The Family Center (FC) at CHS is collaborating with a group of ninth grade English students at CHS. Part of the ninth grade curriculum is to explore, interrogate and curate research to build persuasive writing. 

In this project, the CHS students will be challenged to research, explore, interrogate and evaluate culturally responsive and age-appropriate books for the FC students and themselves. Because reading with expressiveness and fluency is important for young readers, CHS students will read aloud to each other and to the young children. The CHS students will also be able to have meaningful conversations with the FC students that also help us become stronger readers.  

Books that both ninth grade and FC students currently have in their classrooms will be researched by investigating them through a lens of culturally responsive teaching and inclusivity, using The NYU Steinhardt Scorecard and International Literacy Association's (ILA) audit. This scorecard will also be used to research and evaluate new titles for both FC and ninth grade CHS students. Students will choose the books at both grade levels and teachers will support them with their investigations and proposals. 

Because many stories matter, our goal is to “include texts that reflect the identities and lived experiences of the students in our classrooms as well as texts that provide a glimpse into the lived experiences of people whose identities they do not share. These are often referred to as windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors - terms popularized by scholar Rudine Sims Bishop,” (ILA.com). These books will help us cultivate meaningful and inclusive classroom libraries for both the ninth graders and the FC students.