​Using Literature to Support Diverse Families Page 4

Family Literature

Page 4

Families come in so many different forms that it is critical to represent and value them in your daily interactions with children. Sometimes this will look like an additional piece of program planning or curriculum and other times it will be a simple conversation. One tried and true option for valuing families of all kinds is by using children’s books. Authors have been representing diverse families in their children’s books for decades. From L. Frank Baum’s "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and Dorothy’s unconventional family, to the Harry Potter series where friends make up a family unit. These non-traditional families are all around us in popular culture and especially children’s literature.

Represented families may include families from varying cultural backgrounds, structures, ages, ability levels and more. Children’s literature today does an incredible job of encompassing diverse families within the pages of a book. Children are able to learn about and understand diverse traits of different families in a genuine way that feels familiar and comfortable.

Though great efforts are constantly being made to provide children’s books with more types of families from many backgrounds, there are many unique factors that make this a challenge. It is important for early childhood education professionals to know this and plan accordingly to supplement and support these pieces of literature.