Checklist for an Inclusive Classroom Community

Adapted from A Guide to Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades 4 to 6 Volume Two Assessment, 2006, pp. 58. Be sure to take the following considerations into account in planning classroom instruction and assessment. ATMOSPHERE Create an equitable and inclusive classroom that respects gender differences, diverse ethnocultural and faith communities, family structures, student abilities/needs and differences in socioeconomic status. Take care that all students feel accepted and gain a sense of belonging. Convey your belief that all students can learn and succeed. Provide, for each student, a balance of challenge and support to scaffold new learning. Convey openness and warmth and encourage students to interact with others in the same way. Emphasize and model values of fairness, empathy, acceptance, kindness, respect and responsibility to and for other people. Create an atmosphere of respect for the school community and foster positive connections between the school and students home and community cultures. Recognize and value student improvement and celebrate success for each individual. Challenge any and all stereotypical comments and inappropriate behaviours. ENVIRONMENT Provide images and visual displays in the classroom that are gender balanced and reflect the diversity of the community and the world outside the classroom. Provide texts, resources and learning materials in the classroom that reflect diversity of culture, ethnicity, faith, and language, and differences in socioeconomic status, physical ability and family structure. Establish classroom routines that are sensitive to the individual needs and cultural norms of students. Ensure that classroom responsibilities are inclusive, gender balanced and not stereotyped. Give all students opportunities to display their best work.
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COMMUNITY Value and celebrate diversity in the community by encouraging activities such as family literacy events, visits to classrooms and storytelling and games from various cultures. Create and plan literacy events using culturally diverse texts and learning materials. Use storytelling, games and performing arts to engage students and their families in the enjoyment of learning together. Invite community involvement in displays of books and materials appropriate for junior learners. Take care that all parents/guardians receive invitations in their own language as needed. Invite parents to share their insights, experiences and concerns within the context of the classroom curriculum. Invite guest speakers from various organizations, arts groups, etc. who represent the diversity of the local community and of the larger community in Ontario. RESOURCES Use resources that value and reflect diversity e.g., poems, rhymes, songs, dance and music from a variety of cultures; audio-taped books in a variety of first languages. Provide resources that appeal to both boys and girls. Use resources that reflect the interests and perspectives of both genders and present characters from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds in non-stereotypical roles. Use a range of resources that reflect the diverse cultures, social backgrounds and experiences of students in the class e.g., that include topics of cultural and social relevance. Provide resources that accurately reflect the history, culture and realities of Canadas Aboriginal peoples. Use resources that present both local and global images and perspectives. Provide dual-language books and books in students first languages. Provide a variety of resources with a range of reading levels for students, including English language learners, at different stages of reading development. Take care that financial considerations do not prevent students from participating in class trips and other school-sponsored experiences.

READING Provide opportunities for reading experiences that enable students to build on their own experiences, language and culture. Select texts that show situations, problems, solutions and experiences in a variety of cultural settings. Select texts that show both male and female heroes, role models and leaders from a variety of backgrounds. Select texts, such as fairytales and fables that invite comparison of similar plots, storylines and characters across a variety of cultures. Arrange text sets to include universal themes e.g., hope, struggle, survival, courage, family presented from a variety of different viewpoints and experiences. Arrange text sets of fictional and informational material that address topics of social relevance to the students e.g., immigration, poverty, homelessness, war, social justice. Use texts to create role-play opportunities that enable students to experience the world through the eyes of another. Use fictional and informational texts to help students identify stereotypes of individuals, cultures and social backgrounds. Present picture books that enable students to explore images of gender, ethnicity and physical disability. Include a range of texts that present the contributions of people from a variety of ethnocultural backgrounds and from different parts of the world. Provide texts by local and international authors from a variety of cultures, social backgrounds, historical time periods and written from a variety of viewpoints. Use discussion and oral activities to help students make explicit connections between what they read and their own background and experiences.

WRITING Provide opportunities for writing experiences that enable students to build on their own experiences, language and culture. Provide models of writing from culturally diverse sources. Provide opportunities to explore oral and written language across a variety of cultures e.g., oral storytelling, written stories, narrative techniques, language patterns. Provide supports for students who are challenged by various aspects of writing and spelling e.g., graphic organizers, tape recorders, use of a scribe, allowing students to do tasks or make presentations in alternative ways. Provide students with the opportunity to compose orally before writing. Engage students in an exploration of writing across cultures and time e.g., alphabets, writing forms and purposes, pictographs, materials, conventions. LANGUAGE Respect and value the language students bring to school. Tap into students family language and culture as foundations for learning. Provide classroom activities that enable students to learn that different language forms and styles and structures are appropriate to different situations e.g., home, church, business meeting, school council, interview, parentteacher interview, telephone conversation. Give students opportunities to consolidate their ideas verbally prior to writing where appropriate. Provide opportunities for students to use their first language to formulate and express their thoughts orally and in writing. MEDIA/POPULAR CULTURE Guide students in examining stereotypes and bias in media works from a variety of sources. Use media texts to develop students awareness of diversity (e.g., in beliefs, values, traditions, gender roles, family structures) among cultures, faiths and people from different social backgrounds. Use media texts from different cultures to develop students awareness of how cultural perspectives influence presentation of the same topics or events.

TEACHING PRACTICES Plan for differentiated instruction based on the different stages that students have reached in the reading process and their individual progress. Help each student choose topics of high interest and engagement for independent reading, writing and inquiry. Provide appropriate opportunities to explore issues of bias and stereotyping related to language, culture, ethnicity, faith, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, family structure, age and physical/cognitive ability. Use technology to provide additional visual, oral, aural and/or physical supports for students who need them. Use instructional strategies that reflect diverse learning styles. Make strong links to students prior knowledge and interests. Tap into students family, language and culture as foundations for learning. Group students in ways that are sensitive to students varying comfort levels with group interaction. Respect culturally diverse expectations and practices with regard to group work e.g., willingness to ask questions, express disagreement, take initiative. Use a variety of grouping strategies e.g., gender, abilities, interests, backgrounds, reading levels, first language. Take care that home/school tasks are equitable e.g., recognize that tasks that require access to technology or use of libraries may result in inequities and create barriers to success for some students. ASSESSMENT Use assessment methods that reflect the diversity of students learning styles, language and culture. Use a variety of assessment tasks so that students with different learning styles can achieve success. Take into consideration cultural expectations and behaviours that may have an effect on assessment e.g., shyness in answering questions, expressing opinions. Provide accommodations for students who require extra time or additional explanations. Provide information about the results of student assessments, classroom events and celebrations to all parents, including those for whom English is not their first language. Use evaluation methods that are equitable and take into account the diversity of students life experiences and learning needs e.g., refugee experience, amount of previous schooling. Thinking about Thinking: Becoming an Independent Reader (Used in Session 1)
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