All children and their families who differ from the
traditional family makeup should feel included and welcomed into the early
childhood classroom and have the opportunity of experiencing the richness of
diversity (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). We have to encourage and
introduce children as soon as possible to diversity, including family
diversity, as one means of stemming prejudice. "Family diversity, however,
is no longer an exception; it is
the norm (Derman-Sparks & Edwards,
2010)." Our families in the
classroom are made up of many cultures,
ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. Every family that it is the class must be
included and represented in the classroom environment. In the media segment ( Laureate
Education, n.d.) the narrator reflected
on ensuring that the inclusion of diversity and validating our program with
photographs drawing and stories reflecting the different families in
our program. We cannot omit books and
materials because of our bias.
Growing up
and even today, I hear homophobic terms such as “faggot,” “sissy” and "tomboy"
being used on a daily basis. I remember using the word “sissy” to relate to other
children who were always scared to try new things or afraid of everything. I
would say “stop being a sissy and come on”. Parents used the term frequently
when children would cry and whine all the time.
I didn’t think of at the time as a bad word or demeaning word because I
heard it in my environment every day. I
now know that this may cause children to feel bad and may have lowered
their self-esteem. Most young children become
upset if they are called a name or ridiculed in any way. I used to be called a
tomboy all the time because I rather play sports than play dress up or play
with dolls all the time. At the time, because I was young, I took it as a
compliment rather than an insult because I didn’t know any better.
We can
help children understand that teasing cannot be prevented, and they can’t
control what others say. However, they can learn to control their responses and
reactions. When children realize that there are effective strategies that they
can use in teasing situations, their coping skills are strengthened(Freeman,1999).
References
Derman-Sparks,
L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children
and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Freedman, J. S. (1999). Easing the teasing: How parents can
help their children. ERIC Digest. Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on
Elementary and Early Childhood Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED431555)
Laureate
Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Sexual orientation
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Hi Anita,
ReplyDeleteI grew up with 5 brothers who were very homophobic especially towards a long time friend of mine but once they got to know him, their feelings change to positive because they saw him as a decent human being therefore, one's sexual preference should prevail over the true self of a person and to be included is all that is asked.
Yvonne
Hi Anita
ReplyDeleteI do like how you have talked about diversity in your post. That is the one thing I really like about my center, because they encourage diversity. When children come into the center they are taught and encouraged that everyone is the same no matter how different they might be from them. I have one child who always said to me, "Fungayi you are black and I am white." pointing to my skin. I was never offended by it but instead I told him that it does not m]matter our skin difference, we are the same and I am the teacher. Today the same child comes in the classroom each morning and tells me, "Fungayi I love you." He takes my hand and kiss it every morning. I am proud that he sees that we are different but still wants to be a part of my class.
Hello Anita,
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle is an appropriate graphic to illustrate the need for early introductions of diversity and conversations to children. Many crucial skills are worked on while doing puzzles and are specific to a child’s development and life that could cross right over into teaching children about diversity and multiculturalism. These include social skills (encouraging working and playing together; solving puzzles as a group to develop understanding and patience, teamwork and taking turns) and problem solving (puzzles have clear goals that require taking necessary steps toward completion and/ or unique challenges that requires such skills; younger children may require more guidance along the way compared to older kids; learning to problem-solve on our own and to creatively think outside the box while struggling a bit is how we grow and learn) (Sunger, 2014).
Just like there are differences in puzzles, there are differences in people. Rather than teaching children that we are all the same, acknowledge the many ways people are different, and emphasize some of the positive aspects of our differences — language diversity and various music and cooking styles, for example. Likewise, be honest about instances, historical and current, when people have been mistreated because of their differences. Encourage your child to talk about what makes him or her different, and discuss ways that may have helped or hurt. After that, finding similarities becomes even more powerful, creating a sense of common ground (The Children’s Trust, 2016).
Reference
Sunger, E. (2014). Importance of doing puzzles with your kids. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galtime/importance-of-doing-puzzles-with-your-kids_b_4683094.html
The Children’s Trust. (2016). How to teach children to embrace diversity. Retrieved from https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/index.php/parents/news/newsletters/916
HI ANita
ReplyDeleteI can agree with you regarding utilizing and being called namees. Myself as well as family, would use these terms when we felt someone was acting in a particular manner. It is interesting how we name inividuals based upon their actions and how we are taught people should act. Our own biases often causes us to like at people different, but are we the ones different.