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Exploring Diversity in Child Care

Overview

Making Changes

Working With Children

  • introduce one change at a time
  • document your journey to a more diverse and inclusive classroom
  • journal your thoughts and experiences

"Early Childhood Education holds tremendous promise for raising a new generation, with each child not only proud of their own heritage and identity, but committed to standing up against bias in all its many forms."

  • Definition of diversity
  • Exploring our values and beliefs
  • The role of educators
  • strategies to support diversity
  • Partnerships with families
  • The environment

Empowering and Advocating with Children

Why do we need to consider diversity in our work with children?

"I have come to believe over and over again, that what is most important to me must be spoken...even at the risk of it being bruised or misunderstood."

Carter and Curtis, 1994

  • Diversity issues effect everyone, even the youngest citizens, so we must support and assist all children in their development as active citizens.
  • Our role as educators is to protect and value each child in the environment and to foster empathy and a sense of well-being and belonging.
  • It is the educators role to provide accurate information about differences to children.

Audre Lord

Ideas to Support Advocacy and Empowerment

  • be role models;
  • be visibly active against negativity related to difference
  • model appropriate responses to diversity
  • have discussions around the terms "fair" and "unfair"
  • model simple phrases for children that can be used in play.

Encourage Critical Thinking in Children

Strategies to Support Diversity in the Classroom

"One of the most powerful lessons that I have learned is that even young children are able to reflect on issues that impact their identity and their lives."

Segura-Mora, 2002

  • support a sense of belonging

  • help children to become comfortable with difference

  • encourage critical thinking

  • empower and advocate with children

Ideas to Support the Development of Critical Thinking

  • explore your personal views of children as capable and competent
  • expand your knowledge on diversity issues to communicate accurate information
  • use books and display photographs that challenge stereotypes
  • use clear language when discussing discrimination or racism with adults and children

Help Children to Become Comfortable with Difference

Support a Sense of Belonging

"A sense of belonging is supported when each child's unique spirit, individuality, and presence are valued"

"The way that you behave will have an impact on the children and your outlook and attitudes will become visible to them through your words and actions."

How Does Learning Happen: Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years, 2014

Jenny Lindon, 1999

Strategies to Support Respect of Differences

Ideas for Supporting a Sense of Belonging

  • educators need to first explore their own feelings towards differences
  • observe children's play for inclusion and exclusion
  • explore feelings with children
  • challenge children's ideas on difference through conversation
  • respect names, how they are pronounced and spelled
  • ensure the environment depicts all children and backgrounds in the setting
  • talk with children about similarities and differences
  • identify each child's individual strengths and individual skills
  • discourage any sense of superiority
  • use "How Does Learning Happen" as a resource

Contact

The Environment

If you would like any more information regarding this topic please contact:

“To be able to develop an understanding of others you have to know who you are, overcome biases you have learned about other groups, and have a highly developed sense of empathy and justice.”

"How well does the content of classroom pictures, posters, games, and other materials represent the real people in the classroom?"

Louise Derman-Sparks (2001)

Janet Brown McKracken, 1993

Cathy Robb RECE

Professional Learning Consultant

(905)574-6876 ext 237

crobb@ascy.ca

Values and Beliefs

Gender Roles in the Environment

What are values and beliefs?

Why do we need to consider the environment?

Why do we need to explore our values?

To have a diverse and equality rich child care program, educators must understand that they play a vital role in supporting the diverse views of children.

Understanding how we feel and what we believe, will influence how we act and react to difference.

  • The physical environment offers first impressions to families and children and should communicate that diversity is valued and respected in the space.
  • Physical elements can make a statement about the pedagogy in the classroom.
  • Providing a rich diverse environment alone will not change attitudes or support children with difference.
  • Children learn to recognize and understand about gender difference in the preschool years.
  • Gender can influence how children think, feel, behave, communicate, dress, play, and speak.
  • We need to create an environment that demonstrates that boys/girls and men/women have equal levels of competence.

Values Activity

Setting Up the Physical Space

Questions to help you identify your core values?

"Changing attitudes and beliefs takes time. Remember that each individual needs to change at their own pace and each individual sees the world through their own perspectives"

  • If I began a new business outside of Early Learning, I would build it around this core value.

  • If you awoke with more than enough money to retire, would you continue to apply this core value to your life?

  • Would you continue to hold this core value even if you were not rewarded for holding it?

Arthur L, 1993

Examples of Core Values

  • accountable
  • ambitious
  • assertive
  • belonging
  • bold
  • calm
  • cheerful
  • compassionate
  • consistent
  • creative
  • democratic
  • dependable
  • diligent
  • effective
  • fair
  • focused
  • generous
  • happy
  • honest
  • inquisitive
  • intelligent
  • love
  • loyal
  • positive
  • professional
  • practical
  • reliable
  • sensitive
  • supportive
  • the physical space sets the stage for discussing diversity with children
  • children rely on adults to provide the necessary physical environments for developing and learning
  • provide a rich, accurate, non stereo-typical environment
  • respond to children's comments while they are interacting with the materials provided
  • consider the sense of belonging of all children and make sure they are represented
  • an environment which depicts all children and families can offer reassurance to families
  • settings that are composed of majority children also have diversity and should be reflected in the classroom

Reflecting on Your Values

Create a statement that reflects your intentions regarding each core value.

  • What does this value mean to me?
  • What do I do that is consistent with this value?
  • Who are the people that represent this value to me?
  • How does this value influence my work?

Dramatic Play

Language and Literacy

For Example:

I want to make a difference with my life.

I want to inspire others to greatness.

I am a life-long learner.

I want to build loving relationships around me.

I seek to uplift those around me.

Blocks

Music

Partnerships with Families

Definition of Diversity

Resources

"Families bring diverse, social, cultural, and linguistic perspectives. Families should feel they belong, are valuable contributors to their children's learning, and deserve to be engaged in a meaningful way"

Diversity means difference. It recognizes that although people have similarities, they are different and unique in many different ways; it is about recognizing and valuing those differences.

Diversity includes visible and non-visible factors which include but are not limited to: race, culture, gender, religious beliefs, and age.

  • How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years
  • www.google.ca (for all images)
  • www.decet.org
  • National Childcare Strategy: Diversity and Equality guideline for childcare providers (2010)

How Does Learning Happen? Ontario's Pedagogy for the Early Years, 2014

Getting Started

Why do we need to work together with families?

Working together with families and children is essential for promoting diversity. Establishing relationships with the family will help educators to bridge the gap between home and the child care setting. A shared understanding of diversity will help meet the needs of educators, children, and families

  • reflect on the existing contact with families; is it working?
  • engage in discussions with families on diversity
  • create a feeling of trust so families will feel comfortable raising issues
  • use correct terminology when addressing people
  • ensure the language you use when talking or writing to families is inclusive of diverse family structures

Considerations When Working with Diverse Families

Benefits of Working with Families

  • when the culture is unfamiliar, families may feel nervous and isolated
  • families who did not leave their country of origin by choice may have experienced trauma
  • some families may find it difficult to give personal information
  • body language may mean different things in different cultures
  • use correct terminology when addressing people
  • always maintain confidentiality in line with best practice

Educators and families working together can support the development of diversity in a program.

  • Children, parents, and other family members are the most knowledgeable about their background, culture, language, and needs.
  • Families can inform staff on how their individual cultures, religions, and traditions should be depicted.
  • Diversity is best understood by the person or people experiencing it.

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