When we choose books to read to our class, we typically select them for a specific purpose: the content, a writing strategy, a reading strategy, a cross-curricular connection…
I’d be curious to track all of the books I read to my students in a given year. What is the overall impression of the collection?
Are the books diverse in genre? topic? cultural representation? Can my students see themselves represented somewhere within these books? Are they also exposed to experiences and conditions outside of their own?
Whose voices do we hear? Are there voices missing from the conversation?
Does the collection take them throughout the world and to other periods in time? Do these books challenge my students to think, to reflect, to grow, and to question?
It’s not too late: we’ve not yet reached October. Take a picture of the book covers each time you read to your students. I’d be curious to see the collection at year end!