Celebrating Diversity

Diversity in Speech Therapy

I've been reading and hearing more and more about diversity lately, which is great.  We have a fairly diverse household, having adopted 2 children.  Our family is a bit of a melting pot in itself, with Mexican, Native American, European, and North African heritage.  

I looked through my old boxed card sets, printables, and games.  I found a whole lot of pictures of white skin and not a lot of diversity.  I thought to myself, does my library add up?  I took a quick inventory.  Based on the number of books we own and the number I found with diverse representation, I gave myself a C-.  Yes, quite a few of our books star non-humans, but we should have more representation of minorities on our bookshelf.  I should have more in my work-box.  

As a seller on TpT and Boom Learning, I am working to incorporate diversity in the clip art that I use as much as possible.  I also need to make sure that the physical products I bring into sessions are representative of the overall community I am serving.  

Books that highlight minority characters and diversity: 

Chocolate Me! by Taye Digs

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

A Sister for Matthew by Paula Kennedy

Fry Bread by Kevin Maillard

The Night is Yours by Abdul-Razak Zachariah

I Just Want to Say Good Night by Rachel Isadora

This Beach is Loud by Samantha Cotterill

The First Strawberries retold by Joseph Bruchac

Max and the Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw

I'm New Here by A.S. O'Brien

Free Printable Book and E-Book (Boom Cards): 

The Skin We're In Free Printable Book and Ebook, by Elizabeth Hepler

Professional Resources for Diversity: 

Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students in Schools 

Multicultural Affairs and Resources

ASHA Special Interest Group 14: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

If you are in the state of NC, you can access the Digital Library.  

 

I've been working to increase the diversity in my clip art.  My latest resources now include a variety of characters and images to reflect the real world.