The Impact of Diverse Children's Literature and Academic Discourse on Identity Formation

Abstract

This chapter explores the use of diverse children's literature and developmentally appropriate discourse to nurture positive identity formation for young children. At a very young age, children are aware of who they are and how others see them both intentionally and unintentionally. Using two culturally responsive pedagogies in the classroom, educators can honor the voices of all young children as they become more globally aware and civically active. A framework that facilitates the selection and implementation of diverse children's literature given five key themes is introduced. Further, developmentally appropriate discourse strategies and children's literature genres are presented for use in early childhood education.