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Anti-Bias refers to an education that promotes value-based principals and beliefs in support of respecting and embracing differences against bias and unfairness. Anti-bias teaching requires critical thinking and problem solving by both children and adults. The overarching goal is creating a climate of positive self and group identity development, through which every child will achieve her or his fullest potential.

This article suggests 5 helpful tips that can help you foster a classroom that promotes anti-bias. Anti-bias is most effective when it is incorporated into everyday classroom experiences, rather than only specific days.

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Editor's note: The author of this article is also the author of a resource listed below.
Too often, educators only offer activities about bias and racism on particular days, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But anti-bias education is most effective when it's woven into everyday classroom experiences, rather than only taking place on special days. For children to internalize messages of affirmation, fairness and empowerment, anti-bias strategies need to be incorporated into all aspects of learning.

But how to begin? Few things interest young children as much as themselves! Anti-bias (and anti-racist) education works best when we start in our own classrooms. Although it might not seem like it at first glance, every group of children is at least a little bit diverse.

It's a good idea to design classroom experiences with diversity (race, gender, family structure, social class, language, religion and disability) in mind, especially the diversity represented by your particular students.

These strategies can help you begin anti-bias education, or go deeper into it, in your classroom.

1. Incorporate Diverse Books That Tell Stories About Children Experiencing Everyday Life

Guy W. Jones and Sally Moomaw, authors of " Lessons from Turtle Island: Native Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms," encourage educators to incorporate Native stories into existing preschool units such as homes, families and communities. This helps young children understand that Indigenous peoples are living in the present day - not just the past.

Jones and Moomaw stress this idea because most non-Native children are only aware of American Indians as peoples of the past. The principle of focusing on present-day life and ordinary experiences is important when talking about other groups of people as well.

Books that are explicitly about bias shouldn't be the only diverse books that children experience. Young children are especially interested in daily activities and topics such as food, play, families and work. One crucial anti-bias strategy is to provide many diverse books on these subjects.

For example, a unit on families might feature these books:

2. Create Activities That Allow Children to Share and Celebrate Their Identities

Providing art materials such as crayons and construction paper that can match many different skin tones helps children to feel seen.

Educator Katharine Johnson explores skin tones with her young students by reading Katie Kissinger's " All the Colors We Are/Todos Los Colores de Nuestra Piel: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color/La Historia de Por Qué Tenemos Diferentes Colores de Piel," which helps children understand why we have many shades of skin. In circle time, Johnson provides a variety of paint chips in shades of brown, tan and peach. After the children help her find the chip that best matches her skin, she scatters the chips throughout the room. Children then help each other find the best match for their skin.

Teachers can also blend acrylic paints together to provide many different skin tone shades for self-portrait making. This lesson plan from Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) includes direction for both creating a self-portrait and having discussions about skin tones.

Another great idea comes from educator Rita Tenorio, who invites students to create "me pockets" by filling a clear, letter-sized plastic sleeve (the kind used for baseball cards) with photos, drawings and other things that help others get to know them. After everyone's me pockets are returned to the classroom, Tenorio creates a binder for them so children can look at them as if they were a book. As they look at them, children experience the cultural and linguistic diversity of their peers.

3. Prevent and Address Microaggressions with Role-Plays

Because children hear and absorb prejudices that are common in society, sometimes they will express them in the form of microaggressions. It's important to address these incidents promptly, but without shaming children. Scolding will lead to children hiding their behavior rather than unlearning biases.

Role-plays are one way to anticipate prejudicial comments that are likely to happen, as well as to respond after a microaggression has taken place.

Persona dolls (which the teacher introduces and gives a backstory to) can be used for role-plays about bias. The role-play can include lots of discussion, including what could be done differently or what a bystander could say. Since persona dolls can be expensive, it might be a good idea to ask if a parent from the class who can sew can make some. I have also printed out and laminated stock photos of children and created backstories for them as alternatives to persona dolls.

" Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves " by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards provides several examples of how to use persona dolls in roleplays. In one instance, a teacher introduced a doll named Lucia, who was upset because "when she drew a picture of her family - herself and her grandma - another child said to her, 'That can't be your family, 'cause there's no mommy and daddy in it!'" The teacher asked the children to name how Lucia might be feeling, and led them in a discussion about the many different forms families can take.

Role-plays with dolls or photo cards can also address incidents of bias after they happen. Before doing this, it's important to privately talk to the child who was the target of the microaggression about what happened and how they're feeling. Ask their permission before having a role-play with the class. During the roleplay, be sure to talk about feelings, as well as what other children could say if they witness a similar incident. The goal is not to shame children who have committed a microaggression, but to help all children understand why the comment was hurtful.

4. Explore the Stories of Social Justice Movements

As we talk with children about injustice, it's important to share stories of the people and movements who have worked to change these injustices. This lays a foundation for children to see that all of us, no matter our age, can find ways to speak up.

As teachers introduce children to brave leaders for justice, they can share what these people were like as kids through books. For example, " Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis," written by Jabari Asim and illustrated by E.B. Lewis, describes how Congressman John Lewis learned about peacemaking and speaking up for the vulnerable as he cared for his chickens.

"Side by Side/Lado a Lado: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/La Historia de Dolores Huerta Y César Chávez," written by Monica Brown and illustrated by Joe Cepeda, shows how César Chávez and Dolores Huerta's childhoods inspired them to fight for farm workers.

Adults should also offer stories that counter the idea of a single person being the only force that changed injustices like segregation. Look for books and other materials that tell the stories of ordinary people who were part of movements for justice. " Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation," written by Andrea Davis Pickney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, talks about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King's roles in the Birmingham bus boycott. However, the main focus of the story is the sacrifices of the ordinary citizens of Birmingham that made victory possible.

5. Provide Children with Opportunities to Speak Up About Bias

One of the best ways to teach children that they can challenge bias and injustice is to give them concrete opportunities to do this!

"Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves" shares how educator Nancy Spangler provided such an opportunity to her class.

Spangler's 3 and 4-year-old class was a place where teachers and students worked hard to make everyone feel included. But one day when she pulled out a game, the teacher noticed that all the characters in the game were white.

She drew the children's attention to this and asked them if the cards "look like all the people you know?" The children said no, identifying many kinds of people who were missing from the card set.

Spangler helped the children draft a letter to the maker of the cards, where the children shared what they thought was wrong with cards. The children also used skin tone pens they already had in the classroom to recolor the existing cards so they would "look real."

More Anti-Bias Resources for Early Childhood Educators

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Five Anti-Bias Education Strategies for Early Childhood Classrooms

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Here are a few strategies and resources that can help you begin anti-bias education, or go deeper into it, in your classroom by incorporating messages of affirmation, fairness and empowerment into all aspects of learning.

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The way children behave as they begin to grow older can be confusing for the children themselves and others around them. It is important to recognize the different behaviors that children can exhibit when growing up.

While Sexuality can become a very confusing concept for children as they grow up, this article offers tips for children as they are experiencing sexuality in their lives. Children may become confused with who they are and what they identify with, it is important as teachers to be able to support them through this process as it can be stressful.

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In recent years, the way kids and teens think about gender and sexuality has moved beyond the simple binaries of male/female and gay/straight. This gives them a lot more flexibility to understand and express their gender and sexual orientation in ways that feel right to them. But sorting out these feelings and thoughts can be confusing and sometimes scary - for kids and their families. And questioning kids do best when they have the support of their families.

What does it mean to be "questioning?"

It's normal for very young children to experiment with gender identity, but "questioning" in this context refers to older kids and young adults who are in the process of exploring their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. For young people, questioning both who they're attracted to (their sexual orientation) and what gender they identify with (male, female or another gender), has become more and more common. A recent poll shows that about 1 in 6 Americans aged 18-23 identify as something other than heterosexual. Kids who are trying to figure out where they fit along these spectrums are often referred to as "questioning."

For more on the terminology that young people often use to describe sexual orientation and gender identity, see the helpful glossary from the Human Rights Campaign.

What helps kids when they are in a questioning mode?

Mental health experts stress the importance of giving kids who are questioning unconditional support at home. "We know that queer youth who have family support adjust to things a lot better," says Michael Enenbach, MD, a former child and adolescent psychiatrist and clinical director at the Child Mind Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area. "It's really vital to have the support of the parents even if parents don't agree with the child is saying or doing." That means explicitly letting your child know that you love them, accept them, and stand by them - even if you're confused or upset by the thoughts and feelings they're having.

Most kids are probably not going to come right out and tell you that they're having questions about who they're attracted to or that they don't feel right in the body they were born in. Being comfortable enough to reveal these feelings to their friends or parents or even themselves can be a long and difficult process. Dr. Enenbach says that even when parents pick up on signs from their kids - things they say, changes in the way they dress, things they post on social media, reports from other parents - you shouldn't push your kids to talk about it. "It's really important not to be too pointed and assertive," he says.

So instead of saying something like, "Do you think you might be gay?" or "I've noticed that you've been dressing differently," it's better to check in with open-ended questions and let them know that you're there if they need you. You might say: "I hope you know that I'm here for you no matter what, and that you can talk to me about anything that's going on." You can also let kids know that if they'd rather talk to someone outside the family, you can arrange for them to meet with a therapist.

Dr. Enenbach also notes that it's best to keep the conversation light and try not to hover. "Don't ask every day, 'How are you doing?'" he advises. Instead, check in once a month. "Ask your child, 'How's everything going? Anything you want to talk about? Anything you want to talk to someone else about?' It's really something that the teenager needs to figure out on their own, but know that they have the support of adults."

Even without discussing the issue with your child directly, you can take steps to make it clear to them that your family is accepting of all gender identities and sexual orientations. This could include making a real effort to use other people's correct pronouns, talking openly and without judgment about any non-straight or gender nonconforming people in your family's life, and even talking about the media you watch together. You may see a character on TV coming out to their family and take the opportunity to say something like, "It's so great they felt comfortable coming out to their dad. I hope you feel you could come to me if you had questions of your own or wanted to talk to me about your gender or sexuality."

When a child does start to share ideas about their identity, it's important for parents to respect those ideas and meet kids where they are. Start by being really open to what they have to say; just hear them out without passing judgment. It may be awkward at first, but that's okay. The important part is to listen, let them know that you take their feelings seriously and follow their lead.

That includes using the pronouns or names that they ask you to use, even if they're still figuring out what works for them. "Wherever I meet a family or child with these concerns we use the words that the teens choose," says Emma Woodward, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute.

Risk for mental health challenges

Just because your child is having questioning thoughts doesn't mean they're upset about it. But these thoughts and feelings can cause mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, and LGBTQ+ kids are at higher risk for these disorders, especially if they feel rejected by family members or peers.

It's important for parents to notice when a child seems constantly worried or withdrawn, doesn't want to see friends, isn't sleeping or eating well or has lost interest in activities they usually enjoy. These are signs of mental health challenges that may or may not be related to gender or sexual identity. If these symptoms last more than a few weeks and especially if they seem to be getting worse, it may be time to get your child help from a therapist.

A child who seems to have a high level of distress around gender issues might be experiencing something called gender dysphoria. Kids with gender dysphoria feel strongly that they are the wrong gender, and those feelings can cause an intense need to change genders.

It's important to note that being transgender is not a mental health disorder. And not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria. But kids who do have gender dysphoria are at an increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior, especially if family and friends do not accept them as the gender they identify with. Treatment can make a big difference for kids with gender dysphoria, and therapists can help families navigate options for kids who are considering transitioning to a different gender.

Kids who are questioning may also be targets for bullying. Whether or not your child is openly discussing their gender and sexual identity with you, it's important to be ready to advocate for them. If you suspect bullying, start by talking with your child about what they're experiencing and how they want to handle it. It's best to get the child's consent before talking to their teacher about bullying. At the same time, you can let them know that it's important to stand up for themselves and that you're ready to back them up: "We don't have to do it right away, but we might need to talk to your teacher if this keeps happening." Later, you might consider going to the principal if your concerns aren't addressed after working with the teacher.

Even if you don't have specific concerns about bullying, it may be helpful to bring up the subject at your next parent-teacher conference. You might say, "Hey, I know that my child presents a little differently. Have you noticed any teasing or anything like that?" "It's important to check in with teachers," Dr. Enenbach says, "but I would only really push and go to the school administration if you notice that your kid is really distressed and showing signs of depression."

How to handle your own challenging feelings

It's normal to experience upsetting feelings of your own if your child is questioning their gender or sexuality. You might feel anxious about the challenges your child could face, how to share news about their identity with extended family, or how to support a child whose identity is different from your own. In particular, parents of kids who are questioning their gender identity might feel a sense of mourning for the child they imagined they would have - the daughter who was going to walk down the aisle in a white dress, for example.

These feelings are all valid, says Dr. Enenbach, but parents should try to avoid letting them get in the way of supporting their child. "I'm not saying it's easy for parents to be supportive," Dr. Enenbach says. "But it's really important to do your best and seek guidance on your own to help support the kid." Learning more about LGBTQ+ identities and experiences can help, and so can joining a support group for parents for kids in similar situations. PFLAG, an organization for LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones and allies, is a great place to start.

You might also consider working with a therapist of your own to process your feelings separately from your child. "That kind of work especially is important for parents to do on their own, with their own provider," Dr. Woodward says. Parents' feelings "can cause a child to feel a lot of guilt and shame. Those are complicated feelings, but it's not the kid's responsibility to manage their parents' emotional responses."

Finally, it's helpful to remember that questioning kids' identities may evolve as they continue to explore their gender and sexuality, so parents shouldn't expect that the labels or pronouns kids choose for themselves will necessarily be fixed. The goal isn't to get the child to settle into an identity, but rather to support them through as much exploration as feels right to them. "It really is about following their lead with how they identify and what language they're comfortable with," says Dr. Woodward. All parents want their kids to feel safe, happy and loved. And being supportive, open and informed are the best ways for parents to help questioning kids have that experience.

How can I help a teenager with gender identity?

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How to Support Kids Who Are Questioning - Child Mind Institute

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Kids who are questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation do best when they have the support of their families.

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When you are recognizing the signs of child abuse or neglect in your classroom, it is important to note that there are many ways children can express it if it's not something you can physically see. This module reviewed over some warning signs and how to deal with these types of situations in your classroom and as a mandated reporter.

This article is helpful because not only does it offer warning signs for children of the ages that I would be teaching, but ages much younger and older. I can use this in my future as a reference when I become a little unwary of some situations I may come across.

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Mental emotional health affects how we think, feel, and act. It is crucial for teachers to be aware of the signs and have different methods in which students can use to help cope with stress, anxiety, etc.

This article promotes tips for creating an safe environment that children are able to feel comfortable in. There is also a couple of tips for methods or things to add in your classroom that students are able to use and manipulate to help them cope or feel more at ease. Making a comfortable environment in my classroom is important because I want each and everyone of my students to feel safe and at ease in my classroom, hoping to foster mental health.

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Katie Lee, MHA Deputy Director of Communications

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10 tips for teachers to practice social emotional learning in the classroom

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Teachers, aides, and others working with students have enough on their plates already. However, studies show that incorporating social emotional learning (SEL) into regular classroom activities improves classroom behavior and decreases misbehavior and aggression.

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Nutrition is also another essential piece to consider when keeping children healthy. In this module we learned about what children should be eating, how much, and what schools can do to encourage healthy eating among children.

This article offers ways that I can promote students to eat a healthy diet in and out of the classroom. There are several suggestions of what children who pack lunches, can bring to school. As well as tips for promoting healthy habits, which plays a role in a child's nutrition.

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Snacks are an important part of a healthy diet for active children, so offer nutritious as well as high energy snacks.

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Ensuring that children are active and moving at such a young age is essential to their health. Most schools offer PE classes at this level of education that are typically incorporated into their day, however, it is not always guaranteed that they will get this privilege.

This website suggests how movement can be built into curriculum, even if it is in the classroom. I think this article is beneficial to my future classroom because students are not only getting to move around, this can also be fun to create more engaging lessons in the classroom. Additionally, some students have trouble sitting still and these are great tips so that students don't have to be sitting still all of the time.

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Here are six simple and effective ways to get students moving in the classroom.

It's no secret that it's difficult for students - and teachers, for that matter - to sit still at their desks for an entire day of school. Not only that, but research shows that students benefit from the opportunity to move around during the school day.

Here are the best ways to use movement to help students learn the subject matter.

Adding movement to your lessons doesn't have to be complicated or chaotic. In fact, it can be as simple as standing. The stand-up game requires students to stand until they participate in the class discussion, which encourages students to engage with the material, while also getting them out of their seats. Bonus: This activity works well for students of all ages, from elementary to high school.

2. Using Gestures

Strategically implementing movement can help your students grasp concepts - and remember them! Try developing hand movements to help illustrate key concepts or words in your lessons. For example, teaching students a simple gesture that portrays a vocabulary word can help them remember the meaning of the word.

3. Role Playing

Role playing exercises require students to act out real-life scenarios with one or more of their peers, effectively pushing them out of their comfort zones - and their seats. Keep role plays in your class fun and effective by connecting them to a learning objective and creating clear guidelines, such as what content students should include or avoid.

4. Partnering Up

Shake up your lesson lecture with partner activities, which get your students moving by interacting with each other - via discussion, activities, or projects that apply to the curriculum they learned. For more movement, have your students find their own partner using a game that reinforces the lesson. For example, pass out cards that match up to form pairs and task students with finding their match. Math problems, vocabulary words, and historical facts make great fodder for match-up cards.

5. Acting It Out

Charades is a fun and fruitful game in the classroom. That's because charades is basically teaching - without words. In order to act out a concept, students must have a firm grasp of the material. Then, they have to communicate that concept to the class by acting it out. Students not only get the opportunity to get out of their seats and engage with the class, but they also have to think critically to be able to communicate information in a relatable way.

6. Singing and Dancing

Music can be a powerful learning tool that helps students memorize and retain key concepts. Adding simple dance moves that correspond to the music gives students the opportunity to use up some energy, too. Videos are a great way to teach students songs and dance moves. Try tapping free resources like , which offers short videos organized by curriculum and grade level to make incorporating into your lesson plan a breeze.

More Practical Tips for Teachers

Keep your classroom running smoothly with these effective ways to manage tardy assignments.

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The 6 Best Ways to Incorporate Movement Into Your Lessons - Arizona K12 Center

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Here are six simple and effective ways to get students moving in the classroom.

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Communicable Illness refers to the illnesses that spread from one person to another, or from an animal to a person, surface, or food. These diseases can be transferred through air travel, direct contact, sneezing/coughing, or bodily fluids/blood. It is important to make sure your classroom is kept clean and you are aware of how these diseases can travel/spread.

The picture of the chart above will be a valuable tool in my classroom because it lists the many things you can do as a teacher to check your children's' health to help prevent the spread of illness. This is something that could be hung up in my classroom as a reminder to keep an eye out for signs of sickness in my classroom.

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Chronic Illnesses affect a wide population of school-aged youth, with more than half of these illnesses being moderate to serve. Teachers should become informed as they can about all the types of chronic illnesses they may come across with their students.

This article is an interactive website, including various articles about specific chronic illnesses. I think that this article is useful to my professional career because it allows me to learn more in depth about specific chronic illnesses rather than just the surfaces of it.

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Consensus Statement on the Core Tenets of Chronic Condition Management in Schools

In cooperation with a broad group of health and education organizations, the AAP has released a Consensus Statement on the Core Tenets of Chronic Condition Management in Schools. This statement aims to improve health and academic outcomes for children by establishing a common framework that can be used by schools, physicians, and other partners from across disciplines to guide an integrated, collective, and equitable approach to chronic condition management in schools.

Improving Care Coordination In Schools

Care coordination has been shown to improve patient, family and health system outcomes. Find resources and recommendations on how to improve care coordination for chronic condition management in schools.

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Allergies, asthma, diabetes and seizures are all chronic conditions affecting many school-aged children. Find useful management resources for both schools and primary care providers here.

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Emergency Care and First Aid are the medications and help that a witness can use to take action before professional medical assistance arrives. You can plan ahead by making sure these 12 key items are in your First Aid Kit in the classroom.

I think that this article has important information because as an incoming teacher it can be overwhelming to try and gather all sorts of medical supplies for the various situations you may be put in. This article just suggests 12 essential items that you will want to incorporate if anything in your first aid.

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Accidents can happen anywhere, so it's best to be prepared with all the things you night need in a first aid kit.

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Typical Development/ Health Screening and Referrals

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Typical Development/ Health Screening and Referrals

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The first few years of a child's development are the most crucial years. There are 4 domains of development: physical, social emotional, language, and cognitive. These domains follow and orderly pattern and are typically predictable. The use of Health Screening and Referrals are vital pieces when finding quality intervention programs.

I think the link provided above will be useful for future reference because when diagnosing students with a learning delay or disability, it is important to make parents or caretakers aware of what could be happening and why it will be important for their child to get tested.

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When it comes to formal screening and monitoring, parent and caregiver input is especially important. It leads to more accurate results and improves the chances that concerns and delays are addressed early, when it can make the greatest difference in a child's life.

However, do you ever find it challenging to engage parents in the process? Many times, when parents are disengaged it's because they are simply unaware of the purpose behind screening and the positive impact it can have on their family.

3 things every parent or caregiver should know

It's the professional's job to help parents become comfortable with the idea of screening and to alleviate any concerns. Before you introduce Ages & Stages Questionnaires, make sure parents understand three things: w hat screening is, why it's important, and what the benefits are.

More tips on getting parents comfortable with screening

It's not just what you say, but how you say it. Get families on board with screening while easing their concerns. Follow these helpful tips.

1. What is developmental screening?

Help families understand what screening and developmental milestones are, so they know what to expect. Some key points to make are:

Developmental milestones are abilities achieved by most children by a certain age.

Developmental screening provides a quick check of your child's development. It can be thought of a snapshot of your child's motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills.

Screening will help determine if your child is meeting the appropriate milestones for their age.

More info: Get additional facts about screening from this tip sheet and on agesandstages.com.

2. Why is screening important?

Communicate the importance of developmental screening by sharing these powerful stats and facts:

It's estimated that 1 in 7 children are affected by developmental delays, learning disorders, and behavioral and social-emotional problems.

Only a fraction of these children (20% to 30%) are identified as needing help before school begins.

By participating in a developmental screening program, parents can check their child's development and address any potential concerns. Intervention before kindergarten has huge benefits because it sets children up for future success! Studies have shown that children who receive early treatment for developmental delays are more likely to graduate from high school, hold jobs, live independently, and avoid teen pregnancy, delinquency, and violent crime.

More info: See why screening matters and read about the need for ASQ on pages 11-14 of the

3. What are the benefits of screening?

Studies show that parents' observations of their children are excellent predictors of developmental delays. Share this fact with parents and talk to them about the additional ways participating in screening can help their child.

Here are some points you can make to parents during conversation or in printed materials that you distribute before screening.

Your answers will show your child's strengths, and highlight any areas in which your child may need more help or practice. And if additional practice is needed, I can share some fun and easy activities that you and your child can do at home.

Your answers will help me get to know your child better and how I can support in the classroom. This may include modifying certain classroom activities.

Your answers will be helpful in determining whether your child needs further support or assessment. It's best to share concerns early when your child can reap the benefits of early intervention, rather than waiting until your child starts school. And even if a concern is a typical variation in development, it's better to raise concerns with a professional so you can be sure.

More info: Learn about the benefits of parental involvement in screening and why it's important for programs to put their trust in parents.

Resources to share with families

In addition to ensuring parents are versed on the importance and benefits of developmental screening, you can further prepare them for the process by helping them understand the concept of milestones.

Share these excellent resources ahead of time:

The CDC's Milestones in Action library provides parents with photo and video examples of important developmental milestones.

ZERO TO THREE has a set of 9 age-based handouts that include a "what to expect" chart for each age range, frequently asked questions, a research summary, and information about common parenting challenges for each age and stage.

Originally published: November 2017 Download a print-friendly PDF

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Helping parents understand the benefits of developmental screening - Ages and Stages

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Before you introduce ASQ-3, make sure parents understand three things: what developmental screening is, why it's important, and what the benefits are.