choose are filled with faces that look different, colors that aren’t always primary, and settings that provide a global perspective.

When introducing a book (or any lesson, including in STEM) to my class, intentionality is key. Before choosing a particular text, I find it effective to begin with the end goal: What do I want children to learn? I align that objective with the Common Core State Standards, then dig deeper into what children’s authentic work might look like and how I will gather assessment information related to their work, play, and learning. Throughout this process, I keep in mind each child’s interests, strengths, contexts, and needs.

I then look at a selection of books, considering the titles, pictures, vocabulary, and possible cross-curricular connections as well as how the story may elicit a social and emotional or cultural connection. I often find it valuable to identify a related text that can be used to scaffold children’s learning, providing more rigor or more visual images to interpret.

Once the text is chosen, the journey begins. I develop open-ended and higher-order thinking prompts. (“How did the story make you feel?”; “Did the character in the story make you think of something you may have seen, said, done, or heard?”; “Tell me more about how you connected or didn’t connect to the story.”) I write these on sticky notes and place them at the bottom of the book’s pages to guide an interactive read aloud. Then I dig into the story’s vocabulary, looking for words that will access children’s background knowledge, spark their conversations, and pique their interests. I consider if I can use a multimodal material, such as a graphic interchange format (GIF), to bring the words to life. Are there any adjectives or terms I can express in a different modality (singing, dancing, gesturing, acting)? How can I differentiate this story for children with different abilities and needs or for children who are multilingual learners? This kind of preparation increases children’s engagement, interest, and learning. If a story is available digitally, I often share it with families to initiate and expand on discussions at home.

Making STEM Connections During One Read Aloud

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin is beautifully written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley. It’s the first of the Amazing Scientists series and details how Dr. Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as a child, used her strengths to connect with animals and invent improvements for farms around the world.

The book, written in rhyme, offers one perspective of someone living with ASD. During our read aloud and subsequent discussions, children talk about what they see, think, and wonder about Dr. Grandin. Questions have included

• “Is autism something that someone should be sad about?”
• “Why and how do people get autism?”
• “If I draw pictures of a story, will I be able to become a scientist?”
• “If I think in pictures like a doctor, will my brain get bigger?”

This book’s rich and inclusive messages allow children to make important social and emotional connections while cultivating early reading skills. The text also ties into STEM content: The science teacher’s encouragement guides the character. Dr. Grandin uses an engineering approach to bring her invention to fruition. The book’s pop-out text offers a step-by-step analysis of STEM-like higher-order and critical thinking.

As we’re reading, I ask the children to count the cows shown on a page. Then, they mirror the messages depicted in the book’s thought bubbles by creating their own thought bubbles to express who they are and what they’re learning. I add a STEM connection by having the children create real bubbles at the science station. We count those bubbles for a math connection. Working with partners, children create a story using design software (technology) that allows them to write and illustrate narratives that reflect Dr. Grandin’s character. Often, they act out these stories. We also use word webs to dissect the meaning of the book’s vocabulary, which includes words like unique, normal, invention, solution, special, and taunted.

Final Thoughts

Thinking and planning with purpose while considering children’s outcomes encourages the kindergartners in my class to want to read more books, including STEM titles. Incorporating lessons using multiple modalities and strategies to include all learners creates connections among the children and to the text, which brings about a joy of reading.

Photographs: header image, © Getty Images; inset, courtesy of the author
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