Every day our brains work to make sense of our experiences, interactions and encounters. We know the difference between a pen and a car, a grocery store and a movie theatre, and are able to sort and categorize these objects and services appropriately. When we begin sorting people however, assuming they share common traits because of what we see on the surface, we can apply harmful stereotypes to those around us.

But what exactly do the words stereotype, bias, discrimination and prejudice mean? In This is Your Brain on Stereotypes, author Tanya Lloyd Kyi explores these questions in addition to how we can re-work our brains to change how we treat one another in our diverse and complex world.

The author refers to multiple research studies throughout this text to both illustrate and prove their position in relation to our perception of those around us. Although I at first found the definitions simplistic, it didn’t take long for me to see the potential this text could have in both a classroom library and as a teaching resource. The topics are sensitive, timely and difficult to both explain and explore, yet Kyi tackles a variety of social justice issues in plain language with practical examples and practice experiences.

This book is divided into five chapters and a conclusion, each building onto the research and information provided in previous sections. Readers explore topics such as how and why perceptions develop, the brain’s attraction to homogeneous groups and the potential for individuals to change. The text includes reading suggestions as well as selected sources that can be accessed for further information. Connections can be made to a variety of subjects including Language Arts, Math and Social Studies, where examples can become potential conversion starters and provocations for future work.

Kyi provides educators with a starting point to begin the challenging and important work of unpacking stereotypes within our elementary classrooms.

Melissa McKinney-Lepp is a member of the Niagara Teacher Local