Terry Meier "Why can't she remember that?" The importance of storybook readings in multilingual, multicultural classrooms.

The three quotes I chose to reflect on from this text are:
1.) "Especially for very young children, learning occurs most productively and profoundly in a context of familiarity"

I think this quote really explains why children should be connected to charectors in a book. Children love feeling like they are like each other and like the teacher. "I have a cat too" "I have four cookies and I'm 4!" If the child in the text has braids, has a little brother, or is seven, the child who can match that will take note and feel a boost of pride.

2.) "...a Puerto Rican teacher and scholar said that "many youngsters develop the impressionn that books are not about them, their famalies, or communities, but rather always about the other."

Taking the first quote into consideration it seems that much more imprative to give young students a chance to feel included in books. If they don't they won't have the opportunity to feel like we could be talking about them. They won't connect as well to the text.

3.) " Not every book used in a multilingual, multicultural classroom needs to represent people of color or to incorporate verbal diversity, but if bilingual children and children of color make up the majority of the class, then the majority of the books used in the book should reflect that fact."

I think this a great way to look at what you are reading to the children. Look at the breakdown of children in general. Often, when developing a co-ed book a writer will pick a male protagonist because females have no problem listening to a story about males, but males tend to not like stories about females. If your class is more females then read more books about females. If there are students from Russia or Cape verde make a concerted effort. It will mean a great deal for the child to have his/her "15 minutes". Also, and much like the problem with Wind Wolf, the other students will be exposed and open to this new culture, acting as a conduit for understanding.

I especially like Keats "The snowy day". It has an african american boy enjoying the snow. His culture is displayed in the patterns and colors of the beautifully decorated illustrations of the work. One thing I think is important is to read books both where minorities are different and books where they are not different from the majority. I think this because I feel it is important to show that there are important differences between different cultures but we are also very much the same. For instance, books using common coloqualisms of a certain culture are an important way of showing culture and keeping charectors true to who they are. It also reminds us that our proper English is a property of the power of culture. But if every time we read a book about a minority group, altered language is used, it may end up emphasizing that groups "difference". I enjoy books where minorities are the main charector but the book isn't ABOUT that main charector being a minority.