Culturally Relevant Books: Culturally Responsive Teaching in Bilingual Classrooms

This article discusses the results of a study conducted to identify Latino/a children's perceptions about and responses to culturally relevant books. The findings show that culturally relevant books facilitate culturally responsive teaching in bilingual classrooms. Participants responded positively to children's literature that was representative of their culture. Children identified themselves with cultural traditions portrayed in the books and with the characters' identities and personalities. Latino/a children also made connections with the language usedin the stories. Some of the themes that were relevant for Latino/a children of Mexican descent included birthday celebrations and interactions with grandparents. Children expressed interest in reading more books that were representative of their realities. Examples of culturally relevant children's literature for Latino/a children in bilingual classrooms are included.