Teaching using culturally diverse children's books
Build confidence using diverse children’s literature with practical tools to choose authentic texts, foster critical dialogue, and embed culturally responsive teaching across the English curriculum.
Course Length
3.5 hours
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Access
365 days from enrolment
|
Course Creator
Associate Professor Helen Adam
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About this course
Using quality literature from a diverse range of authors and illustrators, including First Nations creators, is an important expectation across Australian curricula and syllabuses. Yet many educators are unsure where to begin when selecting, evaluating and teaching culturally diverse texts.
Based on the bestselling PETAA publication Transforming Practice: Using Diverse Children's Literature, this course provides practical guidance for selecting authentic, high-quality literature that reflects the diversity of contemporary Australian classrooms. Participants will explore frameworks for evaluating texts, strategies for culturally responsive teaching, and approaches for facilitating meaningful classroom conversations about identity, culture, race and representation.
Combining research, practical examples and classroom-ready tools, this course supports educators to use diverse literature purposefully across the Australian Curriculum: English while creating more inclusive, engaging and equitable learning environments.
Learning outcomes
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Articulate why diverse books matter, particularly in contemporary Australian classrooms.
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Apply practical frameworks and selection criteria when choosing diverse children's literature.
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Use evaluation tools and discussion prompts to analyse texts and support critical classroom conversations.
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Understand how diverse literature can support teaching across all three strands of the Australian Curriculum: English.
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Employ culturally responsive teaching practices with and through children's literature.
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Transform teacher read-alouds into opportunities for critical dialogue about race, culture, identity and representation.
Who should participate?
- Teachers F–6
- Literacy Coordinators
- Year and Stage Coordinators
- Instructional and Curriculum Leaders
- Heads of Teaching and Learning
What else do I need to know?
- This PL course is self-paced and unmoderated.
- Participants have access for 365 days from registration.
- Group booking discounts apply for 6+ participants.
- This course addresses AITSL standards 1.2.1, 1.3.2, 1.4.2 and 2.4.2.
About your course creator
Associate Professor Helen Adam is a researcher and teacher educator in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University. With a background in primary education, she has worked and researched in literacy and socially just education since 2007, with a particular focus on the role of children's literature in supporting equity, inclusion and representation.
Helen completed her PhD in 2019, investigating how culturally diverse literature can support principles of diversity in early years education. Her research has been published internationally and has influenced teacher practice, classroom culture and children's engagement with reading.
In 2022, Helen was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate how children's literature can be used to disrupt prejudice and discrimination. She is the author of the PETAA publication Transforming Lives: Transforming Practice Using Diverse Children's Literature.
Cost of participation
| Registration Type |
Price |
| Member |
$125 |
| Non-Member |
$175 |
| PL Subscription School Member |
Included |
| Automatic group booking discount (6+) |
25% off each extra enrolment |
*all tickets must be booked at the same time for the discount to apply