AFFIRMING RESPECT AND KINDNESS WITHIN A CLASSROOM COMMUNITY THROUGH DISCUSSION AND MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE

The purpose of this research was to investigate how students in a third-grade classroom can engage with multicultural texts and learn about cultures that are different from their own. Furthermore, it investigated the impact of multicultural literature on respect and kindness in a classroom community. Throughout the four-week study, students read twelve different multicultural texts and engaged in classroom discussions during Morning Meeting. Students participated in group discussions expressing their ideas, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs related to the context of the books read. The strategies used for this qualitative research were questionnaires, teacher observations, and whole group and small group discussions. Finally, analysis of the data revealed several themes related to kindness and respect. Students fostered connections with other students and showed acceptance of diverse cultures. Other revealed themes included, cultural identity, empathy, bridging school and home life through the use of the Funds of Knowledge survey (Gonzalez, Moll, and Amantito, 2005) to gain a deeper understanding of student cultural background and the need to integrate multicultural literature into established curriculum across content areas. The implications for educators include exposing students to multicultural literature combined with a scaffolded discussion to further students\u27 knowledge and understanding of the diversity within the world around them