Diversity in Literature: Preparing Literacy Teachers for a Multicultural World

Abstract

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2023,
50 percent of the student population will be children
with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
(Iwai, 2015). Furthermore, 10 percent
of the school population in the U.S. is currently
identified as having a disability that affects their
ability to perform in the classroom (O’Leary,
2011). The reality is that teachers and literacy
teachers in particular are faced with the difficult
task of teaching a more diverse student population
than ever before. The literature review
analyzed and discussed in the present article
examines studies that support the systematic use
of multicultural literature in the classroom. Also,
the author suggests strategies to create a
curriculum that fosters awareness of diversity
and multiculturalism through literature as a
way to enrich literacy instruction in the classroom.