.png)
Each of us is a vital piece of the great mosaic of humanity.
Inclusion checklist
Be sure to take the following considerations into account in planning classroom instruction and assessment.
​
ATMOSPHERE
-Create an equitable and inclusive classroom that respects gender differences, diverse ethnocultural and faith communities, family structures, student abilities/needs and differences in socioeconomic status.
-Take care that all students feel accepted and gain a sense of belonging. Convey your belief that all students can learn and succeed.
-Provide a balance of challenge and support to scaffold new learning.
-Convey openness and warmth and encourage students to interact with others in the same way.
-Emphasize and model values of fairness, empathy, acceptance, kindness, respect, and responsibility
-Create an atmosphere of respect for the school community and foster positive connections between the school and students’ home and community cultures.
-Recognize and value student improvement and celebrate success for each student.
​
ENVIRONMENT
-Provide images and visual displays in the classroom that reflect the diversity of the community and the world outside the classroom.
-Provide texts, resources and learning materials in the classroom that reflect diversity of culture, ethnicity, faith, and language, and differences in -socioeconomic status, physical ability and family structure.
-Establish classroom routines that are sensitive to the individual needs and cultural norms of students.
-Ensure that classroom responsibilities are inclusive.
-Give all students opportunities to display their best work.
​
COMMUNITY
-Value and celebrate diversity in the community by encouraging activities such as family literacy events, visits to classrooms and storytelling and games from various cultures.
-Create and plan literacy events using culturally diverse texts and learning materials.
-Use storytelling, games and performing arts to engage students and their families in the enjoyment of learning together.
-Invite community involvement in displays of books and materials appropriate for all learners.
​
RESOURCES
-Use resources that value and reflect diversity
-Use resources that reflect the interests and perspectives of all students and present characters from a variety of different cultures and backgrounds in non-stereotypical roles.
-Use a range of resources that reflect the diverse cultures, social backgrounds and experiences of students in the class – e.g., that include topics of cultural and social relevance.
-Use resources that present both local and global images and perspectives.
-Provide dual-language books and books in students’ first languages.
-Provide a variety of resources with a range of reading levels for students, including English language learners, at different stages of reading development.
-Take care that financial considerations do not prevent students from participating in class trips and other school-sponsored experiences.
​
READING
-Provide opportunities for reading experiences that enable students to build on their own experiences, language and culture.
-Select texts that show situations, problems, solutions and experiences in a variety of cultural settings.
-Select texts that show both male and female heroes, role models and leaders from a variety of backgrounds.
-Arrange text sets to include universal themes – e.g., hope, struggle, survival, courage, family – presented from a variety of different viewpoints and experiences.
-Arrange text sets of fictional and informational material that address topics of social relevance to the students.
-Use texts to create role-play opportunities that enable students to experience the world through the eyes of another.
-Present picture books that enable students to explore images of gender, ethnicity and physical disability.
-Include a range of texts that present the contributions of people from a variety of backgrounds and from different parts of the world.
-Provide texts by local and international authors from a variety of cultures, social backgrounds, historical time periods and written from a variety of viewpoints.
-Use discussion and oral activities to help students make explicit connections between what they read and their own background and experiences.
​
the checklist for an inclusive classroom community
​
Click here to download the neurodiversity strengths checklist
