Sunday, April 8, 2012

Curriculum Resources

Books
Primary School









Secondary School
 

Suggestions for Children’s Books that Include
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Families

If you are nervous about reading a story, think about
the questions children are likely to ask. You can practice
answering them and review your answers with an early
childhood colleague.

If the books are new to your center, it is important to
be prepared for different responses from families and the
community. Starting with a book that surveys all different
kinds of families might be easier than starting with a book
that focuses only on LGBT families. Children usually do not
need much of an introduction or explanation; issues arise
when adults challenge your choice to read a specific book.
Listen to peoples’ concerns and create a space for dialogue,
but be clear about your own commitment, and the commitment
of the program, to diversity and to respect for all
families.

The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (NAEYC 2005) provides
a foundation early childhood educators can rely on
when explaining the reason for reflecting diverse families
throughout the curriculum.
Reading children’s books that are inclusive of LGBT
families is an essential strategy both for supporting the self-esteem
of children from these families and for teaching all
children about the diversity of families. Building the skills
and readiness to include these books in your curriculum
is a process. Here are some suggestions for responding to
common questions and concerns.

If a child asks, “Why doesn’t Tyrone have a mommy?” or
“Why does Tyrone have two daddies?” a simple response
might be, “Isn’t Tyrone lucky? He has two daddies who love
him.” When we focus on the love and care from whoever
is in the child’s family, we are focusing on what is most
important. We can move from there to explore, in a fun and
positive way, the many ways in which families are the same
and different.

If children ask questions you don’t know how to answer,
you can say you are not sure, but you will find out and 
get back to them. Be sure to follow up with an answer 
that is age appropriate.

 Other Resources

Scholarly Resources and Web Resources
Lesson Plan Ideas
Quizzes and Surveys 
Tips:What You Should Know
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5 comments:

  1. Katie MacLeodApril 24, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Wow, what an extensive list of resources! This is something I will look forward to being able to refer back to. Nice work girls!

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  2. Stephanie G.April 24, 2012 at 9:52 PM

    Thank you, Katie. We will be adding, changing, and rearranging them up until the completion of this project. ~ Stephanie

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  3. Erica WarkApril 29, 2012 at 3:39 PM

    What a great idea to include not just websites, but stories of varying age appropriateness. It seems you are genuinely interested in the topic, hence your extensive start to your blog. I especially love the anti - bullying pledges links, I just read about another one in CQ Research (2005). I am becoming more aware of numerous school programs surrounding this topic (such as, Project Wisdom), and a reminder for everyone, stick with a program with proven research supporting it. Keep up the good work ladies.

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  4. Stephanie G.April 29, 2012 at 3:43 PM

    Thank you, Erica. Yes, we are genuinely interested in this topic :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AmyAlphinApril 29, 2012 at 10:11 PM

    Thank you Erica and Katie. We have been working hard to find a list of resources that are not only interesting,but useful for teachers and other stakeholders as well!

    ReplyDelete

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