Nothing about Us without Us: Teaching about (Dis)ability in the Early Grades

Abstract

Students, especially young children, recognize differences. This guided inquiry positions elementary students to consider the (dis)abilities they see and do not see. This article couples trade books emphasizing diverse perspectives—general, American, people of color, international contexts, fiction, and disparate (dis)abilities—with evocative primary sources—telegrams, letters, photographs, bumper stickers, and buttons—highlighting advocacy for equity. The secondary and primary sources offer an array of curricular possibilities featuring famous, forgotten, and ordinary historical and modern voices. Text-based primary sources were abridged for length and adapted for language. Five graphic organizers evoke distinct types of thinking—historical thinking, close reading of text and subtext for critical thinking, unpacking text-based primary sources, examining visual primary sources, or illustrating central ideas—while providing varied levels of support. The age-appropriate texts engage students in elements of history, civics, and social and emotional learning. The tasks direct students’ thinking by integrating reading and writing in an interdisciplinary format flexible for elementary schedules. The inquiry culminates as students use distinct writing forms (expository, persuasive, or narrative) to engage various audiences (authors, librarians, administrators, teachers, counselors, or family) in informed dialogue about (dis)ability in history and today.

Keywords:

• Close reading
• (dis)ability
• disability-rights movement
• text-based writing