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.