Christie Blazer, Supervisor WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE INSTRUCTION

All children grow up within a cultural environment that influences their learning patterns and communication styles and how they interpret experiences, process and organize information, and perceive their surroundings. Culturally responsive instruction incorporates students ’ cultures and experiences into the classroom curriculum and uses their diverse backgrounds to enhance teaching and learning. Studies offer preliminary evidence that culturally responsive instruction may play a role in increasing culturally and ethnically diverse students ’ levels of achievement, but more research is needed. This information capsule reviews studies conducted on the impact of culturally responsive instruction on student academic outcomes and provides a summary of research-based strategies educators should consider to promote culturally responsive instruction. Culture does not determine ability or intelligence, but it can affect the way children learn. All children grow up within a cultural environment that influences their learning patterns and communication styles and how they interpret experiences, process and organize information, and perceive thei