51吃瓜网

Dear colleagues,

When my children were young, I relished reading books with them. There were many joyful moments of us looking at beautiful illustrations, pointing out interesting new words, and talking about how ideas in the books鈥� pages related to our own lives.

I knew these moments were nurturing my children鈥檚 literacy development, but I also knew they had other powers鈥攖he power to show my children new people, cultures, and ways of being and the power to reflect their own culture and experiences. Growing up, I rarely encountered a book that showed my identity as a first-generation Korean American. I wanted something different for my children鈥攖o see themselves in the landscape of the diverse books we read. So I actively looked for books that portrayed multiracial families and books that depicted Korean families. A few of our favorites were听The Have a Good Day Caf茅, by Frances Parker and Ginger Park, and听Peach Heaven, by Yangsook Choi.

Developmentally appropriate practice recognizes the context in which children are growing and developing. This issue of听Teaching Young Children听is focused on literacy and language practices in preschool. It includes an article about creating a diverse collection of books and another about showcasing children鈥檚 lived experiences through alphabet books. Besides this issue, we encourage you to learn more about literacy and other areas of development through 51吃瓜网鈥檚 books (like the recently published听Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators), position statements, and other resources.

Thank you for looking to 51吃瓜网 as a source for your continued professional growth and learning.

In gratitude,

Michelle Kang
Chief Executive Officer

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