Author Robert Fulghum once wrote that all he really needed to know he learned in kindergarten. Alan Storm, director of student services for the Sunnyside Unified School District in Tucson, Ariz., would add that all students and teachers really need to know about respecting diversity can be found in many of the books that grace a kindergarten classroom's shelves.
Many children's books address racial and ethnic differences, inclusion, gender stereotypes, cultural issues, and so on, in ways that are engaging and accessible to both teachers and students, Storm told educators. He modeled some practical exercises that teachers can use with students of all ages to help them explore the themes presented in books and make connections to their own lives.
For example, by simply choosing to read books that celebrate diversity, such as Sheila Hamanaka's All the Colors of the Earth (New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1994), teachers can help build their students' appreciation for differences.
Teachers can also ask students to read children's books that explore contemporary issues, such as Smoky Night (San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1994), by Eve Bunting, one of Storm's favorite authors. In Smoky Night, a young boy and his mother in a nameless city watch a riot erupt beneath their apartment window. In the crisis that later ensues, the boy and his mother become acquainted with their neighbor — a woman whom they had avoided because she was of a different ethnicity. In analyzing the characters and plot of such books, students often find ideas for how to handle similar situations in their own lives, Storm suggested.