Books with diverse characters are essential for all students. More than half of the nation’s youth are children of color, and yet Black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American students, as well as students with disabilities and students who identify as LGBTQ+ are often overlooked in books. Books with representation offer children a mirror, allowing students to read about characters and experiences that reflect their own lives.
A new study from First Book Research & Insights found students who had classroom libraries with diverse books had significantly higher reading scores, scoring 3 points higher than the nationally expected averages. Educators also reported that as diverse books were added to classroom libraries, collective student reading time increased on average by four hours each week.
Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO at First Book, spoke with Pete Scalia to talk more about the study and the importance of diverse books.
For more information, visit www.FirstBook.org
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