Biography-Driven Culturally Responsive Teaching

''Biography-driven instruction is one powerful way to find common ground among all students in the classroom. Everyone has a biography that is distinct and unique. The author uses concrete examples and 'how to' approaches when describing theory and its application. The book is very much needed!''
-Diana Gonzales Worthen, University of Arkansas



Nationally known literacy expert Socorro Herrera provides a practical guide for teachers serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations. Teachers will learn how to plan and implement more successful culturally responsive instruction using student biographies as the point of departure. The author provides tools for tapping into the strengths students bring from their sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and academic histories. She shows how to both draw on these assets as a teacher and guide students to better access their own strengths and existing funds of knowledge and prior knowledge to accelerate academic learning. Herrera's research-based strategies incorporate easily into any program being used by a school or district for improved results. Perfect for professional development, this book takes the reader on a personal journey of reflection on multiple aspects of teaching and learning in the context of their own diverse classroom communities.



Book Features:

-Tools for understanding families and students in ways that value culture and language.
-CLD teaching strategies based on the most current knowledge in the field.
-Concrete examples of differentiated instruction from diverse classrooms.
-Support for Level 1 Response to Intervention (RTI ) implementation and reduction of the need for Levels 2 and 3.
-Teacher voices and samples of student work.