Opening Our Bookshelves: Using Literacy as a Tool for Meaningful Representation

We know that inclusivity is an important value we hold in our early childhood classrooms. It is essential for every child, parent and staff member to feel reflected in their environment, yet our art, books and other classroom materials may not fulfill our intentions. In Opening our Bookshelves: Using Literacy as a Tool for Meaningful Representation, we flexed our muscles in creatively mining books we already know and love for additional purposes. Together, we analyzed illustrations and learned new techniques for eliciting conversations about representation in literacy with young children. With the copious new Jewish and secular books available to us, we considered the criteria we’d like to use for curating our classroom bookshelves.  

Part 1: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 from 3:00 - 4:15 PM ET

Part 2: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 from 3:00 - 4:15 PM ET

FEATURED PRESENTER:

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Tehilah Eisenstadt | Tehilah Eisenstadt is the Director of Yachad & Family Engagement at CBE, the largest synagogue in Brooklyn. She also served as Luria Academy’s Primary (preschool) Community Director; Luria is an open Orthodox Montessori Jewish Day School. Tehilah is also honored to have co-created curriculum and conducted teacher development in the first years of the first moderate Muslim religious school for ages K - teens in NYC, for Cordoba Initiative's “Cordoba House.” Tehilah serves as curriculum consultant on Netflix’s Charlie’s Colorforms City. She is most frequently called on, to write or speak, about the following topics: SESL and text-based social justice with an action-focused lens for Jewish or interfaith groups.