As I was doing some research on different strategies that teachers could implement to be more inclusive in the classroom, I came across a variety of different ideas. However, one in particular that stood out to me was the use of picture books as a way to build classroom community and allow students to think about special need students in a different light. This article (reference provided below) provided an excellent starting point in addressing an important topic like special needs to primary students who might not have much awareness of it.

Through book reading and discussions, teachers can promote special needs awareness in a manner that will lead to greater understanding about individuals with special needs, and provide vocabulary that is current, appropriate, and relevant to all children in the class (Ostrosky, Mouzourou, Dorsey, Favazza & Leboeuf, 2015). This could include providing books depicting pictures and stories of children with special needs, introducing children to sign language, or using visual supports to increase understanding and participation of all children. However, choosing appropriate books and using the books effectively to facilitate understanding of children with special needs can be difficult.

Attitudes about individuals with special needs are complex, multi-component constructs learned from direct experiences (encounters with an individual with special needs) and indirect experiences (such as books, media, and conversations about individuals with special needs), and are highly influenced by the child’s primary social group (Ostrosky et al., 2015). It’s important as future teachers to be aware of these influences in approaching this sensitive topic. Recognizing this complexity when attempting to promote certain attitudes, educators should consider the fundamental influences on attitude formation and the key role that teachers play in mediating the social acceptance of young children with special needs.

This article also provides readers with specific discussion questions following reading a children’s book and explains the importance of discussion for children’s learning and understanding.  The focus of a guided discussion was to point out similarities between children with and without special needs rather than to highlight differences (Ostrosky et al., 2015).

Most importantly, I love this article because it provides readers with a page length list of children’s books associated with special needs which can be very useful for teachers! This is beneficial for new teachers who are looking for some ideas and relevant books with lots of options to choose from depending on what you want students to learn or focus on. “All Kinds of Friends, Even Green” by Ellen B. Senisi is an example of a picture book that the authors frequently used throughout the article.

Ostrosky, M. M., Mouzourou, C., Dorsey, E. A., Favazza, P. C., & Leboeuf, L. M. (2015). Pick a book, any book: Using children’s books to support positive attitudes toward peers with disabilities. Young Exceptional Children, 18(1), 30.