Creating an inclusive reading list is not only a powerful way to foster empathy and global awareness but also an excellent tool for building essential reading comprehension skills, especially for English Language Arts (ELA). By expanding your reading collection with diverse voices and stories, you provide opportunities to practice and improve a range of literacy skills in engaging and meaningful ways. Here are some examples of how multicultural books can enhance learning and comprehension:

1. Building Vocabulary Through Context

Multicultural books often introduce readers to new words, idioms, and phrases from different languages and cultures. This is a great opportunity to practice vocabulary-building strategies. While reading, you can encourage students or children to underline or note unfamiliar words. For example, in a book like Ameya’s Two Worlds by Aditi W. SIngh, readers might encounter culturally specific words that require context clues or further exploration. By discussing the meaning of these words within the context of the story, children improve their ability to deduce meaning, a key reading comprehension skill.

Practice Tip: Have readers keep a “new words journal” where they write down unfamiliar terms, guess the meanings using context, and then look them up for confirmation. This not only boosts vocabulary acquisition but also reinforces the habit of seeking understanding while reading.

2. Analyzing Story Structure and Narrative Styles

Books from different cultures often follow narrative structures that differ from the typical Western storytelling style. For example, “Cayden’s Adventures with Faith by Lizu would provide a unique narrative writing style for kids moving from picture books to chapter books. These differences in structure can provide excellent practice for recognizing diverse narrative patterns.

Practice Tip: Encourage readers to compare and contrast the structure of multicultural stories with more familiar ones. This helps develop critical thinking and an appreciation for varied storytelling traditions.

3. Making Inferences About Cultural Norms

Multicultural books often depict traditions, celebrations, and social norms unfamiliar to the reader. For instance, in the book “Amina’s Voice” by Hena Khan, a Pakistani-American girl navigates her identity while her family prepares for a religious celebration. Readers are invited to infer details about the cultural significance of events, such as Ramadan, based on character dialogue and context.

Practice Tip: Have readers make inferences about the cultural practices in the story and support their ideas with text evidence. This not only sharpens their inferencing skills but also encourages deeper engagement with the text.

4. Connecting Text to Personal Experience

Multicultural books can bridge the gap between personal experience and the experiences of others. A book like “Front Desk” by Kelly Yang, which tells the story of a young immigrant girl working at a motel, can resonate with readers who have experienced challenges related to belonging and identity. This connection strengthens comprehension by making the text more relatable and meaningful.

Practice Tip: Encourage readers to write or discuss how they relate to the characters’ experiences. Do they share similar feelings of being an outsider? How does the book help them reflect on their own lives? Making text-to-self connections deepens understanding and personalizes the reading experience.

5. Encouraging Critical Thinking Through Themes

Many multicultural books address important societal themes such as social justice, immigration, and race.  The book “One Last Time” by Manisha Poudyal is a great look at the feelings of a child leaving behind their home country. These themes offer an opportunity to practice critical thinking by analyzing how characters overcome obstacles, how cultural differences shape interactions, and how these themes relate to broader societal issues.

Practice Tip: After reading, have discussions or written reflections on the themes in the story. Ask questions like, “What does this book say about belonging?” or “How do the characters’ experiences with exclusion reflect real-world situations?” This practice encourages deeper analysis and helps readers think critically about the world around them.

6. Strengthening Global Awareness and Perspective-Taking

Multicultural books help develop perspective-taking, an important social-emotional skill that also supports reading comprehension. Anuja’s book India: Land of Festivals and Maria Adcock’s “Curious George : It’s Chinese New Year, Curious George” , help readers understand the importance  of festivals from a perspective they might not encounter in everyday life.

Practice Tip: Ask readers to describe what they observe in the illustrations. Did they learn something new? How a character’s cultural background influences their decisions. What motivates the character to act as they do? How does the setting and context shape the story?

More practice questions like these have been included in the catalog for reading comprehension to build ELA skills, critical thinking and global citizenship.

Conclusion

By diversifying your library with multicultural books, you provide readers with a rich, engaging platform to practice essential ELA skills. From vocabulary building to critical thinking and empathy, these books offer opportunities for growth while fostering a deeper understanding of our diverse world. Using the strategies mentioned above, readers can enhance their comprehension, become more reflective, and develop a broader perspective, all while enjoying captivating and culturally rich stories.