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CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS * 2 HOURS * LEVEL 2

Mildred D. Taylor and Cultural Awareness

Page 11

How to Bridge the Gap

Think about your favorite book. ​
Whether it is The Odyssey by Homer or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald consider the special place that it holds in your life.
  • Do you relate to it?
  • What did you learn from it?
  • How did it influence your life at the time of reading it?
  • What is so captivating about it?
Like we have already discussed, books are not only entertainment, but are tools for learning about people, places, and events. Mildred D. Taylor books and others like them are ripe for the picking in school-age programs to teach and support cultural awareness. 
Let’s consider some ways to use these works in your program:
Compare and Contrast 
​Students can compare and contrast their cultures, traditions, biases, and social actions. Use the books as a jumping off point to get into the conversation comparing what they’re used to and what cultural elements are brought to light by literature.
Connections 
​You can connect Taylor books to many ideas such as friendship, respect, bullying, stereotypes, social studies and so much more. Each book has several topics interwoven into the main plot. Integrating these things into a literature unit is a seamless way to include cultural awareness in any program.
Be a Role Model 
​Children get a lot of their biases from unknowing adults. Your actions and preferences will set a standard that children will follow. Choose books that support cultural awareness and speak well of them. Include them and encourage children to read them.
​Knowledge 
​Though Taylor books are fictional pieces they explain historical context from an insider’s perspective. This gives children knowledge about real-life events and the types of people who experienced them. This immediately connects them to the character’s culture in a meaningful and purposeful way.
Questions 
​Undoubtedly, literature that supports cultural awareness will raise some questions for children. These questions may range from personal considerations or research based inquiries. Support these questions and allow children to explore the possible answers being especially mindful of biases.
Feedback
​Ask the children what they think or feel about the reading. You may be surprised to hear the feedback that they give about a culture, book, or author. Always be open to listening to their perspectives.