You just got a job in a preschool, and your class is made up of fifteen white children and one child, Sam, who is originally from India and who has brown skin. What are some ways you would help make sure Sam is not treated negatively because he is different?
What will be an ideal response?
The following guidelines can help you provide children with a developmentally appropriate understanding of other races and cultures.
• When children bring up racial/cultural differences, discuss them honestly.
• Help children develop pride by encouraging positive attitudes about their racial/cultural identity.
• Help children develop positive attitudes about other races. Help children see skin-color variations as a continuum rather than as extremes.
Post photographs of children and their families. Ensure that the environment
• contains materials representing many races and cultures.
• Discuss incidents of racism and racial stereotypes with the children. Focus curriculum material about cultures on similarities among people rather than on differences.
• Avoid a “tourist” approach to teaching about cultures.
• Make cultural diversity part of daily classroom activity. Ensure that the classroom reflects many ways of life.
• Convey the diversity of cultures through their common themes. Consider the complexity involved in celebrating holidays when their observance might contradict, or even be offensive to, some families’ beliefs or cultures.
• Do not single out a minority child in a way that would make that child feel “different.” Involve children’s families
I would make sure to avoid pointing out that Sam is different and treat him like everyone else. I would discuss Indian culture but not use Sam as an example. I would invite Sam’s parents in to talk about what his family does, but I would also bring in other parents to do the same thing, rather than treating Sam as a novelty. If a student asked about cultural differences, I would discuss it. I would basically treat Sam like everyone else, and then answer any questions with honesty, without focusing on how Sam is different from the others.
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