Publication Date
12-2025
Abstract
Although diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a significant focus of research in children’s literature, many studies fail to consider the reader’s perspective and instead rely on text analyses. In the present study, the author employed focus groups to examine fifth-grade readers’ insights as they interpreted, related to, and engaged with the presence of diversity in texts. Findings indicate that readers interpreted diversity by envisioning the larger picture, recognizing the importance of others’ differences, and connecting through emotions. Thus, this study suggests that it is necessary for teachers to understand that students recognize and appreciate individual differences, to select texts that promote diversity through empathy, and to embrace their students’ diverse identities and personalities.
Recommended Citation
Barr, M. (2025). “She’s a Good Different. She’s Revolutionary”: How Fifth-Grade Readers Interpret Aspects of Diversity in Literature. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 64 (3). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol64/iss3/3
Included in
Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons
