50 Literacy Strategies for Culturally Responsive Teaching, K-8

After more than 20 years of teaching in public schools, Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt completed her doctoral studies in Reading and Language Arts at Syracuse University. Her dissertation, Cultural Conflict and Struggle: Literacy Learning in a Kindergarten Program received recognition by the International Reading Association and was published by Peter Lang. As a Professor of Literacy at Le Moyne College, she teaches courses in the elementary and secondary programs and has developed a model, known as the ABC's of Cultural Understanding and Communication. This model is implemented around the world and helps elementary and secondary teachers communicate and connect with families and communities and design culturally responsive literacy lessons. Recently Dr. Ruggiano Schmidt was the recipient of the International Reading Association, Elva Knight Research Award. This work has promoted the study of links between literacy learning and culturally responsive teaching in urban and rural elementary and secondary schools. Presently, Dr. Ruggiano Schmidt lives with her husband, Tom, next to a small lake and golf course in East Syracuse, New York.

Foreword by Lee Gunderson Preface 1. Classroom Community: Getting to Know Me, Myself, and Us 2. Home, Community, and Nation: Making Contributions to Literacy Learning 3. Multicultural Literature Events: Motivating Literacy Learning in Content Areas 4. Critical Media Literacy: Exploring Values 5. Global Perspectives and Literacy Development: Understanding the World View 6. Inquiry Learning and Literacy Learning: Beginning to Know Research Conclusion Epilogue Resource A: Standards for the English Language Arts Resource B: List of Cited Youth Literature References Index

"The authors of Culturally Responsive Teaching: 50 Literacy Strategies provide practical approaches to literacy instruction that are desperately warranted. They offer a prescription for using strategies, selecting text, making home-school connections, and building learning communities aimed at benefiting all students. In short, this is a text that is long overdue." -- Alfred W. Tatum, Assistant Professor "The authors make an important point: Developing greater awareness of our diversity can be used in powerful ways to engage students and increase achievement. Moreover, they show you how to do this with very simple strategies. This is a wonderful book for all of us committed to developing culturally responsive classrooms." -- Donald J. Leu, Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology "While there are many books on culturally responsive teaching, this one provides a fresh view from a different perspective and I recommend it for all who want to broaden their knowledge of working with culturally diverse families and children." -- Patricia A. Edwards, Professor of Literacy