USING A CULTURAL RESPONSE TO SELECT MULTICULTURAL SOCIAL STUDIES READ ALOUDS IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM

The purpose of this research study was to examine student interactions before, during, and after the reading of multicultural literature in kindergarten during the science and social studies instruction. The texts selected were picked based on information about the students\u27 Funds of Knowledge, family make-up, and culture within the particular classroom. Over the course of two months, five multicultural texts were read aloud and discussed. Recorded book discussions, student drawings, and one-on-one interview questions were used to gather data. After all the data was collected, the following themes became apparent: family connections, diversity, and student engagement. Based on the data, the integration of multicultural literature proved to be a beneficial addition to the kindergarten classroom setting as engaged students, strengthened reading/literacy skills, and fostered acceptance of others. An implication that became apparent after conducting this study was a need for more easily-accessible multicultural books and resources for teachers