A World of Difference

As teachers encounter a wider variety of children and families than ever before, dealing with all the differences can be demanding. This book provides a collection of 45 readings reflecting the strong, continuing current of thoughtful work on teaching young children in a diverse society to help teachers and prospective teachers respond to the challenges and opportunities posed by classroom diversity. The readings are grouped into eight areas, each with a brief overview describing how all the pieces of the section fit together. The sections are: (1) "Teaching in a Multicultural, Multilingual Society"; (2) "Forging a Caring Classroom Community"; (3) "Building Relationships with All Families"; (4) "Regarding Social Class and Family Circumstances"; (5) "Promoting Gender Equity, Respecting Gender Differences"; (6) "Creating an Inclusive Classroom"; (7) "Educating in a Religiously Diverse World"; and (8) "Growing as Culturally Responsive Educators." Each of the articles contains references. The book concludes with a list of 116 additional publications, and questions for reflection and discussion, organized by section. (HTH).