Parallel Session Proceedings »
3.6.2 Diverse Social and Emotional Learning Booklist from Around the World for Gifted Students
One of the ways through which culturally responsive teaching is done in today’s classrooms is through a “plethora of multicultural literature” (Nguyen, 2012, p. 15) allowing gifted learners to see themselves reflected in the narratives they read. This becomes increasingly important, given the changing educational landscape where a culturally homogenous classroom is more the exception rather than the norm (Chong & Cheah, 2010). There is significant empirical evidence indicating how multicultural books are able to develop empathy among children (Bal & Veltkamp, 2013), provide the foundational framework needed to promote a greater appreciation of diversity, the building of compassion, and requisite social and emotional learning (SEL) skills among children (Harper, 2016). Literature has likewise been proven to be an effective tool to address high ability learners’ socio-emotional concerns (Fears-Floyd & Hébert, 2010; Abellán-Pagnani & Hébert, 2013), particularly among gifted students who are considered double minorities (gifted and of a different race and/or cultural/linguistic background and/or of low income status) (Stambaugh & Ford, 2015).
In this presentation, the speaker would draw upon a recently-concluded two-year research study that created a multicultural/ international picturebook database across the five SEL competencies. Hence, picturebook text-sets from around the world would be shared across (1) self-awareness, (2) self-management, (3) social awareness, (4) relationship management, and (5) responsible decision-making that would challenge high ability learners, make them think more critically about their identities, and allow for a more affective understanding that would make them reflect on their place in the world as socially-aware global citizens.