Culture Matters — Strategies to Support Young Children’s Social and Cultural Development .G2241
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How particular groups of people live is called culture. Learning more about cultural diversity can expand an appreciation and enjoyment of others. This publication describes ways that early childhood professionals can help support young children’s social and cultural development.
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... Specifically, culturally responsive teachers use texts, images, and artifacts, which represent various cultures and relate to diverse students in the classroom (Gay, 2013). In addition, teachers can create a representative, authentic environment where young children can speak, touch, see, taste, and feel their culture and the cultures of their peers (Durden et al., 2014). Children can participate more fully in their classroom when the curriculum and classroom fully includes them. ...
... There is a clear need to create positive early learning environments, which support culturally responsive teaching. When young children are taught based on their individuality and culture, their classroom engagement will likely increase (Durden et al, 2014). This article has described strategies to support young children from diverse cultural backgrounds and increase teachers' self-efficacy in culturally responsive practices. ...
Using an ethnographic case study approach, we examined how teachers and parents within an ethnically diverse early childhood program conceptualized and implemented culturally relevant pedagogy and how these primary caregivers were encouraging children’s socio-cultural development and awareness. Data sources included questionnaires, interview transcripts, and observational field notes (classroom and community). Findings suggest there were multiple strategies and resources teachers used to facilitate the socio-cultural growth of young children indicative of culturally relevant practices. However, we discovered there were mediating factors that impacted how and whether teachers were able to implement culturally relevant pedagogy in the early childhood classroom.
In this article, Ladson-Billings reflects on the history of her theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and the ways it has been used and misused since its inception. She argues for the importance of dynamic scholarship and suggests that it is time for a "remix" of her original theory: culturally sustaining pedagogy, as proposed by Paris (2012). Ladson-Billings discusses her work with the hip-hop and spoken word program First Wave as an example of how culturally sustaining pedagogy allows for a fluid understanding of culture, and a teaching practice that explicitly engages questions of equity and justice. Influenced by her experience with the First Wave program, Ladson-Billings welcomes the burgeoning literature on culturally sustaining pedagogy as a way to push forward her original goals of engaging critically in the cultural landscapes of classrooms and teacher education programs.
Storytelling with persona dolls (dolls that are given names, family histories, and other traits by teachers) is a powerful tool for teaching classroom and social skills, giving children words for and tools to manage their feelings, developing problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, expanding children's comfort with difference, undoing stereotypes and biased information, and helping children learn to stand up against bias. This book presents to teachers of young children from toddlers through the primary grades methods for using persona dolls. Each of the "Kids Like Us" doll stories can serve as a way to help children deal with common problems, conflicts, and developmental issues. The author outlines five steps for using persona dolls: thinking, identifying feelings, discussing, putting themselves into the doll's place, and problem solving. Practical tips are provided for creating characters, inventing stories, and working with children in a group. Appendix A includes sample forms for getting started with persona dolls. Appendix B includes sample features for the dolls. Includes a resources list of dolls and doll-making supplies, stores, books, and Web sites. (GCP)
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