Reading to Belong

At the present time, schools in many places have found themselves in the midst of a culture war. While interest from teachers in having critical conversations with students is growing, they nonetheless face challenges. These tensions reflect a larger world of social and political unrest, where our nation's schools are often caught in the middle.This work aims to equip educators with tools to facilitate critical conversations with students - to question what they read, consume, and hear. Reading to Belong: Identity, Perspective and Advocacy in the Elementary Grades bridges the gap between research and practice by sharing snapshots of conversations happening in real classrooms. The language of mirrors and windows anchors discussions as students deepen an understanding of themselves, experience different perspectives, and ultimately use this knowledge to change their world for the better.

Alyson Lamont, Ed.D is a district-level instructional specialist. She holds a Doctor of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has been published in several academic journals: Phi Delta Kappan, Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, and Berkeley Review of Education.
Pamela Washington is currently serving as an elementary principal, where she provides instructional leadership. She received her Principal Certificate from Danforth (University of Washington) and Master's Degree in Literacy from Seattle University.
Emilie Hard recently retired as a district Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. She also served as a district Director of Equity, elementary school principal and classroom teacher. She was a contributing author in Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind (Costa & Kallick, 2008), and holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Oregon.

PREFACE
INTRODUCTION: Why This Work?
Chapter 1: Class Communities: Foundations for Safe Conversation Spaces
Chapter 2: Identity & Belonging: Student Understanding of Self
Chapter 3: Knowledge, Perspective & Empathy: Understanding Others
Chapter 4: Advocacy & Action: Now What?
Chapter 5: When Things Don't Go as Planned
Chapter 6: Leading This Work
Appendix: Leading with an Equity Lens: A Reflection Tool for Educational Leaders
Appendix: Discussion Prompts for Supporting Identity, Empathy and Advocacy
Appendix: Building a Robust, Diverse Classroom Library
References