Sandra Bornstein

  • Home
  • Meet Sandy
  • 100 Things Boulder
  • For Readers
  • For Partners
  • For Glio
You are here: Home / Books / Inclusive Classroom: How Katie Got a Voice

Inclusive Classroom: How Katie Got a Voice

June 12, 2014 By Sandra Bornstein 3 Comments

Share
Tweet
Share

Illustration by Ian AckerMany children would prefer not to be different from their peers. They are afraid that their uniqueness will cause them to become ostracized. Some educators and schools recognize this issue and promote individual differences. Patricia L. Mervine capitalizes on this theme by writing the picture book, How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool nickname). In the book, she showcases a school that reinforces diversity. Every member of this school community is provided a nickname that celebrates a special characteristic.

Patricia sent me a copy of How Katie Got a Voice (and a cool nickname) in exchange for this interview and an honest review. She is participating in a book giveaway. See below for details. 

Patricia does a great job introducing an assortment of personalities. The clever nicknames make some characters more memorable. As readers are learning about the students, educators, principal and staff, a young girl with severe disabilities is introduced as the “new kid” in the class. Using her expertise as a speech/language pathologist, Patricia describes Katie’s limitations. She is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to talk or even feed herself. Katie’s classmates are bewildered and her teacher is not sure what to do.

The teacher arranges for Katie to spend time with the school’s speech/language pathologist. The kids in the class feel that these visits are pointless. With the help of an augmentative communication device, Katie is eventually taught how to communicate with her classmates and school personnel. Her classmates are thrilled that she can take part in some classroom activities. The narrator of the story gives Katie the nickname- CommuniKate. The underlining message of inclusiveness is heartwarming.

After the story, Patricia emphasizes the importance of accepting people’s differences. She lists 13 ways to show respect for people who have disabilities. Many of her tips provide insight into different forms of disability.

Some parents and educators may be reluctant to introduce children to the ramifications of being severely disabled. Just like other controversial topics, this one should be left up to the adult’s discretion. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that education goes a long way toward preventing discrimination and biases. Gaining an understanding of how children are different will lessen the likelihood of exclusion.

Book Giveaway

Anyone who leaves a comment on this blog by Sunday, June 28 will be eligible for a book giveaway. The randomly selected winner will be sent an autographed copy of How Katie Got a Voice.

Related Blogs:

Q & A with Patricia Mervine

Q & A with Chana Stiefel

Q & A with Gayle Swift

Q & A with Kay Winters

Q & A with Rebecca Behrens

Q & A with Ruth Tenzer Feldman

Q & A with Ben Mikaelsen

Sandra’s Bio

Sandra Bornstein is the author of MAY THIS BE THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. It is available on Amazon. Sandra’s memoir highlights her living and teaching adventure in Bangalore, India. She is a licensed Colorado teacher who has taught K-12 students in the United States and abroad as well as college level courses. Sandra is married and has four adult sons. The memoir was a finalist in the Travel category for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the 2013 International Book Awards, the 2013 National Indie Book Excellence Awards, the 2013 USA Best Book Awards, and received an Honorable Mention award in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category for the 2013 Global ebook Awards.

 

 

Filed Under: Books, Reviews Tagged With: books for disabled children, celebrating diversity, disability etiquette, inclusive classrooms, Patricia Mervine, picture books- disabilities, respect for the disabled child, ways to include the disabled

Comments

  1. Barbara Mojica says

    June 16, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    Can’t wait to read this one. An inclusive classroom is a wonderful idea as long as the correct parameters and guidelines are followed in setting it up and securing qualified teachers. More parents as well as students need to be familiar with students with disabilities. Understanding differences leads to acceptance rather than belittling and bullying.

    Log in to Reply
  2. Alex Baugh says

    June 17, 2014 at 7:05 am

    These are always such important books for kids to read. I really agree so much with what Barbara Majica says about setting it up and securing qualified teachers. I was put into a classroom with two students in wheelchairs and I am not a special ed teacher. What a recipe for disaster (fortunately, the district supervisor put an end to it and got a qualified teacher)

    Log in to Reply
    • Sandra Bornstein says

      July 1, 2014 at 1:14 pm

      Alex,
      Not all classroom teachers are equipped with the background knowledge to handle an inclusive classroom with severely disabled students. Fortunately in your case, your district supervisor was able to come to the rescue. Due to budget cuts and a lack of qualified teachers, too many untrained teachers are being forced to handle situations that are beyond their area of expertise.

      Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

You can purchase here.

Purchase on Amazon


Newsletter

Genres

Most Recent

Sandy Bornstein Appears at The Read Queen Book Signing

Sandy Bornstein NATJA’S Featured Author/Writer September 2024

Reflecting on my First Year of Grief

Announcing Sandy’s Interview on Big Blend Radio– August 19, 1954

In 2024– Don’t Forget to Keep Moving and Live Without Regrets







Connect with Sandra

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on E-mailFollow Us on Goodreads

© 2012-2025 Sandra Bornstein | All Rights Reserved