Developing a Children's Literature Course to Facilitate Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding of Culturally Relevant Texts

This chapter describes the development of an undergraduate course focused on exploring children's literature using a critical lens. Descriptions of course assignments and activities are provided to illustrate how pre-service teachers engaged in learning how to identify and evaluate diverse books. Additionally, reflections provide insights into the lived experiences of the students enrolled in the class and the faculty member who created the course. The course framework emphasizes the importance of providing culturally relevant texts that reflect the cultures and identities of readers ages 3-12. This framework aligns with the seminal work of Bishop's “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors” that described the importance of children accessing books that are windows into other experiences, books that mirror their own lived experiences, and sliding glass doors that children can walk into the other world created by the author.