Promoting Self-Awareness and Social Awareness in Middle School Students Through Literature Featuring Diverse Characters

Promoting Self-Awareness and Social Awareness in Middle School Students Through Literature Featuring Diverse Characters

Roberta Linder
Copyright: © 2021 |Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-7464-5.ch006
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Abstract

High-quality narrative and informational texts can provide young adolescents with mirrors which reflect their lived experiences and windows into the lives of those with whom they are less familiar. These texts can connect with the social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies of self-awareness and social awareness. Connections between SEL programs and integration with literacy practices are described. Literacy approaches grounded in reader response theory and critical literacy theory provide the basis for reading and understanding diverse texts and support the development of SEL competencies. The chapter presents criteria for selecting high-quality literature, 13 text recommendations for self-awareness and social awareness, and ideas for activities and discussion.
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Background

Expanding English language arts curricula and classroom libraries to include texts featuring diverse authors, illustrations, and characters can provide benefits for middle school teachers and students. The term diverse will refer to a wide range of identifying characteristics, including race/ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or cognitive/physical challenges. Reading literature with diverse characters can present readers with the opportunity to study texts that serve as mirrors through which their own lives and experiences are reflected back to them (Bishop, 1990). Students can relate to characters who are similar to themselves, and they can feel they have been acknowledged and valued. Literary works can also serve as windows that offer a glimpse into a reality that exists beyond a reader’s lived experiences (Bishop, 1990; Jozwik & Rice, 2020; Walton, 2012; Wee, Kura, & Kim, 2018). These texts can expose students to a world of individuals with diverse characteristics. Some of the texts will affirm and honor students’ identities, and others will show them the lived experiences of those different from themselves.

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