There is a dearth of multicultural literature in schools since few schools offer a curriculum that promotes multicultural education. However, by the year 2050, ethnic minority children will make up the majority of the United States public school classrooms. Multicultural literature is the building block of a multicultural education which reflects our nation's diversity and helps all students learn by providing help to bridge the cultural gap, and promote racial awareness. Teachers often find it difficult to identify or find quality multicultural literature that adheres to the standard curriculum. Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature helps educators find and evaluate multicultural books that are suitable for the classroom and align with the standard curriculum. The book includes a peer-reviewed metric that shows teachers how to substitute biased books with multicultural literature that endorse the same themes. Second, the book includes reviews, lesson plans, and curated book lists of multicultural books. Finally, the book offers a stepwise plan on how to create a task force of school stakeholders who can implement a comprehensive, multicultural program. In 2018, The National Association for Multicultural Education released standards for multicultural education to encourage school staff to become culturally competent and linguistically diverse. Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature moves educators in that direction.
Rachel Slaughter, who lives with her husband and two daughters, earned her doctoral degree in cognitive studies in reading at Widener University. A veteran educator, she has spent 28 years in education inspiring students with multicultural literature-a great way to celebrate diversity.
Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1. Diversity in the Classroom: A Glimpse into the Changing Classroom Chapter 2. Adopting a Multicultural Education Program Chapter 3. Critical Literacy and Multicultural Literature Chapter 4. Generating a List of Multicultural Books Chapter 5. Creating a Task Force Chapter 6. The Multicultural Summer Reading List Chapter 7. The Task Force Meets Resistance and Bias Chapter 8. How to Normalize Multiculturalism Chapter 9. The Key Takeaways Melissa Alexander, Ed.D. Andrea Kuhar, M.Ed. Michelle Ohanian, Ph.D. Dr. Ronald W. Whitaker, II, Ed.D. Chapter 10. The Reading QUILT Book Reviews and Lesson Plans Appendix A Appendix B References About the Author
Now is the time and this is the resource that educators need if we are to create the multicultural, literacy-rich school experience that ALL students deserve. Dr. Rachel Slaughter's book, Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature, fills a vacuum that educators realized existed but did not have the tool to systematically make an impact. Now that we do, I urge all parents, teachers, and administrators to get a copy and broaden our children's world. It is our duty. -- Lisa Rex, Principal Dr. Rachel Slaughter has written a timely and important book. For too long, we have missed the mark on realizing the impact of multicultural education and awareness in our schools. In Turning the Page, Dr. Rachel Slaughter presents a compelling strategy to get quality multicultural literature into the hands of students and teachers across America. -- Hilderbrand Pelzer, author of "Unlocking Potential: Organizing a School Inside a Prison" Turning the Page: The Ultimate Guide for Teachers to Multicultural Literature is a necessary tool against systemic racism present in America. It informs school educators on how to introduce multicultural text to students promoting diversity and cultural awareness. Most importantly, Dr. Slaughter gives examples of books, lesson plans, and rubrics to support successful integration. -- Phaedra L. Brown, Founder and CEO of Hope Institute of Science School for Girls
