Welcome back to the blog series dedicated to sharing the magic behind the decodable stories by the authors involved in the Our Stories Decodables culturally responsive collection.
We’re excited to spotlight Rayven Bryant, a student at Spelman College majoring in elementary education with minors in Spanish and psychology. Originally from Louisiana, Rayven’s story, Bring It On, Gran!, is written in memory of her grandmother who passed away three years ago.
Keep reading to learn more about Rayven and her experience with Our Stories Decodables:
Q. How do you hope your story will impact young readers, especially those who may not have seen themselves represented in books before?
A. I hope that my story inspires young readers, and it's kind of a twofold. My story is about students of color, but also students who might have been raised in a non-traditional home by a grandparent or something like that, which is common, but not often represented in literature.
I also want students to celebrate the experiences they have with their grandparents or their non-traditional caregivers. I want them to be inspired by having a book that has characters that look like them, with storylines that are similar to theirs, and to feel comfortable celebrating those experiences.
Q. What message do you have for educators considering Our Stories Decodables for their classrooms?
A. I really want to convey the importance of relatability in literature for students, and how that connection is a big part of what drives students' motivation to read and to continue to read. Reading is such a foundational skill, and I want to remind educators that even though it might be a decodable that you spend a week on or a couple days on it's still important for students to have that connection to their literature to foster their passion for reading from an early age.
Q. What aspects of your culture or heritage were you excited to bring into the story that you've written?
A. I’m excited to bring my Louisiana culture into the story. There's a part of the book where they make beignets which is really telling of my culture. I was really excited to bring that experience as it's something that I did with my grandmother often. It makes me really happy to share that little piece of my culture with other children who may read my story.
Q. Why is it crucial for children's books in the classroom to reflect a broader perspective?
A. It's crucial for books in the classroom to embody a broader and deeper context because it fosters that connection aspect for students. I've learned a lot about how connection helps motivate students to read and in the end, we all want students to be readers. We want them to be lifelong readers, and we want them to love to read. When students feel connected to what they're reading, they're more likely to take something away and build upon that experience because it is a pleasant one.
Be sure to check out our first and second Q&A in this series. To learn more about Our Stories Decodables click here, and be sure to follow @ScholasticEdu on X!
