Educators are often tasked with selecting reading materials for students. These texts might be used in whole class, small group, or one-on-one instruction, or they might be used during independent reading time. It is critical that educators are aware of the types of reading materials offered in their classroom to present students with a range of books and perspectives, as well as provide reading materials that are not heavily biased.
Select a piece of children’s literature, young adult literature, an informational article, or a textbook used in classrooms. You can find the reading material or text in your own collection, at your local public library, or online as an e-book. Using the “Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias in Children’s Books,” evaluate the selected reading for bias.
In a 250-500 word matrix, conduct a text analysis using the article’s nine guidelines to identify bias in your selected material. In your analysis, assess the degree to which surface culture and deep culture are addressed and the cultural values that are presented in the text. Additionally, explain how you applied each guideline to evaluate the text for bias in order to create more relevant learning experiences for all students.
Following the text analysis matrix, in 150-250 words, describe where you think the text falls on the cultural competence continuum (see Topic 3) and why. Reflect on what the text or analysis revealed about your own personal biases. Include at least two resources to help deepen your own understanding of cultural, ethnic, gender, or learning differences. Identify the action steps for competently and respectfully addressing student performance issues that may appear to be affected by individual and cultural differences.
Support your text analysis with 2-3 scholarly resources.
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
