Children of color make up at least 45 percent of the nation’s population. As of 2016, only 22 percent of newly-published children’s books featured non-white characters.
Due at least in part to a growing movement in the industry, this number is up from 9 percent just 20 years ago, but there’s still work to be done. It’s powerful and necessary for children to see themselves represented in the books they read, and teachers play an important role in making that happen.
Isabel Campoy
Children’s Literature Author and Consultant
Author and program consultant on ¡Arriba la lectura! and Into Reading, Isabel Campoy published her first book at just 11 years old. It’s this early love of reading and writing, she explains in this interview, that inspired her to write literature for children. She speaks about the importance of diversity in all literature but especially for children, who become energetic and passionate readers when they see themselves in the characters. Watch this video to learn how educators can diversify their classroom libraries, and more.
Elena Izquierdo
Biliteracy Expert and Consultant
HMH program consultant and biliteracy expert Elena Izquierdo speaks in this video about the importance of providing high quality content for ELL students. Izquierdo explains that teachers often water down lessons to help English learners understand them, but these students need rigorous, grade-level content just as much as their native-speaking peers. Watch below to learn why quality materials in both English and Spanish are essential in multilingual classrooms, and more.
Related Reading
Eighth graders enjoy a light moment in Alison Van Dyke's ELA class at Valleywood Middle School in Kentwood, Michigan.
