Chapter 8
Read Chapter 8 on Diversity and Young Children and the class Lecture.
Understanding Our Own and Others’ Diverse Identities section on Page 217 stated that, “An excellent place to begin this active process of influencing children’s attitudes about diversity is with self-analysis.” Conduct a thoughtful self-analysis of your view and understanding of race and diversity.
Respond to the prompts below:
Think about how you would describe or define your racial/ethnic identity.
Describe how you feel about your racial/ethnic identity.
Write about what you find important/not important about this aspect of yourself.
How has your view on diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and ableness) has evolved over time?
Choose a children’s literature, toy, game, etc. that promotes diversity that you can use as part of your lesson plan.
Give a brief description of how the item you choose promotes diversity element(s) and explain what you want the children to learn about diversity from the material.
Note: I would like this to be a safe space for you to reflect and do a self-analysis, but at the same time I also see the value of learning from each other; so I often share quotes from students’ responses and share them with the class. Your response will only be seen by me. I respect you, so please let me know if you do not wish your response to be shared in the class highlight. The topics in this reflection or self-analysis can be sensitive and difficult to some of us, so please make sure you take the time to take care of yourself when you feel there are aspects that trigger difficult emotions in you. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
Notes for Items 4 and 5:
I would like you to give a specific example of how you plan to promote diversity in your lesson plan. Please see the examples below:
EXAMPLE 1:
One item I would like to add to the classroom environment as a visual aid is a large floor rug that displays cultural diversity. I like the idea of using this floor rug not only because it shows how all the children are joined together and happily accepting each other’s differences, but it would help the children identify with their own culture and those of their classmates. The rug would encourage discussions, both between the child and teacher and among the children themselves, about the different people of the world. Such discussions would spark the children’s curiosity and interest in their peer’s culture. I can hear a child asking another child playing on the rug, “Where do you come from?”
Diversity carpet
EXAMPLE 2:
Well, I am choosing a children’s literature book called, “We All Sing With The Same Voice.” It is a beautiful book that talks about diversity. Kids love to sing the song. This joyful Sesame Street song embraces the notion that no matter where children live, what they look like, or what they do, they are all the same, where it counts the heart. Children love to listen to the song, by singing they see the pictures of a diversity of different color people they promote in the book. They learn that there is people around the world with many different color skin and different social identity. I want the children to learn that we are all the same as human beings, that all it matters is our heart, not how people look in the outside. I want them to learn that we are all the same and that they need to treat everyone the same, with respect, and have a positive attitude towards others’ social identities. I want them to know that we are a diverse world and that we all need acceptance and respect from each other.
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