Oyster Bay-East Norwich

June 5, 2026

Oyster Bay High School seniors bring multicultural stories to life for second graders

Students in Oyster Bay High School's English 12 class recently wrapped up a meaningful unit that connected literature, cultural understanding and community service. It was a learning experience that took them out of the classroom and into the pages of books alongside the youngest readers in the district.

The unit focused on multicultural children's literature and was grounded in scholar Rudine Sims Bishop's influential 1990 framework, which describes books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Through this lens, students explored how stories can reflect a reader's lived experience while also opening perspectives on the lives of those whose backgrounds differ from their own.

To research cultural representation and diverse storytelling in children's literature, the class visited the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Public Library, where students selected books and examined how authors and illustrators portray themes of identity, heritage and belonging.

The unit came to life in a particularly memorable way when the seniors teamed up with second graders at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School. Partnering one-on-one with younger students, the seniors shared stories aloud, fostering connections across grade levels and bringing the unit's themes into a real, human exchange.

The experience gave English 12 students the opportunity to apply their literary analysis in a hands-on, community-centered setting and to model for younger students what it means to both see yourself in a story and to be curious about the stories of others.

A teacher reads a book to a young student at a desk in a classroom. A teacher reads a book to a group of young students in a classroom. A man reads a colorful children's book to two young girls in a classroom. A group of young people sit on the floor of a library, surrounded by bookshelves and building with colorful blocks. A young man reads a book aloud to a boy sitting at a desk in a classroom. Two young men engage with children in a classroom setting, possibly assisting with an activity. Three students sit at desks in a classroom, engaged with laptops and books. A teacher attentively listens to a young student in a classroom setting. A teacher reads a book to a group of attentive young students sitting at desks. A young man reads a book aloud to two girls at a table in a classroom. A group of children and an adult gather around a book on the floor, engaged in reading. Four young students gather around a table, looking at an open book with colorful illustrations.