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Directed by Dr. Peggy Rice, Partners in Literacy (PiL) is a Ball State University Student
Organization and Student Affiliate of the International Literacy Association.
Culturally Diverse Children’s Literature Recommendations for Teaching Democratic Principles and Civic Virtues
“Literacy... means far more than learning how to read and write... The aim is to transmit... knowledge and promote social participation.” - UNESCO Institute for Education, Hamburg, Germany
What does it mean to be a responsible citizen? Why is it important?
The goal of social studies education is for children to develop thinking and decision-making skills that prepare them for responsible citizenship in a democratic society (NCSS, 2013). Currently, our American democracy is under attack in ways that are unprecedented. For this reason, educators have an enormous, unprecedented responsibility to integrate social studies into their literacy curriculum. In this column, we will share recommendations for children’s texts that create opportunities for children to develop core understandings of civic virtues and democratic principles.
“A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance,”
(Lyndon Baines Johnson)