Honors Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to educate and empower teachers to implement culturally responsive teaching practices in the elementary classroom to create inclusive learning environments. With an emphasis on high-quality instruction and meaningful materials, the research aimed to support equitable learning opportunities for all students. The study had a specific focus on how the use of bilingual, culturally relevant children’s literature can be a powerful resource for developing bilingual abilities in students, enabling them to meaningfully and confidently participate in the multicultural classroom. To explore how children’s literature can foster bilingualism and biculturalism in students, I collected daily, reflective observations of the local dialect and cultural practices during a 2-month study abroad experience in Spain. These observations informed my creation of an authentic, culturally relevant piece of bilingual children’s literature. The resulting text integrates Spanish and English in a fluid manner to emphasize the natural speech patterns of bilingual individuals. It demonstrates a translanguaging perspective by blending both languages and pairing them with visual elements to invite readers to engage their entire linguistic repertoire. The results of this study show how observations of languages and cultures can inform the creation of bilingual children's literature that supports the linguistic abilities and cultural literacy of individuals. It highlights the potential of translanguaged texts to facilitate inclusive learning environments and suggests a new perspective on supporting communication in the classroom through a culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy.

Department

Education

Major

Early Childhood Education – Inclusive

First Advisor

Dr. Michelle Sprouse

First Advisor Department

Honors Program

Second Advisor

Dr. Cynthia Ducar

Second Advisor Department

World Languages and Cultures

Third Advisor

Amanda McGuire Rzicznek

Third Advisor Department

English

Publication Date

Fall 11-24-2025

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