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4 Tips for Developing an Inclusive Montessori Classroom

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4 Tips for Developing an Inclusive Montessori Classroom

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Given the strides in the field of education, one might never guess that the most serious barrier to education across the globe would be disability. Yet, the estimated 240 million children with disabilities worldwide are often overlooked in policymaking and daily classroom initiatives by school personnel, limiting their access to education.

Like all children, students with disabilities deserve equal opportunities in the classroom. According to UNICEF:

Inclusive education is the most effective way to give all children a fair chance to go to school, learn, and develop the skills they need to thrive. Inclusive education means all children in the same classrooms, in the same schools. It means real learning opportunities for groups who have traditionally been excluded... Inclusive systems value the unique contributions students of all backgrounds bring to the classroom and allow diverse groups to grow side by side, to the benefit of all.

Kim Watson, former Montessori guide at American Montessori Society (AMS) member school, Sterling Montessori Academy and Charter School, has dedicated herself to creating an inclusive Montessori classroom environment. She states, "having a classroom where every child feels included, safe, accepted, and valued is what I strive to create every day."

Watson's inclusive approach to education is so remarkable that one of her former students, Harrison Gattis, nominated her to receive the Honored award, a monthly recognition of teachers across the country who are changing students' lives. The story highlights how the inclusive classroom Watson has created allowed Harrison to feel capable and confident and remain connected to his classmates despite his disability. Perhaps most importantly, it reveals that what is most exceptional about Watson's teaching practices with Harrison is that they have not been exceptional at all. Katherine Boone, Honored editorial director shares, "She approached Harrison's education the same way she approached the education of every single one of her students: by constantly adapting to the children's needs, interests, and abilities."

Watson was so touched to receive this most honorable award, overwhelmed with emotion and appreciation. She shares her amazement at receiving the award, stating, "It touched my heart so much because in my mind I felt I was just doing my job, giving him the best possible education I could which meant giving him what he needed as an individual."

It is this innate understanding of each child and the recognition of their individual needs that has allowed Watson to create an inclusive Montessori classroom and she is now sharing her knowledge to help other Montessori guides do the same.

Watson's 4 Tips for Developing an Inclusive Montessori Classroom

1. It is the Guide's Duty to be a Keen Observer

Watson shares that since no two children follow the same path, she believes it is the duty of Montessori guides to be keen observers, "[getting] to know each child deeply, and [supporting] them with whatever they need to be successful along their journey." Observation may quickly reveal the best way to support a child or it may take some time and experimentation to determine what works best to meet a child's needs. As time passes and things change, careful observation may reveal that some support strategies may no longer be successful for a certain child and new approaches may need to be implemented.

2. A Blended Approach to Learning is Necessary

A blended approach to learning involves combining elements from multiple teaching methods to ensure all students' cultural, academic, and identity needs are met. Watson emphasizes that since many children enter a Montessori classroom facing challenges with independence and attending to tasks, a blended approach is necessary. She shares, "Some children need a visual work plan because of struggles with reading and/or organization, others need a separate seating arrangement so they can work away from the busyness of the classroom, some need motor breaks built into their work plan, some need directions simplified and written on a dry erase board they put at their work rug." Watson admits that she has even brought in base 10 blocks, the traditional school equivalent of the Montessori Golden Beads, to provide an even more concrete representation to help a child see the relationship from the unit beads to the 10 bars. She notes that she recognized the need to blend non-Montessori materials in order to support this student's learning. These same recognitions and realizations for blending various learning approaches is vital in creating an inclusive Montessori classroom.

3. Utilize Positive Discipline for Behavioral Challenges

The positive discipline approach involves viewing a child's negative behavior as misguided behavior, recognizing that there is a reason behind the behavior that is often different than what is outwardly expressed. Watson recommends Jane Nelsen's Positive Discipline approach which helps guides understand the cause of a student's behavior in an effort to implement a strategy to encourage the child to move towards more positive expressions.

4. Support from Administration is Critical

Watson emphasizes that it is the guides who have firsthand knowledge of students' struggles. Administration should respect guides who face these challenges each day and should grant them the freedom to make choices they feel will best help children learn based on these daily observations and interactions.

Watson reminds educators, "Being inclusive means doing all we can to help each child be successful. We do not know what challenges will walk into our classroom each year, but each child deserves an education delivered in a way that best meets their needs. This may mean behavioral, academic, and/or social emotional needs and it may require looking at additional resources to support a student. This is Montessori. This is inclusivity. "

About the Author

Heather White, EdS, is a Montessori coach and consultant, content creator, and educator for adult learners, as well as a moderator and manager for the Montessori at Home (0 - 3 years) Facebook group. Formerly, she was a Montessori teacher, in-home caregiver, Lower Elementary coordinator, and associate head of school. She also has experience as a school psychologist intern. She is AMS-credentialed (Early Childhood, Elementary I) and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Contact her at hpratt@stetson.edu.

Interested in writing a guest post for our blog? Let us know!

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4 Tips for Developing an Inclusive Montessori Classroom

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Learn 4 ways how Montessori classroom guides can develop an inclusive classroom with positive discipline and blended learning practices.

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This website is a collection of resources, blog posts, and reading lists to help you deconstruct the gender binary, support LGBTQ+ students in your classroom, and create a more inclusive environment for students. And occasionally I talk about some of the EPIC things that are happening in my science classroom. Thanks for stopping by!

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This website is a collection of resources, blog posts, and reading lists to help you deconstruct the gender binary, support LGBTQ+ students in your classroom, and create a more inclusive environment for students. And occasionally I talk about some of the EPIC things that are happening in my science classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This website is a collection of resources, blog posts, and reading lists to help you deconstruct the gender binary, support LGBTQ+ students in your classroom, and create a more inclusive environment for students. And occasionally I talk about some of the EPIC things that are happening in my science classroom. Thanks for stopping by!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This website is a collection of resources, blog posts, and reading lists to help you deconstruct the gender binary, support LGBTQ+ students in your classroom, and create a more inclusive environment for students. And occasionally I talk about some of the EPIC things that are happening in my science classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Diversify your reading routine to learn a little more about - and introduce your kids to - the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) mores, traditions and cultures. From biographies to cultural traditions to eliminating stereotypes, you can stock your shelves or check with your local library for these great books for kids of all ages.

Kids who are just learning to count can count to 10 in both English and Mandarin. The objects to count are traditional in Chinese food: 1 menu, 2 chopsticks.

Twins love, twins bond and twins squabble. Told from the perspective of a pair of 5-year-old twins, the two are out-growing their shared bed so how will they share their same favorite blanket? Parents of twins will understand the language of love.

When Cora is finally allowed to try the "grown-up" jobs in the kitchen, she is excited to find out what her family thinks of her cooking. Author Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore grew up in a Filipino-Italian family that loved to spend time in the kitchen.

Yoomi is not a fan of kimchi, despite how often the grownups in her house try to disguise it (in pizza, on a cookie, in ice cream). When her grandmother teaches her to make kimchi pancakes, she learns more about her Korean heritage. Author and artist Aram Kim was born in Ohio and spent her childhood in South Korea.

Unhei is the new kid and worries that no one in her American school will be able to pronounce her name, so she lets kids put suggestions into a jar for how to "rename" her. Author Yangsook Choi grew up in Korea and moved to New York as an artist. She has written and illustrated books for young readers.

Written from a child's perspective, after reading this book, kids can make their own list of the things they like most. The moral is a great reminder to parents of their unseen influence on their own children. The pencil and watercolor drawings by Zhu Cheng-Liang are themselves works of art.

Joe likes to play with his little sister and then pretend to be a sumo wrestler with his friends. When his sister wants to join in the sumo fun, what's a big brother to do? Author Mia Wenjen (@pragmaticmom on Instagram) is the co-founder of Multicultural Children's Book Day and is passionate about representation in picture books.

Author Joanna Ho has been a teacher and a dean and is currently the vice principal of a school in California's Bay area. Her book helps kids recognize the beauty in their own differences.

Daisy has created a whole list of fun activities to do with her grandfather, Yeh-Yeh, when he visits America from China. But Yeh-Yeh doesn't seem to be having any fun, and Daisy's new mission is to make him smile. Fun for grandparents and grandkids who are bridging the intergenerational gap, with adorable illustrations by Xindi Yan.

Part of the Little Kunoichi series of books, meet Ba-Chan, the creative grandmother who helps Little Kunoichi find adventure while her friends are away on vacation. Sanae Ishida is both author and illustrator of the series that includes: Little Kunoichi The Ninja Girl and Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet .

The Disney version of the story of Fa Mulan is a helpful introduction, but the Chinese story is an original folktale from the Northern Dynasty. Told in English with Chinese character translation, kids can read the tale of Mulan and see how Chinese children also learn the story.

Kids will learn the background of Maya Lin whose artistry joined architecture to create the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Her parents, a poet and clay artist, fled China before Maya and her brother were born in the United States.

This book is subtitled: "The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist" and is the tale of Eugenie Clark, an American-born scientist with Japanese ancestry who studied shark behavior. Clark's work also helped make her a pioneer using scuba gear for the study of marine biology.

There are many things that precocious Amy Wu does very well. Making bao is not one of them. Join Amy on the all-day adventure to learn to make the perfect bao. Also in this series is Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon.

Kids will love the illustrations as they learn the phases in the moon in this story about Little Star and her love of mooncakes.

This biography of artist and illustrator Gyo Fujikawa helps kids understand how she created a shift in the illustrations of children's literature with her first book, Babies. In it, Fujikawa showed babies of all races and sold more than 2 million copies when book publishers were concerned that it wouldn't be successful.

Natsumi is small but powerful, doing everything from jumping in puddles to picking flowers in a big way. But is marching to the beat of her own drum good or bad as her family prepares for its village's Japanese arts festival?

Kalia is a Hmong refugee whose family is surviving on a small income, but a lot of love. Kalia wants braces to fix her smile, and her grandmother teaches her about the most beautiful thing. Written in part from the experiences of the author and illustrated by Vietnamese artist Khoa Le.

One part story, one part graphic novel, join a father and son on their adventures on a fishing trip. The narrator, Bao, learns about the ponds his father used to fish in his native country of Vietnam.

Instead of her grandmother walking our young heroine to school, the girl walks her grandmother to school, a place where grandmothers learn to write, read and perform arithmetic. Based on a true story of a grandmother school in Phangane, India, kids can learn how some villages and countries are combating an age-old problem of female illiteracy.

Abbie Wu is in a constant state of crisis: she's starting middle school, her family just doesn't "get" her and she's still searching for that thing that gives her an identity. This book is funny and great for middle grade readers. Other books in the Frazzled series include: Ordinary Mishaps and Inevitable Catastrophes and Minor Incidents and Absolute Uncertainties .

Karina Chopra, her grandfather and the boy next door, Chris, are the victims of hate crime. When the Indian-American girl takes to social media, her posts become viral. Tweens can discover community and the impact of social media as they read the book by Varsha Bajaj, who grew up in Mumbai, India.

This graphic novel joins three seemingly unrelated characters as the story weaves them all together. It offers older readers a look at stereotypes as it then breaks them down.
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Diversify your reading routine to learn a little more about - and introduce your kids to - the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) mores, traditions and cultures. From biographies to cultural traditions to eliminating stereotypes, you can stock your shelves or check with your local library for these great books for kids of all ages.

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Who Are People of the Global Majority and Why It Matters
article by Britt Hawthorn 3/2023

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Why We Say "People of the Global Majority"

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If you were to ask a child, "Are there more white people or People of Color in the world?" almost all children would say "white people." Why is that? U.S. movies, books, films, history, pop culture, children's magazines, toys, and podcasts almost exclusively center the experiences and lives of white people.

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20 judgements a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

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20 judgements a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

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Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an expert in elementary school math instruction and professor of education at the University of Michigan, still teaches in the classroom, in part for research purposes. She recently counted the frequent judgment calls a teacher is asked to make during the course of the day. Some are about instruction. Many more concern student behavior.

In a one-minute 28-second period that was filmed in her classroom, Loewenberg Ball counted 20 separate micro moments when she had to decide how to react. She calls them "discretionary spaces," and in a lecture at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in April 2018, Loewenberg Ball put a scientist's microscope on discretionary space #19 to give us all a lesson in how racism and sexism unintentionally creep into the classroom.

"Teaching can have very powerful amazing effects," said Loewenberg Ball. "It can also do incredible damage. Even in a moment."

Moment #19 begins with one of her students standing where a teacher usually does, at the front of the classroom with a dry-erase marker at the board. Aniyah, round-faced and earnest, perhaps diffident, starts to explain how she solved a problem about fractions. "I put one-seventh -."

Click on the video to see the short classroom scene, which begins at 1:23:05.

Her classmate Toni interrupts, "Did she say one-seventh?" Toni's voice climbs upwards as if to emphasize her disbelief. Someone off camera whispers, "Shhh." Toni appears muscular, tall, lean and confident. Both girls are black, as are 22 of the class's 30 students.

Aniyah addresses Toni with a calm "yeah," and turns back to the board to finish her explanation. "Because there's seven equal parts like one, two, three, four, five, six and then seven," she said, positioning her thumb and forefinger like pincers as she counts up the number line from zero past two. It's a magnificent, clear explanation. Only the answer is wrong.
Related: This program is proven to help moms and babies-so why aren't we investing in it more?
The students haven't been told yet that the correct answer is 1/3. Loewenberg Ball can see from their worksheets that 23 of the students, like Aniyah, haven't solved it right.

Toni's hand shoots up and the teacher calls upon her. Toni smiles and plays with her hair. "Why did...," Toni hesitates.

"Go ahead, it's your turn," Loewenberg Ball says.

Toni repeats, "Why did you pick one-seventh?" To my white, middle-aged ears, the pitch of Toni's voice sounds like she's taunting Aniyah. "You did not," says another student across the room. Toni starts laughing, plays with her hair more, and joyfully points at the off-camera student as if they're in on some joke together. More laughter and hair fiddling ensue.

What would you do in that moment?

Three options teachers commonly choose in the classroom are these, according to Loewenberg Ball:

1. "Toni, when you're ready to participate appropriately by not playing with your hair and laughing and have a question to ask, I will come back to you."

2. "You need to be a better listener, Toni. Aniyah already explained why she picked one-seventh. Who else has a real question for Aniyah?"

3. Or the ubiquitous, "What do others think?"
Related: How much would it cost to get all students up to average?
Loewenberg Ball maps out the consequences to each of these options like a chess game. The first accuses Toni of being off-task. The second accuses Toni of not listening and asking a bad question. All three exclude Toni from the discussion.

"She is seen as being a distraction, maybe mocking Aniyah and playing with her hair," said Loewenberg Ball.

Loewenberg Ball draws a connection between teacher judgments in small moments like this and why black girls are disproportionately suspended. One of six students in public schools is black, but they account for more than half of girls who are suspended multiple times.

"It is not hard to imagine how Toni could easily be asked to be sent away from the group, or not talk, or be sent out in the hall. And if she's out in the hall, she's not learning," said Loewenberg Ball.

Toni was actually one of the few students in the class to arrive at the right answer of 1/3 on her worksheet.

Loewenberg Ball points out that Toni's question - why 1/7? - is the key question to ask because it gets to the heart of the lesson, learning how to count the intervals on a number line between whole numbers and not every tick mark on the line. But it can take a veteran math educator who is familiar with students' common misunderstandings to interpret Toni's mathematical question. "Toni's actually listening very closely to a classmate's presentation," said Loewenberg Ball. "There is no other question that would have been a better question to ask at that moment."

The actual classroom played out like a fairy tale. Loewenberg Ball publicly acknowledged the importance of Toni's question. Aniyah explained her faulty reasoning a second time and it prompted a group discussion that clarified the interval confusion for most students. Toni was one of two students who went back up to the board to model how to locate a fraction on the number line and explain it. On the students' exit tickets at the end of class, 25 out of 30 were able to answer correctly and explain their reasoning.

Aniyah reflected in her notebook: "I did well on my goal today because my goal was to share my ideas with the class and I did. I went up to the board and shared my idea with the class on fractions."
Related: First-gen students at elite colleges go from lonely and overwhelmed to empowered and provoking change
I was worried that Toni was teasing Aniyah and I wanted to defend the classroom's underdog but it seems like the experience of going up to the board and sharing her mistake actually make Aniyah feel more self-confident.

Classmates benefited in two ways from Lowenberg Ball's praise of Toni. They got the opportunity to see black girls as brilliant. Given the sexist and racist society we live in, those opportunities are rare. And the class had a great math discussion that they might not have otherwise had.

Loewenberg Ball makes the argument that teacher training ought to address these constant judgment calls directly. "We need to scrutinize habits that we've come to assume are just neutral practices that aren't neutral at all," she said.

Even more, she said, it's not enough to see when teachers' implicit biases are creeping into the classroom. She called upon education researchers to develop a "repertoire" of teaching practices that could help counter racist habits.

"The challenge for us," she told the researchers, "is not to leave to chance that teachers will exercise good discretion."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 judgments a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an expert in elementary school math instruction and professor of education at the University of Michigan, still teaches in the classroom, in part for research purposes. She recently counted the frequent judgment calls a teacher is asked to make during the course of the day. Some are about instruction.

# data[].attributes.headline
20 judgments a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

# data[].attributes.subject
20 judgments a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an expert in elementary school math instruction and professor of education at the University of Michigan, still teaches in the classroom, in part for research purposes. She recently counted the frequent judgment calls a teacher is asked to make during the course of the day. Some are about instruction. Many more concern student behavior.

In a one-minute 28-second period that was filmed in her classroom, Loewenberg Ball counted 20 separate micro moments when she had to decide how to react. She calls them "discretionary spaces," and in a lecture at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in April 2018, Loewenberg Ball put a scientist's microscope on discretionary space #19 to give us all a lesson in how racism and sexism unintentionally creep into the classroom.

"Teaching can have very powerful amazing effects," said Loewenberg Ball. "It can also do incredible damage. Even in a moment."

Moment #19 begins with one of her students standing where a teacher usually does, at the front of the classroom with a dry-erase marker at the board. Aniyah, round-faced and earnest, perhaps diffident, starts to explain how she solved a problem about fractions. "I put one-seventh -."

Click on the video to see the short classroom scene, which begins at 1:23:05.

Her classmate Toni interrupts, "Did she say one-seventh?" Toni's voice climbs upwards as if to emphasize her disbelief. Someone off camera whispers, "Shhh." Toni appears muscular, tall, lean and confident. Both girls are black, as are 22 of the class's 30 students.

Aniyah addresses Toni with a calm "yeah," and turns back to the board to finish her explanation. "Because there's seven equal parts like one, two, three, four, five, six and then seven," she said, positioning her thumb and forefinger like pincers as she counts up the number line from zero past two. It's a magnificent, clear explanation. Only the answer is wrong.
Related: This program is proven to help moms and babies-so why aren't we investing in it more?
The students haven't been told yet that the correct answer is 1/3. Loewenberg Ball can see from their worksheets that 23 of the students, like Aniyah, haven't solved it right.

Toni's hand shoots up and the teacher calls upon her. Toni smiles and plays with her hair. "Why did...," Toni hesitates.

"Go ahead, it's your turn," Loewenberg Ball says.

Toni repeats, "Why did you pick one-seventh?" To my white, middle-aged ears, the pitch of Toni's voice sounds like she's taunting Aniyah. "You did not," says another student across the room. Toni starts laughing, plays with her hair more, and joyfully points at the off-camera student as if they're in on some joke together. More laughter and hair fiddling ensue.

What would you do in that moment?

Three options teachers commonly choose in the classroom are these, according to Loewenberg Ball:

1. "Toni, when you're ready to participate appropriately by not playing with your hair and laughing and have a question to ask, I will come back to you."

2. "You need to be a better listener, Toni. Aniyah already explained why she picked one-seventh. Who else has a real question for Aniyah?"

3. Or the ubiquitous, "What do others think?"
Related: How much would it cost to get all students up to average?
Loewenberg Ball maps out the consequences to each of these options like a chess game. The first accuses Toni of being off-task. The second accuses Toni of not listening and asking a bad question. All three exclude Toni from the discussion.

"She is seen as being a distraction, maybe mocking Aniyah and playing with her hair," said Loewenberg Ball.

Loewenberg Ball draws a connection between teacher judgments in small moments like this and why black girls are disproportionately suspended. One of six students in public schools is black, but they account for more than half of girls who are suspended multiple times.

"It is not hard to imagine how Toni could easily be asked to be sent away from the group, or not talk, or be sent out in the hall. And if she's out in the hall, she's not learning," said Loewenberg Ball.

Toni was actually one of the few students in the class to arrive at the right answer of 1/3 on her worksheet.

Loewenberg Ball points out that Toni's question - why 1/7? - is the key question to ask because it gets to the heart of the lesson, learning how to count the intervals on a number line between whole numbers and not every tick mark on the line. But it can take a veteran math educator who is familiar with students' common misunderstandings to interpret Toni's mathematical question. "Toni's actually listening very closely to a classmate's presentation," said Loewenberg Ball. "There is no other question that would have been a better question to ask at that moment."

The actual classroom played out like a fairy tale. Loewenberg Ball publicly acknowledged the importance of Toni's question. Aniyah explained her faulty reasoning a second time and it prompted a group discussion that clarified the interval confusion for most students. Toni was one of two students who went back up to the board to model how to locate a fraction on the number line and explain it. On the students' exit tickets at the end of class, 25 out of 30 were able to answer correctly and explain their reasoning.

Aniyah reflected in her notebook: "I did well on my goal today because my goal was to share my ideas with the class and I did. I went up to the board and shared my idea with the class on fractions."
Related: First-gen students at elite colleges go from lonely and overwhelmed to empowered and provoking change
I was worried that Toni was teasing Aniyah and I wanted to defend the classroom's underdog but it seems like the experience of going up to the board and sharing her mistake actually make Aniyah feel more self-confident.

Classmates benefited in two ways from Lowenberg Ball's praise of Toni. They got the opportunity to see black girls as brilliant. Given the sexist and racist society we live in, those opportunities are rare. And the class had a great math discussion that they might not have otherwise had.

Loewenberg Ball makes the argument that teacher training ought to address these constant judgment calls directly. "We need to scrutinize habits that we've come to assume are just neutral practices that aren't neutral at all," she said.

Even more, she said, it's not enough to see when teachers' implicit biases are creeping into the classroom. She called upon education researchers to develop a "repertoire" of teaching practices that could help counter racist habits.

"The challenge for us," she told the researchers, "is not to leave to chance that teachers will exercise good discretion."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 judgments a teacher makes in 1 minute and 28 seconds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deborah Loewenberg Ball, an expert in elementary school math instruction and professor of education at the University of Michigan, still teaches in the classroom, in part for research purposes. She recently counted the frequent judgment calls a teacher is asked to make during the course of the day. Some are about instruction.

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Embracing Equity believes that in order to dismantle systems of oppression, heal collective trauma, and work toward a liberatory future we must commit ourselves to continued self-development, while consciously cultivating compassionately accountable communities.

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Cohosted by experts from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, this webinar will delve into the ways American history instruction often fails to acknowledge-and contributes to-the erasure of Indigenous stories and perspectives. Join us and you'll learn about critical historical events, as well as cultural and societal contributions of Indigenous peoples past and present. You will also examine common misconceptions and stereotypes and gain resources for teaching a more complete history.

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Skip to main content Cohosted by experts from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, this webinar will delve into the ways American history instruction often fails to acknowledge-and contributes to-the erasure of Indigenous stories and perspectives. Join us and you'll learn about critical historical events, as well as cultural and societal contributions of Indigenous peoples past and present.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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The Chronicle of Social Change is a daily news publication devoted to issues affecting youth involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, and the larger youth services field.

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The Imprint is an online news publication dedicated to solution-based news coverage of child welfare and juvenile justice.

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Teachers shaken by recent events and wondering how to work for change in our society and schools can start with these lesson plans, videos, and other resources.

John Minchillo / Associated Press

Protesting the killing of George Floyd, a crowd gathers for a rally at Cadman Plaza Park in New York City on June 4, 2020.

"I'm a White educator, where do I start?"

"How can I help?"

"What if I get it wrong?"

Recent events have shaken me to my core, and the nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd suggest that people across the country are similarly shaken. These are dark times, but if there's anything that seems like a glimmer of light to me at the moment, it's the fact that so many teachers are reflecting on how to fight racism:

For me, a Black educator and mother to a Black 16-year-old who has reached the appearance if not the legal age of manhood, these questions stir hope. Folks who don't look like me are embracing the idea that the fight for equity has to be everyone's fight. But fighting racism is a big job, and when the fires of outrage cool, we teachers will be confronted with the reality of planning deadlines, testing schedules, and another hundred things that are all in a day's work. The difficult work of equity may become just another item on a desk crowded with to-do lists.

What Can Teachers Do?

The answer, an old joke: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course-and achieving equity is no different. Take small bites that can have big impact and don't worry about getting it wrong sometimes, as you inevitably will. If you keep going, you can do something that brings about change.

Reading: Even if you only have 10 minutes, you can learn something to help you create a more equitable classroom. Websites like Teaching Tolerance, the NEA's EdJustice, and KQED's Mindshift feature resources for lesson planning as well as lessons for you as a teacher. Teaching Tolerance is the perfect place to start, whether you want to use bias-free language to teach tolerance through reading with young learners or plan a social action campaign with high school students.

In addition to a rich collection of K-12 classroom resources, the website features self-guided PD, on-demand webinars, and podcasts that may enable you to earn a certificate-check with your administration first. Those can easily be broken up into small chunks of time. And note that many of the site's feature articles list recommended actions at the bottom.

If your goal is to understand the Black community better, sites designed for Black audiences like The Root, The Undefeated, and Huffington Post's Black Voices are good places to start. These non-mainstream media outlets feature content by minority and minority-supporting journalists. You'll find content on topics not covered in mainstream media, like coverage of historically Black colleges and universities, news about Black brands and influencers, and stories like this one on MIT's first Black female student body president in its 159-year history. If you're teaching Black children who are generally inundated by media that does not reflect them, these are priceless ways you can enrich your current events and show-and-tell circles.

Watching: You can improve your cultural competence and learn about Black Lives Matter by watching " 4 Black Lives Matter Myths Debunked" on YouTube, which will answer quite a few questions on social justice issues, probably including some you didn't even know you had. And if you want help in having real discussions on complex issues with young children, the YouTube show LivingRoomProtest will lead you through conversations on being Black, politics, pride, and even death and the afterlife-try the episode " Education Is a Human Right " for starters.

If you want entertainment with a cultural component, Netflix has a host of shows that cater to a Black audience, as well as original content that regularly features diverse character lineups. Hulu has not only a small curated selection of Black Stories but also six seasons of the binge-worthy, socially conscious Black-ish and its spin-off prequel Mixed-ish. While Black-ish might be a little campy, it tackles real issues surrounding racism, bias, and social justice issues that arise within the Black community.

Taking action: For the civic-minded, the Kellogg Foundation has put together a website that lets you create your own personal plan to support, donate, or volunteer in the way you find most relevant. This site can help you focus your attention on one or two civic tasks with broader impact.

Social action is also a great way to involve students, which multiplies your impact. You can teach students how to write emails or letters by asking them to write to your local government in favor of policy changes banning the eight most deadly policing strategies listed at 8 Can't Wait, which has ideas on how to call or email your government yourself-there's a script you can use or adapt.

Looking within: Finally, and perhaps most importantly, take inventory of your feelings. It's normal to be most comfortable around people who are like you. It's just not good when that makes you and those like you an "us" and those who aren't like you a "them." Use a journal to sort through your personal feelings on racism or read books that provide perspective on systemic inequities and bias. These long-haul strategies will produce change in you while you take more immediate action in other ways.

The devastating events of the last days have left me shaken. I have felt anger, fear, grief-so many emotions. But I have also felt buoyed by the great outpouring of support from my less melanated colleagues who want to listen, learn, and find out how to do better. So many of them are already doing amazing things with diverse students. This piece is dedicated to them. They give me hope that this time, we will fight racism together and bring about lasting change.

Don't stop now. How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.

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A Guide to Equity and Antiracism for Educators

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Teachers shaken by recent events and wondering how to work for change in our society and schools can start with these lesson plans, videos, and other resources. John Minchillo / Associated Press Protesting the killing of George Floyd, a crowd gathers for a rally at Cadman Plaza Park in New York City on June 4, 2020.

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Honoring Indigenous Peoples: 20 Recommended Reads

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Wonderful resource that amplifies Indigenous voices, work, art, and more!

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE AMERICAN GENOCIDE PODCAST

Our new podcast, American Genocide, explores the compounding intergenerational pain caused by Native American boarding schools by examining the story of one such institution: Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. We take listeners through every twist and turn of its gripping history and discuss whether it's possible for a community, Native peoples, and the United States to achieve truth, healing, and reconciliation.

Now streaming wherever podcasts are found.

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IllumiNative is a Native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to challenging the narrative about Native peoples.

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Have fun this Halloween without culturally appropriating your costume. We sure will!

It's that time of year when, in the United States, many children and adults alike, dress up in fantastic costumes and celebrate Halloween. From what was once a parade of costumed children looking for sweet treats, it has now become an elaborate costume party with festivals, parties, movie events, and so much more. And think not that I condemn it. My closet is full of my old costumes. My daughter and I, ourselves, have been a crazy cat lady and a cat, a shepherd girl and a lamb , and gasp... Elsa and Anna from Frozen among many other sickeningly cute combos. But as much as the two of us love Halloween, as a Dual Language educator, acutely aware of the racism our students face daily, and as a person of color, I do worry about the amount of cultural appropriation that occurs during this month.

What is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is the taking or borrowing of something from someone else's culture without their permission and/or without understanding its significance. While wearing someone else's cultural attire is not always cultural appropriation, wearing it as a costume is. Let's look at some examples.

A friend of mine of Mexican descent visited me when I was at my grandparents' house in New York over a decade ago. She told me how beautiful she found my grandmother's sari and asked if it would be disrespectful to wear one. We gladly shared a sari with her and took pictures. She learned from us how to wear it and bought one herself on a trip with me to an Indian clothing store so that she could wear her own whenever she visited me. Clearly, her wearing a sari did not bother us. We were glad to share our culture, and she showed in return appreciation for the opportunity to wear the sari. In this case, she clearly wore it with our permission and understood its significance as a symbol of my cultural heritage. This was cultural appreciation.

However, this is very different from purchasing the same sari for Halloween. Or wearing a bindi, which also has cultural significance in India, with a pair of jeans and a flower crown to dress up as a guest at Coachella. Our clothing and adornments are not "costumes." Therefore, such use of our culture would, instead, be cultural appropriation. (Wearing a bindi at Coachella would also be cultural appropriation if you were wondering.)

Any time you or your little one adorns yourselves with clothing or jewelry from a minority culture as a costume, it is cultural appropriation. This includes all Native American costumes or stereotypical Mexican costumes (sombreros, serapes, etc.) Disney costumes do not get a free pass either. While Jasmine, Mulan, Pocohontas, and Coco are great attempts to add to Disney's cultural repertoire, they are not great Halloween costumes. They reduce the culture of an entire people to a gimmicky source of entertainment. Deities and saints from religions not your own are also off limit. Would you like someone reducing your religion to a Halloween costume? And let's not even consider blackface. By now, hopefully, we all have understood the racism embedded in this practice.

If your children or students are, however, attracted to these costumes (or even if they are not), you can use Halloween as an opportunity to build their sociocultural competence. Here are a few discussion points you can address with them.

Talk to students about what cultural appropriation is and what the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation is. Use the questions here to help guide the discussion.

Share with students the posters from Ohio University's campaign, "We're a culture, not a costume." What message are the artists trying to communicate? How do the subjects in the posters feel? How do you know? What makes these posters powerful?

Explain to students the origins of blackface. Explain to them how in the 1830s, White performers known as minstrels dressed up with black smeared over their faces and then how they mocked enslaved African Americans by dancing and talking in exaggerated manners. Teach them that the first such famous, black-faced "character" was named Jim Crow, a name subsequently used for the cruel and racist system of segregation against Black people in the South.

Ask students to brainstorm ways to appreciate cultures without appropriating them. Attending cultural festivals, reading books from other cultures, making friends across cultures, and learning languages are all ways to appreciate cultures rather than to appropriate them.

Teach students that it's not enough to be "not racist," but they need to be antiracist. How would they react if they see a friend or relative wearing a culturally-insensitive, Halloween costume? Would they be brave enough to call out the cultural appropriation? Consider rehearsing in pairs what students would say.

And then, go out in culturally appropriate rather than culturally appropriated costumes for a night of sheer fun. I guarantee you that my daughter and I will. Happy Halloween!

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5 Tips for Teaching Your Kids About Cultural Appropriation This Halloween

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Have fun this Halloween without culturally appropriating your costume. We sure will! It's that time of year when, in the United States, many children and adults alike, dress up in fantastic costumes and celebrate Halloween. From what was once a parade of costumed children looking for sweet treats, it has now become an elaborate costume...

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Have fun this Halloween without culturally appropriating your costume. We sure will!

It's that time of year when, in the United States, many children and adults alike, dress up in fantastic costumes and celebrate Halloween. From what was once a parade of costumed children looking for sweet treats, it has now become an elaborate costume party with festivals, parties, movie events, and so much more. And think not that I condemn it. My closet is full of my old costumes. My daughter and I, ourselves, have been a crazy cat lady and a cat, a shepherd girl and a lamb , and gasp... Elsa and Anna from Frozen among many other sickeningly cute combos. But as much as the two of us love Halloween, as a Dual Language educator, acutely aware of the racism our students face daily, and as a person of color, I do worry about the amount of cultural appropriation that occurs during this month.

What is cultural appropriation? Cultural appropriation is the taking or borrowing of something from someone else's culture without their permission and/or without understanding its significance. While wearing someone else's cultural attire is not always cultural appropriation, wearing it as a costume is. Let's look at some examples.

A friend of mine of Mexican descent visited me when I was at my grandparents' house in New York over a decade ago. She told me how beautiful she found my grandmother's sari and asked if it would be disrespectful to wear one. We gladly shared a sari with her and took pictures. She learned from us how to wear it and bought one herself on a trip with me to an Indian clothing store so that she could wear her own whenever she visited me. Clearly, her wearing a sari did not bother us. We were glad to share our culture, and she showed in return appreciation for the opportunity to wear the sari. In this case, she clearly wore it with our permission and understood its significance as a symbol of my cultural heritage. This was cultural appreciation.

However, this is very different from purchasing the same sari for Halloween. Or wearing a bindi, which also has cultural significance in India, with a pair of jeans and a flower crown to dress up as a guest at Coachella. Our clothing and adornments are not "costumes." Therefore, such use of our culture would, instead, be cultural appropriation. (Wearing a bindi at Coachella would also be cultural appropriation if you were wondering.)

Any time you or your little one adorns yourselves with clothing or jewelry from a minority culture as a costume, it is cultural appropriation. This includes all Native American costumes or stereotypical Mexican costumes (sombreros, serapes, etc.) Disney costumes do not get a free pass either. While Jasmine, Mulan, Pocohontas, and Coco are great attempts to add to Disney's cultural repertoire, they are not great Halloween costumes. They reduce the culture of an entire people to a gimmicky source of entertainment. Deities and saints from religions not your own are also off limit. Would you like someone reducing your religion to a Halloween costume? And let's not even consider blackface. By now, hopefully, we all have understood the racism embedded in this practice.

If your children or students are, however, attracted to these costumes (or even if they are not), you can use Halloween as an opportunity to build their sociocultural competence. Here are a few discussion points you can address with them.

Talk to students about what cultural appropriation is and what the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation is. Use the questions here to help guide the discussion.

Share with students the posters from Ohio University's campaign, "We're a culture, not a costume." What message are the artists trying to communicate? How do the subjects in the posters feel? How do you know? What makes these posters powerful?

Explain to students the origins of blackface. Explain to them how in the 1830s, White performers known as minstrels dressed up with black smeared over their faces and then how they mocked enslaved African Americans by dancing and talking in exaggerated manners. Teach them that the first such famous, black-faced "character" was named Jim Crow, a name subsequently used for the cruel and racist system of segregation against Black people in the South.

Ask students to brainstorm ways to appreciate cultures without appropriating them. Attending cultural festivals, reading books from other cultures, making friends across cultures, and learning languages are all ways to appreciate cultures rather than to appropriate them.

Teach students that it's not enough to be "not racist," but they need to be antiracist. How would they react if they see a friend or relative wearing a culturally-insensitive, Halloween costume? Would they be brave enough to call out the cultural appropriation? Consider rehearsing in pairs what students would say.

And then, go out in culturally appropriate rather than culturally appropriated costumes for a night of sheer fun. I guarantee you that my daughter and I will. Happy Halloween!

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5 Tips for Teaching Your Kids About Cultural Appropriation This Halloween

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Have fun this Halloween without culturally appropriating your costume. We sure will! It's that time of year when, in the United States, many children and adults alike, dress up in fantastic costumes and celebrate Halloween. From what was once a parade of costumed children looking for sweet treats, it has now become an elaborate costume...

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16 Shelf-Worthy Children’s Books About Disabilities For All Students

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Increase disability representation in your classroom library with these hand-picked children’s books about disabilities.

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Whether it's a classmate who is on the autism spectrum or a loved one with muscular dystrophy, your child probably has someone in her life with a disability that she might have questions about. No matter what the situation, it's important to be prepared and to address your child's curiosity about disabilities as openly and honestly as you can. The following tips can help you be prepared to talk to your child about people with disabilities when she comes to you for answers.

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How to Talk to Your Kids About Disabilities

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Whether it's a classmate who is on the autism spectrum or a loved one with muscular dystrophy, your child probably has someone in her life with a disability that she might have questions about. No matter what the situation, it's important to be prepared and to address your child's curiosity about disabilities as openly and honestly as you can.

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Adult Resources for Indigenous Peoples, Tribes, and History

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Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages. The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners' strike in New Mexico. Continue reading Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.

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Elementary Educational Resources about Indigenous Peoples, Tribes, and History

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Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages. The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners' strike in New Mexico. Continue reading Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.

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3-6 Educational Resources about Indigenous Peoples, Tribes, and History

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Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.
The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners' strike in New Mexico.

Continue reading

Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.
The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners' strike in New Mexico.

Continue reading

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Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages. The author describes how she introduces students to the classic 1953 film, Salt of the Earth, about a miners' strike in New Mexico. Continue reading Teaching Activity. By S. J. Childs. Rethinking Schools. 6 pages.

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Here at Facing History, we see heritage and awareness months as opportunities to deepen our knowledge of and attention to the histories and contemporary experiences of historically marginalized communities. However, the focus on celebrating these communities over one particular month can further marginalize the very experiences we are hoping to elevate. With this in mind, what follows is an invitation to engage with important themes raised by Native American Heritage Month this November and throughout all of the months of the year.
Below are 20 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian's Native Knowledge 360° Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Native Knowledge 360° Education Initiative Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. NK360° provides "educational materials, virtual student programs, and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America."

Offerings include "Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations," "HIDE: Skin as Material and Metaphor," and "Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces." Online Exhibitions

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian ​​ The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is "one of only a handful of museums across the country that focuses exclusively on the art, history, and culture of Native American and First Nations peoples from throughout the United States and Canada."

portal to help educators and students explore the Hood Museum of Art's collection of Native American art. It features over 100 objects grouped thematically from four regions of North America. Hood Museum The Hood Museum offers a Native America Collection as well as a Native American Art Teacher Resources

Facing History Facing History is engaged in deepening its knowledge and resources on the experiences of Native American people in history and contemporary life. Below are some of our current resources that teachers can share with their students or use to enhance their own learning journey today:

5 New YA Books on Native American Lives Written by a group of Indigenous authors across North America for readers ages 12 and up, these books address themes including Indigenous youth navigating adolescent identity, community, resistance, and imagining new futures, as well as questions that Native and non-Native young people may have about the history and contemporary experiences of Native American populations.

Indigenous Rights and the Controversy Over Hawaii's Maunakea Telescope Since mid-July 2019, Native Hawaiian protesters have been blocking the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Maunakea, the highest mountain in Hawaii. The events on Maunakea raise important questions about the US government's treatment of indigenous peoples and Native Hawaiians' claims to sovereignty. This Teaching Idea provides historical context for the protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope and helps students explore the reasons why many Native Hawaiians oppose its construction.

Disrupting Public Memory: The Story of the National Day of Mourning This essay complicates prevailing narratives about the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving, exposing them as one-sided narratives that glorify colonization and ignore the truth of history, particularly for the Indigenous People of the United States.

Facing the Realities of Native American Women

This essay explores the alarmingly high rates of murder and kidnapping of Native American women within and beyond tribal lands and some of the work being done currently to ameliorate this pervasive problem.

--

Pictured above: Black Foot, Standing Bear, Big Eagle, Sioux. Three members of the Sioux tribe pose in Indian Village, 1898.

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20 Teacher Resources on Native American History and Culture

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Below are 20 resources that middle and high school teachers can turn to when developing lesson plans related to the roles of Native American peoples in American history and contemporary life. These resources include online exhibitions at the Smithsonian; the Smithsonian's Native Knowledge 360°Educational Initiative; the work of the Mitchell and Hood Museums; and the growing work of Facing History in these thematic areas.

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My favourite Montessori books for diversity and inclusion for young children - The Montessori Notebook

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Montessori books for diversity and inclusion for young children - During the break, I've been looking through the books in our classroom and admit there is a lack of diversity in the books. Children need to be able to see themselves represented in books, art and media around them.

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Listen to Life Kit
Cora Breuner was sitting at home one day about to do a little work on her laptop.

"I remember, when I opened my computer, I looked at my son - who shall remain nameless - and I said, 'Why is this porn site on my laptop?'"

"I'm an adolescent male, Mom."

It would have been an awkward moment for just about any parent. Then again, Breuner isn't just any parent. She's Doctor Cora Breuner, and she works in the adolescent medicine clinic at Seattle Children's Hospital. In other words, she is an expert on all the reasons her son had been browsing pornography on her laptop.

The moral of this story: No matter how prepared you think you are as a parent, few subjects can catch us off guard or tie us into knots more quickly than sex.

Well, NPR's Life Kit is here to help. For this episode, we spoke with Breuner, along with a host of researchers, advocates and sex educators, about how parents can help tweens and teens navigate the hormone-infused awkwardness of puberty and beyond.

( Our previous episode explored how to talk to kids from birth to the doorstep of puberty - give it a listen if you want to brush up on the basics, like why you should use anatomically correct terms for body parts - call a vulva a vulva.)

Here are our biggest takeaways:
1. Don't wait until puberty to start talking about puberty.
Puberty is a huge transformation, both physically and emotionally, and it can start as early as 8 years old, especially for girls. If children aren't prepared for the changes - from breast and penis development to wet dreams and menstrual periods - it can feel even more disruptive.

Remember, this is a time when the brain is undergoing serious rewiring. The architecture of our frontal lobes, which regulate emotion, is shifting, says Breuner. Teens' brains are also being flooded with hormones, including estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. Translation: Emotions will be volatile, and kids' decision-making ability is gonna go a little haywire. "The part of their brain that is supposed to say, 'Stop doing that!' isn't really working."

The better that tweens understand the changes they will be going through, the better equipped they'll be to manage the tumult. And that will require the grown-ups in their lives to be proactive. So find a few quiet moments, when the pressure is off - maybe in the car or on a hike, when you don't have to make eye contact - and give them the basics.

When she was in fourth grade, 15-year-old Lily McGrath remembers her mother sitting her down "right before puberty started ... basically prepping me and telling me, 'So these are some things that are going to happen to you in the future. And if you have questions, please ask.'"

McGrath is now a youth ambassador for the sex education initiative Amaze, talking to other youth about sexual health topics.

Lily says her mom, Electra McGrath-Skrzydlewski, told her that her breasts would likely begin to grow and explained what menstruation would feel like, "almost answering some of the questions before I even really knew that those were gonna be questions I needed answers to. ... She was very open from the get-go, even before those were things that I needed to know about."

2. If your teen speaks up about sex, sexuality or gender, listen, love and be humble.

Perhaps the most powerful thing parents and guardians can do to prepare their kids for adolescence is to create an open channel of judgment-free communication. That way, when a tween or teen starts feeling the rush of adolescence, they'll take their questions to you first.

It doesn't matter what they're trying to share - whether they're coming out, curious about birth control or still confused by the basic mechanics of sex - your teen needs to feel heard and supported unconditionally.

"You know, 'We love and accept you,'" says Heather Corinna, the founder of Scarleteen.com, an online sex ed clearinghouse that's packed with info on relationships, bodies and sexuality.

Corinna says that if your child is asking tough questions that you can't answer or is sharing information that makes you uncomfortable, "then you can follow that up with, 'We don't get it! And we need to find out more about this.'"

To be clear, though, "we don't get it" is not the same as "we don't believe you" or a dismissive "you'll grow out of it." In fact, Breuner says, if a tween or teen is exploring a different sexual orientation or gender identity, it's probably not a phase, according to the latest research. "My generation of physicians was taught that, which was wrong. And so the likelihood of somebody growing out of it is extremely low."

Corinna says that in these moments, parents should also resist the urge to swoop in with their big feelings or a quick fix.

"Young people don't really have any power but the power that we give them. And if we present ourselves all the time as the ones that know the most, the ones that are the experts at everything and the ones that have all the power, you know, it's hard for us to have good relationships with them."

McGrath-Skrzydlewski had always made good listening a hallmark of her parenting style, and so, one sunny afternoon when her daughter, Lily, was 12, she mostly listened as Lily told her that she identifies as pansexual - meaning gender and sexuality aren't determining factors in whom she is attracted to.

No matter how strong their relationship, though, it was still hard, Lily says. "So awkward. It was just me sitting on the floor pointing to a pride flag."

"As I was watching her struggle to find the words," McGrath-Skrzydlewski says, "I just felt some really deep sympathy, because it felt painful in a way that, from where I sat, it didn't have to be that. And I was just sitting there ready to hold her, right, for whatever she needed."

Listen, love and be humble. It won't prevent the difficult conversations of adolescence, but it will help you - and your child - get through them.
3. Teens need to understand the basics of a healthy relationship.
One sexpert we interviewed, Daniel Rice at Rutgers University, likened sex to algebra. In other words, it's advanced. Just as addition and subtraction are fundamental math skills necessary for algebra, listening and communication skills, as well as abiding respect for the needs and rights of others, are foundational to a healthy, happy sex life - and a healthy, happy life in general.

"I can't have, you know, a meaningful lesson with young people on what relationship goals may look like when we haven't established the foundation of, like, how to negotiate with a partner, how to communicate, how to select a partner who's respectful of you," says Brittany McBride, senior program manager of sexuality education at Advocates for Youth, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works on sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health.

If you're lucky, you can model these skills at home. It's also a good idea to talk affirmatively about relationship ideals: about kindness and consideration, about how people in a family or a couple take care of each other, resolve conflicts, admit fault and show forgiveness.

And Corinna at Scarleteen has another tip: Middle school is a great time for parents to start paying more attention to their kids' relationships with peers. Because, by middle school, many platonic, adolescent relationships are "not even dysfunctional. They're just flat-out abusive."

Abusive verbally, emotionally and even physically - because of tweens' brain chemistry, because our popular culture makes cruelty seem cool and because too many kids don't experience consistent, loving, respectful relationships at home.

So, Corinna says, pay attention to your kids' interactions, and if you notice something that crosses the line, "say, you know, 'I just overheard' or 'I just saw' or whatever the thing was that you did. And then you say, 'How do you feel about that? Is it OK with you?' And then have a talk about it."

A cornerstone of any healthy relationship is consent, and tweens and teens especially need to understand that sexual consent has to be enthusiastic, ongoing and specific. No one can consent to sex if they're drunk or wasted. And a yes at the beginning of the night is not a yes at the end of the night. Kids need to know that they need to check in with their partner.
4. Sex feels good. Don't try to hide that from your kids.
Sex ed usually emphasizes the risks of sex - like infections, untimely pregnancy and sexual assault - but rarely explores the big reason people choose to have sex in spite of those risks: pleasure. This gives adolescents an incomplete, arguably inaccurate understanding of sex, and that's a problem, say our experts.

Instead, tweens need to hear about the risks as well as the fact that most partnered sex isn't for reproduction but for recreation and connection. Knowing that, says McBride, "removes a little bit of that mystifying, really cool, like, 'What is this I hear so much about?' aspect of sex."

Parents can also share a more positive message about self-pleasure. Nix the shame and stigma, says Breuner. Masturbation, she says, "is not ugly and gross. It's important to establish your own sexuality and be able to figure out what gives you pleasure so that when you are at a place when you want someone else to give you pleasure, you know what to tell them."

Corinna suggests easing into the conversation about pleasure by talking about your favorite dessert or a song you want to listen to nonstop. "Just like all of those things, sex is one of those things that people, by and large, do ... to make ourselves and/or each other feel good."
5. Porn isn't real life, and your kids need to hear that.
Realistically, says Breuner, you may not be able to keep your kids away from pornography altogether. Remember, she caught her son using her laptop to browse porn. Even if they can't access it at home, she says, they'll still likely run into it at a friend's house or at school. So you need to talk about how porn can give them wrong ideas about sex, pleasure and relationships.

Mainstream commercial pornography has little use for consent and often features scenes of pain, control and coercion, as well as unrealistic depictions of female enjoyment. There's also a narrow range of body types and little body hair, giggling or awkwardness.

And it's not just porn. Kids need a reality check when it comes to the broader category of what Corinna calls "sexual media." Whether it's bikini models on Instagram or hawking beer on TV, the problems are similar. Teens need to hear it from you: Sexual media is fantasy. It's people doing a job for money, and that's not how sex works in the real world.

A 2015 study from Texas Tech University found that when parents talked with their middle schoolers early and consistently about porn, sharing their own values, it made a lasting difference. When those young teens became college students, they were less likely to view porn, and if they dated someone who did, it had a less negative impact on their self-esteem.
6. You may want to get backup.
We say this often on Life Kit, but especially when it comes to adolescents and sex, you may need backup. Corinna says parents can find it hard to talk to their kids even - or especially - if they have experienced something similar.

"Some of the parents that are the most scared about their kids being queer or trans are parents who are queer or trans, because they know what they went through. They are accepting. Of course they're accepting, but they're also terrified," Corinna says.

Parents who have their own experiences with sexual assault, abuse or abortion can also find it that much harder to respond when children come to them with difficult questions. Don't be afraid to enlist the help of a close family friend, another family member, pediatrician, trusted teacher or coach.

Parents can also find help and resources at health centers, YMCAs and teaching hospitals. Sometimes places of worship host sex education workshops. Books can also be a valuable resource, though make sure they're up to date.

Scarleteen.com is aimed at teenagers and emerging adults.

Heather Corinna's most recent book is

Amaze animated videos are especially good for 10- to 13-year-olds. Topics range from puberty to sexually transmitted infections.

Unhushed.org is a comprehensive sex education website.

Six Minute Sex Ed is a podcast for parents, teachers and caring adults.

This story was focused on kids entering puberty through high school, if you're looking for tips on talking to children who are younger, check out our previous episode.
We'd love to hear from you - if you've got a good life hack, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us at LifeKit@npr.org The audio portion of this story was produced by Sylvie Douglis. . Your tip could appear in an upcoming episode.
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What Your Teen Wishes You Knew About Sex Education : Life Kit

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subscribe to Life Kit podcast subscribe to Life Kit podcast Listen to Life Kit Cora Breuner was sitting at home one day about to do a little work on her laptop. "I remember, when I opened my computer, I looked at my son - who shall remain nameless - and I said, 'Why is this porn site on my laptop?'" "I'm an adolescent male, Mom."

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While the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, in addition to thousands of protests, have sparked new conversations across the country, one thing that's remained for many families is "the talk."

This is the talk that Black parents give their children, particularly their sons, about how they should deal with the police if they encounter them. It is a hard talk, a sad talk. And the stakes are really high.

Sam Sanders, host of It's Been A Minute from NPR sits down with Kenya Young, the executive producer of NPR's Morning Edition, to discuss how she talks with her three sons and what we can all learn from these types of dialogues.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity for reading. You can listen to the powerful conversation Sam Sanders: Kenya knows this talk all too well. She's my colleague and the executive producer of NPR's Morning Edition. (That means she runs the whole show.) She's also the mother of three Black boys. or stream it at the top of this page. As the Black mother of three Black boys, you're having to talk to them about the news in a very specific way. What are you saying to them about George Floyd and his death and the police and these protests?
Kenya Young: I have a 16 1/2-year-old, a 14-year-old and a 4-year-old.

You know, it's obviously not the first time. They are 16 and 14. And for some people, this may be the first time they've had to have the conversation. It is not the first time for us. We've had to have what's known in Black culture as "the talk" many times.

I'll never forget there was a time - the kids wanted to go to the park. This was right around the time of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. My third son was just born. And I had many moments where I was holding him or nursing him and crying as I did so. Because, while I loved this little bundle of joy immensely, also just the amount of fear and worry for who I just brought into the world again, another Black son, and the burdens that I have to carry with that again. It was really raw for me around that time.

I remember the kids asking to go to the park and the laundry list of what I had to tell them: "Don't wear your hood. Don't put your hands in your pocket. If you get stopped, don't run. Put your hands up. Don't make a lot of moves. Tell them your mother works for NPR." I mean, it just went on and on.

There are stages of the talk as they start to get older. One is you just don't want them to draw attention to themselves enough for someone to call on them or get stopped. Then, there's the stage of what you do if you do get caught. And then, more recently, we all watched Ava DuVernay's " When They See Us" together as a family. And it was really, really hard for the kids to go through. The series is about the Central Park Five - they were young kids themselves. That was the first time it changed to a new iteration of the talk. And that talk was, what do you do once you're inside those walls? 'Don't ever sign a confession. Don't ever let them tell you that your mom told you it's OK. Don't ever ...' and I was just like, 'Oh, my gosh. It doesn't stop.'
What's your emotional state having to give this talk again and again and again?
This time around, it's been more about what's not fair. You know, 'This just isn't fair, you guys. But this is the way the world is. This is the way America is right now. It's the way it's been for a long time. And I can't lie to you, I don't think it's going to change in your lifetime. And it's just not fair for us to have to live like this.'
When the world should be still.
I have to be honest about it. The more it happens, the harder it is to stay optimistic about it. I mean, we have an example right here within the span of one month, two different incidences that we've had to talk to them through. With the Ahmaud Arbery shooting, there was a sorrow, honestly, because we're in the middle of a pandemic. Most of us were still in a shelter-in-place then! And even in a pandemic, even when someone's home, even when everything - when America ...

Still! And yet, we're still killing unarmed Black men in the streets. That's the one thing we can still seem to count on for America. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. It hurt my heart that that was the truth of where racism is in this country - even when everything's stopped, that's the one thing that continued.

And so that conversation with them, there were a lot of tears. It was a lot of helplessness. 'I don't know what to do anymore, you guys. I don't know how to save you. I don't know how to keep you safe. I don't know.'

My husband and I have been sure to provide a very good life for them - more than what we had - and make sure that we lived in places where we felt safe as a family, where they were in the best school districts. I always looked at very diverse neighborhoods as well because that was important to me.

But for the first time, I started to have the thought: I did everything to make sure that we weren't in crime-ridden areas, that we were in safe neighborhoods and that they did get the best. And still, I fear for them walking down the street. Did I do even more of a disservice by being the only Black family on this street? Do we have to do more work by making sure that everyone knows us, and everyone knows our hearts and who we are and be friends with everyone?
I feel the same way. For me, as a Black man who's covered these stories for a long time and also gotten the talk from my mother growing up, I think there were two assumptions I had. From Trayvon forward, I said, 'Well, eventually, it will get better. There's the cameras now. There's the reforms. It ought to get better.' That actually hasn't happened. And, two, I thought that I would age out of the fear.
And is that enough? If someone's mother-in-law visits and doesn't know us and wonders why my kids are riding their bikes, or if someone wanders over from another street and questions us. It's one of those places where my talk with my kids at that point is hopeless. I just don't know what to do anymore. I just don't.
I'm 35 now. And I had convinced myself in my 20s, 'Well, when you're older, they care about you less. You're not the Black kid they're looking for.' Not true. How old was George Floyd? How old was Eric Garner? And to hear you talk about how it's almost inescapable - I feel the same way. I feel like no matter what version of our lives we're in as Black people, as Black mothers, as Black sons, it's always a version of the talk - always.
Yes.

That's right. The truth of the matter is no matter what we do, what job we get, what college we go to, what education we have, what level we are, how much money, what car - anything that you think may change even a little bit about how people see you, there are still people that are only going to see the skin color.

All of my kids are three different colors - bless Black genes, you just never know how they're going to show up in your kids. I call them dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. I've got all three. I've got a See's candy box.
So they've gotten several versions of this talk over the last several years. How do your kids react when you say, 'All right, come on, get on this couch. You know what we're about to talk about now.' Are they tired of it? Are they emotional? Are they exasperated?
My oldest son is very dark-skinned, getting pretty tall - taller than me now, has a head above me ... broad, 16-year-old boy. To some, he is going to look older than 16. To some, this heart-of-gold, goofy as can be kid - he will look menacing. He will look threatening. And that is just because that's how they perceive dark, big Black skin.

I think it depends. I make them watch the news. And I make them listen to NPR just to understand what's really going on, and so we can talk about it. They get it at different levels.

I do still think that they live in a space that you were talking about, 'OK, I know this happens, but it's over there.' But they also say, 'Oh, that's not fair. This country is still killing Black men. And why do they do that to us?' And it's a very hard thing.

The one thing, Sam, that is difficult: It's hard to do this and then also not have them hate, right? There's a space that I know a lot of Black boys live in of just, 'Well, then you're just not supposed to like white people. They do this to us.' That's what the rage is that we're seeing right now. People are angry. And they're tired. And they're frustrated. And there's a bit of a desperation where we just don't even know what to do yet. And I don't know that I want my kids to ever get to that place. I want them to still feel like they can call for change.
I'm curious to hear you talk about the differences and similarities between the talk you give your Black boys about this and the talk you give your white coworkers in a mostly-white newsroom when you're telling them how to cover this on the air.
It's interesting to talk them through it but to also leave them the space to maneuver it themselves, to figure out their identity.

While it may be two different versions, I think the bottom line is that it all has to come from this place of authenticity and this kind of raw space of, 'How did we get here?' So with my boys, 'How did we get here, and what's our next step?'

But it's the same question to my white colleagues or my white friends. 'How did we get here? Are you here with me? You know, are you still a little bit further behind trying to catch up? Or are you finally here with me now? Are we ready to have this conversation? What's your next step? What's my next step? And what is our next step together?'

I live in this every day. You may live it in the moment when it happens. But it can slowly fade away for some people because life goes on. And it's not your life experience. It is my life experience. It is my boys' life experience. It does not go away. And the sad part is, within the next couple of weeks, we'll have another one.

And so it becomes more of a talk with my white colleagues about, are we ready to talk about what's really going on in America? Are we ready to face that this isn't a one-off or a two-off or a three-off or a 10-off?
These conversations focus a lot on Black men killed by police. But we should note, as we've talked about in this conversation, when a Black man dies at the hands of police, a little bit of some Black woman who nurtured him or mothered him or loved him dies, too.
It is America. It is a 10-off because it is.
And I cannot help but continue to hear George Floyd as he was being choked to death. He called out for his mother twice. I just want to say to you, as one Black son to a Black mother - we never forget those talks. We never forget those lessons. We're always grateful for you and for your protection. And even in the final moments of our lives, however those occur, we will think of you.
Yeah.
Me, too.
Oh, Sam. See, I thought I was going to make it all the way through.

When he called for his momma. Oh, God. That just ...
It's also this reminder. For all of these people that would want to see the worst in a Black man and see an enemy and see violence and see something dangerous, we're all actually some mother's son.
There was something about that, that changed in me because it was just- the level of fear in somebody, you know you're about to lose your life unnecessarily, unjustly, that that's your last callout - it's devastating.

Just somebody's son - that's exactly right. And I think that's the hard part. I look at my boys. And they love life. And I see that. And I know that. And I love them for that. And I want the world to see them the exact same way.

You see it all the time. Black moms say it. 'What if my son's name was ever a hashtag? What if we're posting his picture in a remembrance over senseless racism?' It's just not fair that that's a constant thought every day as a mother of these three beautiful brown boys.

Yeah. Well, my hope is that listeners hearing this of all races and ages and walks of life will learn something and have more talks with their families and make things a bit better. But whatever happens with whoever hears this, I want you to hear from me, thank you. Thanks to all the mothers all the time.
This conversation originally appeared on 'The story was adapted for digital by Andee Tagle. It's Been A Minute,' which is produced by Jinae West, Anjuli Sastry, Andrea Gutierrez and Hafsa Fathima. Hafsa Fathima is an intern for the podcast, and Jordana Hochman is the editor. Steve Nelson is the director of programming.
Thank you. Thank you so much. That means a lot. That means more than you know.

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A Black Mother Reflects On Giving Her 3 Sons 'The Talk' ... Again And Again

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While the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, in addition to thousands of protests, have sparked new conversations across the country, one thing that's remained for many families is "the talk." This is the talk that Black parents give their children, particularly their sons, about how they should deal with the police if they encounter them.

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The conversation about race needs to start early and keep happening.

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Credit... Loris Lora

As protests over the killing of George Floyd (and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor) spill into a second week, many parents are wondering how to talk about the deaths and unrest with their children. But just as important in the long run, especially for nonblack parents, is how to keep the conversation about race and racism going when we're not in a moment of national outrage, and to make sure all children see black people as heroes in a wide range of their own stories, and not just as victims of oppression.

In this moment, try to address the killings and protests honestly and in an age appropriate way, said Y. Joy Harris-Smith, Ph.D., a lecturer at Princeton Theological Seminary and the co-author of the forthcoming " The ABCs of Diversity: Helping Kids (and Ourselves!) Embrace Our Differences."

You can start having conversations about race in preschool, said Jacqueline Dougé, M.D., a pediatrician and child health advocate based in Maryland - children can internalize racial bias between the ages of 2 and 4, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics article that Dr. Dougé co-wrote.

Dr. Collins gave the example of a white child asking why another child had brown skin. A parent can take this opportunity to explain what melanin is, and to talk about how wonderful it is that the world has so many different kinds of people.

Older children will be much more aware of what's going on right now. So find out how much your child knows about the protests, Dr. Harris-Smith said, because kids may know more than we think they do from overhearing the news, their parents talking, or simply noticing what is going on outside in their neighborhoods.

Once you assess what they know, you can have a conversation about the violence against black people without being too explicit with elementary-age children.

Dr. Dougé suggested starting with something like: "There are things happening in the news that are upsetting us. Unfortunately there were police officers that made bad choices for the wrong reasons because of the color of our skin." Dr. Collins said that with children in elementary school, you should focus on how unfairly black and brown people have been treated throughout American history to the present day, because fairness is something all children can understand.

If you live someplace where people are actively protesting and your children have observed some destruction, "First and foremost, reassure them you're there to keep them safe," Dr. Dougé said. But also explain why people are protesting, and show them positive images of protesting now and from history, she suggested.

Make sure to create space for your child to feel however they need to feel about what you're discussing - they may be angry, sad or scared. "When we're not validated in how we feel, it makes it difficult for us to be active participants in our lives," Dr. Harris-Smith said. Dr. Collins suggested that parents can let a child know, "The important adults in her life are working really hard to make sure these injustices don't continue to happen in our city, country and world." Respect your children's feelings if talking about it is too upsetting, but make sure to leave the door open for future conversations, she continued.

In addition to keeping an open dialogue about racism, a way to raise children who are anti-racist is by making sure your home library has books with black people at the center of their stories. Christine Taylor-Butler, the prolific children's author and writer of The Lost Tribes Series, said that she got into children's literature because she wanted to see more stories of black joy. "I want stories about kids in a pumpkin patch, and kids in an art museum," she said. "Not only do we want our kids to read, but we want white kids to see - we're not the people you're afraid of."

"I see students clamoring for books that speak to heart, not oppression based on civil rights," Taylor-Butler added. And she is also a fan of books that tell stories of black triumph and invention, like " Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, " by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate, which is about the black engineer behind the Super Soaker water gun.

With that in mind, I asked several authors and Times editors to offer suggestions of books to read to children. Some are explicitly about racism, but others are stories with nonwhite protagonists. They are broken down roughly by age range; see our list below.

Ultimately, words and books should not be the end of your child's education about race and racism. "The best advice I can give parents is to be models for the attitudes, behavior and values that they wish to see in their children," said Nia Heard-Garris, M.D., an attending physician at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

"It is not enough to talk about racism, you must strive to be anti-racist and fight against racist policies and practices," Dr. Heard-Garris said. If you have the privilege, "make space, speak up or amplify issues of inequity and injustice." Children see everything.

Ezra Jack Keats's books about Peter ("The Snowy Day," "A Letter to Amy," "Hi, Cat!," "Whistle for Willie")

"I love all of Ezra Jack Keats's books about Peter, because they show a black boy in the city and the stories are just about his curiosity, his bravery and his being a kid. They are beautiful meditations on the interiority of black childhood without trauma while still feeling very black." - Kaitlyn Greenidge, NYT Parenting contributor and author of the novel " We Love You, Charlie Freeman "

" Saturday, " written and illustrated by Oge Mora

"This book is pure joy. A mom and her daughter, Ava, always look forward to Saturdays because it's the one day of the week they get to spend together without school or work. On this particular Saturday, though, they experience a series of disappointments. Nothing seems to be going as planned. Still, thanks to Ava they figure out a way to enjoy their time together. A quiet yet profound picture book."

- Matt de la Peña, a Newbery Medal-winning author of seven Young Adult novels and five picture books, including " Last Stop on Market Street "

" Hair Love," by Matthew A. Cherry. Illustrated by Vashti Harrison.

"Written by a former N.F.L. wide receiver and now an Oscar-winning short film, 'Hair Love' tells the story of a black father learning to do his daughter's hair for the first time and the special bond they share."

- Meena Harris, author of " Kamala and Maya's Big Idea "

" Each Kindness," by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.

"A new girl, Maya, shows up at school, and the whole class, including Chloe, our main character, shuns her because she's shabbily dressed and seems different. This goes on for a while, and then Maya is suddenly gone, and Chloe realizes she's missed her chance to be kind. This is a powerful picture book that bravely ends with regret."

- Matt de la Peña

" The Youngest Marcher, " by Cynthia Levinson. Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton.

"It's one of the more shocking and little-known stories of the civil rights movement: In 1963, the City of Birmingham jailed hundreds of kids for joining the Children's March. Among them was 9-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks, taken from her family to spend a week behind bars, eating 'oily grits' and sleeping on a bare mattress. Levinson and Newton keep her story bright and snappy, emphasizing the girl's eagerness to make a difference and her proud place in her community."

- Maria Russo, former children's book editor at The New York Times

" Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice," by Veronica Chambers. Illustrated by Paul Ryding.

"Chambers, who is the senior editor of special projects here at The Times, has pulled together 35 inspiring stories from the past 500 years of history, each with a lesson for our kids about how to fight injustice in their own lives."

- Jessica Grose

" Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness," written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham

"An honest explanation about how power and privilege factor into the lives of white children, at the expense of other groups, and how they can help seek justice."

- Meena Harris

" All American Boys," by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

"This is a brilliant look at the effects of police brutality from the perspective of two teen boys: one white and one black. We get inside both of their minds and watch them grapple with the weight of something that is way too familiar in our country. "

- Matt de la Peña

" Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You " by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

"Reynolds and Kendi have created a book that slyly draws attention to the page itself. 'Uh-oh. The R-word,' they write. The word that 'for many of us still feels Rated R. Or can be matched only with the other R word - run. But don't. Let's all just take a deep breath. Inhale. Hold it. Exhale and breathe out' - and here, the text breaks apart to give us the dangerous word - 'race.'"

- Kaitlyn Greenidge: Read her full review here.
If you have other books you love on this theme, email us with a list of your favorites and we will run an article with your suggestions.

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These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids (Published 2020)

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The conversation about race needs to start early and keep happening. As protests over the killing of George Floyd (and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor) spill into a second week, many parents are wondering how to talk about the deaths and unrest with their children.

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In 8 tips for choosing 'good' picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC), our colleagues at Diverse BookFinder offer recommendations about how to evaluate "diverse" and "multicultural" children's books to find great books the children in your life will love.

In this piece, we identify promising starting points, in addition to the Diverse BookFinder, for your search for children's books to which you might apply the criteria described in 8 tips. The blogs and sites named below by no means exhaust the list of sites that highlight excellent children's books. Nor do all the books featured on those sites meet each of the 8 tips criteria. However, a search that begins with the sites on this list is likely to bear quality fruit!

EmbraceRace is not affiliated with any of these sites.

Major hubs for discovering diverse children's books

Children's book sites and blogs we like

Creating an anti-bias children's book collection

Looking to create an anti-bias library or evaluate/review books yourself? These articles and frameworks about evaluating representation in children's literature can help you think about bias in children's books and other media.

Where to get ebooks for kids online

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Looking for Excellent "Diverse" Books for Children? Start Here!

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In 8 tips for choosing 'good' picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC), our colleagues at Diverse BookFinder offer recommendations about how to evaluate "diverse" and "multicultural" children's books to find great books the children in your life will love.

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#Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators - The Seattle Public Library

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Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators by KCLSRacheal - a staff-created list : Books for children and teens by Native American and First Nations authors and illustrators. Many are recommended by the either the American Indian Youth Literature Award, children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith, or American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL).

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#Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators - The Seattle Public Library

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Ownvoices: Kids and Teen Books by Indigenous Authors and Illustrators by KCLSRacheal - a staff-created list : Books for children and teens by Native American and First Nations authors and illustrators. Many are recommended by the either the American Indian Youth Literature Award, children's author Cynthia Leitich Smith, or American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 8 tips for choosing 'good' picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC), our colleagues at Diverse BookFinder offer recommendations about how to evaluate "diverse" and "multicultural" children's books to find great books the children in your life will love.

In this piece, we identify promising starting points, in addition to the Diverse BookFinder, for your search for children's books to which you might apply the criteria described in 8 tips. The blogs and sites named below by no means exhaust the list of sites that highlight excellent children's books. Nor do all the books featured on those sites meet each of the 8 tips criteria. However, a search that begins with the sites on this list is likely to bear quality fruit!

EmbraceRace is not affiliated with any of these sites.

Major hubs for discovering diverse children's books

Children's book sites and blogs we like

Creating an anti-bias children's book collection

Looking to create an anti-bias library or evaluate/review books yourself? These articles and frameworks about evaluating representation in children's literature can help you think about bias in children's books and other media.

Where to get ebooks for kids online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Looking for Excellent "Diverse" Books for Children? Start Here!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 8 tips for choosing 'good' picture books featuring Black and Indigenous people and People of Color (BIPOC), our colleagues at Diverse BookFinder offer recommendations about how to evaluate "diverse" and "multicultural" children's books to find great books the children in your life will love.

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The Everymom's product selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.

The best thing about books is that they can take you anywhere. Books offer us a perspective and experience that we may otherwise never know, and that glimpse into someone else's story can be integral in creating open and accepting minds and hearts.

Children's books are no exception. Not only are diverse children's books important for children of color (they offer them visibility, relatability, and vital moments of representation), but they're important for all children. In a country as multicultural as ours, it's vital to offer children an opportunity to see realities and experiences different from their own.

Reading books with your children that celebrate diversity will help your little ones recognize that what is seen as outwardly different can just be a slight variation in the broad spectrum of humanity-and that different is not bad, but beautiful.

Reading books with your children that celebrate diversity will help your little ones recognize that what is seen as outwardly different can just be a slight variation in the broad spectrum of humanity-and that different is not bad, but beautiful.

Many of us feel overwhelmed in raising kind, loving children in a society that constantly screams about differences, but as parents, our responsibility is to work on changing that from the ground up. Yes, these conversations about acceptance and openness are not easy-most of the time they are complicated, confusing, and very hard to get through. But, we have to keep trying. After all, we are raising the future, and with some hard work, we can make it a wonderful one.
Below, we're sharing 50+ of our favorite children's books that celebrate diversity. Nearly all of the books linked below can be purchased through Bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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50+ Children's Books That Celebrate Diversity

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The Everymom's product selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love. The best thing about books is that they can take you anywhere.

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If you are signed up for our book club , you'll know that we featured Sylvia & Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Ellison, The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, and When Aidan Becomes a Brother by Kyle Lukoff. Because you probably loved these books and are craving more, here are more of our favorites to help your child understand gender as a spectrum rather than a binary categorization.

To help you find what you are looking for, we've divided this list into three parts:

Informational books about gender and pronouns,

Stories about transitioning, and

Books about gender presentation and breaking gender stereotypes.

Part 1: INFORMATIONAL BOOKS ABOUT GENDER & PRONOUNS

We know that gender is a social construct and that socialization starts at a very young age. Rather than shy away from these discussions and allow society and mainstream media to shape our children's perceptions, these books help form foundational understandings about bodies and identity.

A board book for our youngest kiddos with gorgeous illustrations of all types of people. There's no way to know someone's pronouns unless you ask them, so go ahead!

What we love: This book is simple and has no narrative. It's perfect for letting young kids discover and notice things for themselves.

Things to know: This book is a joyous introduction to people and their pronouns, and how gender expression doesn't always match someone's gender identity.

Finally, a book that truly bares it all, pun intended. The Bare Naked Book normalizes and celebrates all types of bodies through awesome illustrations and simple questions asking readers to look at and celebrate their own bodies!

What we love: The inclusiveness of this anatomy book is off the charts and allows readers to see bodies as beautiful. We appreciate how the book exposes readers to bodies rarely showcased and teaches love for everybody.

Things to know: This book was recently updated from its 1986 version to include more diverse people and presentations of gender. While The Bare Naked Book was a novel when it was first published, the author recognized how outdated her work had become. You'll appreciate her 2021 author's note, which shares insights like why they decided to feature ambiguous genitals. We love that this title serves as a reminder on our bookshelves to never stop challenging our mindsets and growing our understanding.

Once your child is ready for a little more description than The Bare Naked Book contains, check out Your Whole Body ! It is an inclusive book for children about the entire body and helps grown-ups teach their children the names of the genitals in a comfortable and natural way by seamlessly weaving in the explanations and illustrations as the book explores the body.

What we love: This book contains complete explanations, illustrations, and labels for all the major body parts including genitals. The text and illustrations describe and show different appearances and abilities, and we love that the book does not use gender pronouns when describing genitals or any of the characters depicted.

Things to know: The author of this book is a parent who was looking for a book that would help her teach her child to accurately name and describe their own body parts, but couldn't find one, so she wrote it herself after consulting with child safety experts, pediatricians, gender specialists, and educators.

Follow Ari through their neighborhood as they try to find their words in this sweet, accessible introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns that is perfect for readers of all ages.

What we love: We love that this book shows how different pronouns make the main character feel (how some don't feel right and some do feel right, described with lots of other words). Each person has words that include but are not limited to their pronouns, rounding out each person we encounter as more of a multidimensional person, not just pronouns or gender.

Things to know: This book includes some neopronouns and ideas on how to ask people what their words are!

Following a group of friends, this picture book showcases the many forms of gender identity. It Feels Good to Be Yourself is a wonderfully simple book about gender that normalizes childrens' experiences.

What we love: This book is very straightforward and explains the terms transgender, cisgender, and non-binary using accessible language and understandable examples. This story both validates our feelings about ourselves and is a great starting off point to discuss how the gender we're assigned at birth isn't always right.

Things to know: The author of this book is a parent of a transgender child and the illustrator identifies as non-binary.

Perfect for the age when kids are asking a lot of "how's" and "why's", What Makes a Baby satisfies youngsters who are curious about babies and where they come from.

What we love: The text uses gender-neutral language, such as "people with eggs" and "people with sperms," expanding our ideas about conception. The illustrations reflect this deliberately inclusive approach via Smyth's bold, multi-colored silhouettes without gendered body parts.

Things to know: A great book choice for kiddos who know someone that's expecting a child or has a new sibling arriving soon.

Looking for a way to discuss gender identity, gender presentation, and what gender even is with your little reader? Maya Gonzalez draws on queer and indigenous scholarship for her framework and accompanies her text with vibrant and expansive pictures.

What we love: The detail and dedication to articulating these complicated concepts for young audiences is clear in the language and in the drawings Gonzalez uses and creates.

Things to know: We originally published this list recommending by Brooke Pessin Whedbee as easier to understand than The Gender Wheel. While we found that to be true then, we now appreciate the decolonizing take on how gender can be taught to kids. More importantly, Maya Gonzalez published an article on her blog detailing how she felt Who Are You? plagiarized her work in The Gender Wheel. We did not learn of this until after we published that version, but now include this note. Our apologies for not catching this sooner. We cannot support nor recommend a book that has possibly plagiarized another person's body of work, nor one that whitewashes the content, as Gonzalez claims. This is a good reminder that being a conscious consumer is not just about the end product itself, but also about how it is produced.

An award-winning comic book, Sex is a Funny Word provides a comprehensive look at what the word "sex" means, in particular, for a diverse cast of characters. Exploring gender, bodies, and sexual orientation, this book discusses respect, boundaries, and safety in an open and thoughtful way that facilitates similarly open and thoughtful conversations

What we love: The four narrators, Zai, Cooper, Mimi, and Omar, ask many questions that are helpful for young readers to consider and respond to. Explanations provided within the book are ungendered (which is extra great when it comes to body parts)!

Things to know: This book is not entirely about the gender spectrum. As the author notes in the beginning, this book is intended to be read over a long period of time, with room for questions and discussions.

Part 2: Books about transgender children and the process of transitioning

Gender does not mean sex, yet we live in a world that equates them anyways. The books in this section showcase children living their gender! The process of transitioning takes so many different forms. These titles exemplify the representation transgender children (and adults) deserve, and the exposure cisgender children (and adults) need to both celebrate and advocate for their peers.

So many kids can relate to having a stuffed animal they love. This book lovingly challenges how we can make assumptions about someone's (or some stuffed animal's) gender identity and encourages acceptance for loving people and stuffies just as they are.

What we love: This book gently demonstrates to young readers what it's like to share who you are and accept others as they are.

Things to know: The author identifies as queer and wrote this story after noticing her children's bookshelves "didn't reflect the diversity of her family." We love this story and the only thing we would change is the title to "Introducing Tilly" as that is teddy bear's true identity.

Calvin comes out as transgender to his family, and is worried about what people will think when he returns to school after transitioning. His family is nothing but affirming and helps him overcome his concern with love and empathy.

What we love: What really matters to children is feeling accepted for who they truly are, and this book exemplifies that completely.

Things to know: Vanessa Ford wrote this book with the help of her transgender son, JR. We love "own voices" stories like this!

My Rainbow is our favorite children's book normalizing and celebrating an autistic trans girl. The love and affirmation that Trinity's family expresses throughout the book is beautiful.

What we love: Trinity co-authored this story with her mom, making it both an authentic and easy-to-understand story for kids. We think every family should have at least one book that has a transgender protagonist, and My Rainbow is so affirming we believe that it should be on all classroom and home bookshelves!

Things to know: At Little Feminist, we deeply believe that Black trans disabled lives matter, and we are indebted to Trinity and her mother DeShauna (who is also queer!) for writing this incredible book filled with so many important openings for conversations about Autism, the history of hair in the black community, what it means to be transgender.

Payton is a Lakota child who gets a little help from their family members and a two-spirit elder in expressing their two-spirit self and dancing at a powwow in regalia that represented themself fully.

What we love: It's hard to find two-spirit representation in children's books, and it shows how to support and show up for our loved ones and community members. This book brought us to tears!

Things to know: We wish that throughout this book, Peyton had been referred to as their name or a different pronoun instead of "she" after Peyton expressed that they were two-spirit.

They Call Me Mix is a bilingual (English and Spanish) children's book about what it means to be a Latinx transgender person in a culture where gender categories can make life difficult. Lourdes has a hard time even imagining where they'll ever fit in until they find queer and trans community where they feel empowered to reinvent language that works for them and we see them doing fun everyday things with friends.

What we love: The last few pages show the main character, now an adult, explaining that they became a teacher (and wrote this autobiographical book). It's a rare and needed vision (at least in children's picture books) of a nonbinary child who grew up into a successful adult.

Things to know: The author, Lourdes Rivas, is a kindergarten teacher in a public elementary school!

Follow a young trans girl through her experience of becoming her true self publicly.

What we love: This is a great book for transgender youth to read to see a character that represents them. It's also a wonderful read for cisgender youth, to help them support transgender peers.

Things to know: This book was formerly published under the title "George" but the author changed the title in 2021 to better reflect the needs of the main character.

The author of When Aidan Became a Brother has written a wonderful ghost story focusing on three main themes: gender identity, grief, and ghostly hauntings, through the eyes and experiences of the main character, Bug.

What we love: This book is about an 11-year-old finding their identity, while also grappling with grief and familial relationships, as well as a resident ghost!

Things to know: This book deals with the main character's grief over their uncle dying, which may be a complex topic for some children to read about independently.

Part 3: Books about gender presentation and breaking gender stereotypes

Gender presentation is a visual symbol of how people self-identify in the world. However, we know that how someone expresses themself on the outside (choices in clothing, hairstyle, makeup, etc.) does not always match their gender identity or pronouns. It's important to remember, and teach our children, that the only way we know someone's gender identity is to ask them. We recognize that people can wear clothing that breaks gender stereotypes; a boy wearing a skirt doesn't make him LGBTQ+. Clothing doesn't have a gender, despite the untrue and unfair stereotypes assigned to them.

An inclusive book that highlights the diversity and beauty of the human body, including scars, prosthetics, skin colors, and all types of body shapes and types.

What we love: The text does not gender any of the people in illustrations - when we read Bodies Are Cool, we point out things we notice about groups of people or individuals, and change the pronouns we use to show that anyone can look anyway (example: "He [pointing at an individual] has scars on his chest. Maybe he had chest surgery to affirm his gender identity" or "Look at this person! They are having so much fun dancing with their friends!")

Things to know: Each time we reread this book, we notice new things in the illustrations and can dive deeper into discussions of body positivity with our kids!

In a world full of blue bunnies and yellow birds, a baby that is not quite a bunny or a bird hatches. In the land of This and That, what happens to those who don't fit either?

What we love: With colorful pictures and clear, simple text, this book provides solace for those who feel as though they don't fit in. A wonderful stopping point for discussion occurs when both the bunnies and birds ask what the creature is, and it responds with "I am both!" The bunnies and birds then reply, "No, you are neither!" What a perfect opportunity for children to learn that being neither can also mean being both.

Things to know: This story allows you to tailor your discussion with your child to a variety of situations such as what it means to be gender non-conforming, intersex, or genderqueer. The story lends itself to discussions about multiracial families too!

By Stacy Davids, illustrated by Rachael Balsaitis

Ages 3-8

It's Annie's uncle's wedding! Annie plans to wear her favorite plaid shirt, the one that she always wears, every day. Annie's mom says girls wear dresses to weddings, but dresses make Annie feel like she isn't herself. What will she do?

What we love: Annie's Plaid Shirt addresses how her mom worries about Annie and wonders if she made the right decision in asking her to wear a dress. This shows that parents and adults aren't always sure of themselves, which presents a good opportunity to talk with your little reader about this topic.

Things to know: Annie's Plaid Shirt contains relatively simple text and is somewhat lacking in depth of character and storyline. The ending, while mostly satisfying, feels a bit forced. Nonetheless, we've kept this book on our list because there are so few books about girls presenting as masculine in their choice of clothes. Is That for a Boy or a Girl? by S. Bear Bergman is another option if you're in the market for these specific stories.

By Laurin Mayeno, illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo

Ages 4-8

The school parade is coming up and Danny knows just what he wants to be: a princess! He even has the perfect dress in mind. The problem is, he can't find it!

What we love: With the help of his mom, Danny creates the dress of his imagination, sewing together a curtain and a bathrobe. When parade day comes, some kids comment on his attire, stating that they've never seen a boy princess before. Danny humorously relieves the tension by responding that he's never seen a walking butterfly or a talking pineapple.

Things to know: There are a good number of other books that address boys being into stereotypically "girly" things. We liked Sparkle Boy which would be particularly helpful for children who might be struggling to understand their sibling's presentation. My Princess Boy, Morris Micklewhite and The Tangerine Dress , 10,000 dresses , and Jacob's New Dress are other reading options. Our first choice is One of a Kind, Like Me because Danny is free to be himself and the book does not focus on overcoming bullying like other books on this topic do. While it's always important to share stories of overcoming bullying, normalizing acceptance can be just as powerful!

Well there you have it, 9 amazing books to keep the themes of and Introducing Teddy When Aidan Becomes a Brother alive and well in your home. Make sure to tell us your family's favorites!

Want more? Sign up for the Little Feminist Book Club. We send new favorites to our members every month!

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The 9 Best Children's Books about Gender Identity and Expression | Little Feminist

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If you are signed up for our book club , you'll know that we featured Sylvia & Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Ellison, The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, and When Aidan Becomes a Brother by Kyle Lukoff.

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If you are signed up for our book club , you'll know that we featured Sylvia & Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Ellison, The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, and When Aidan Becomes a Brother by Kyle Lukoff. Because you probably loved these books and are craving more, here are more of our favorites to help your child understand gender as a spectrum rather than a binary categorization.

To help you find what you are looking for, we've divided this list into three parts:

Informational books about gender and pronouns,

Stories about transitioning, and

Books about gender presentation and breaking gender stereotypes.

Part 1: INFORMATIONAL BOOKS ABOUT GENDER & PRONOUNS

We know that gender is a social construct and that socialization starts at a very young age. Rather than shy away from these discussions and allow society and mainstream media to shape our children's perceptions, these books help form foundational understandings about bodies and identity.

A board book for our youngest kiddos with gorgeous illustrations of all types of people. There's no way to know someone's pronouns unless you ask them, so go ahead!

What we love: This book is simple and has no narrative. It's perfect for letting young kids discover and notice things for themselves.

Things to know: This book is a joyous introduction to people and their pronouns, and how gender expression doesn't always match someone's gender identity.

Finally, a book that truly bares it all, pun intended. The Bare Naked Book normalizes and celebrates all types of bodies through awesome illustrations and simple questions asking readers to look at and celebrate their own bodies!

What we love: The inclusiveness of this anatomy book is off the charts and allows readers to see bodies as beautiful. We appreciate how the book exposes readers to bodies rarely showcased and teaches love for everybody.

Things to know: This book was recently updated from its 1986 version to include more diverse people and presentations of gender. While The Bare Naked Book was a novel when it was first published, the author recognized how outdated her work had become. You'll appreciate her 2021 author's note, which shares insights like why they decided to feature ambiguous genitals. We love that this title serves as a reminder on our bookshelves to never stop challenging our mindsets and growing our understanding.

Once your child is ready for a little more description than The Bare Naked Book contains, check out Your Whole Body ! It is an inclusive book for children about the entire body and helps grown-ups teach their children the names of the genitals in a comfortable and natural way by seamlessly weaving in the explanations and illustrations as the book explores the body.

What we love: This book contains complete explanations, illustrations, and labels for all the major body parts including genitals. The text and illustrations describe and show different appearances and abilities, and we love that the book does not use gender pronouns when describing genitals or any of the characters depicted.

Things to know: The author of this book is a parent who was looking for a book that would help her teach her child to accurately name and describe their own body parts, but couldn't find one, so she wrote it herself after consulting with child safety experts, pediatricians, gender specialists, and educators.

Follow Ari through their neighborhood as they try to find their words in this sweet, accessible introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns that is perfect for readers of all ages.

What we love: We love that this book shows how different pronouns make the main character feel (how some don't feel right and some do feel right, described with lots of other words). Each person has words that include but are not limited to their pronouns, rounding out each person we encounter as more of a multidimensional person, not just pronouns or gender.

Things to know: This book includes some neopronouns and ideas on how to ask people what their words are!

Following a group of friends, this picture book showcases the many forms of gender identity. It Feels Good to Be Yourself is a wonderfully simple book about gender that normalizes childrens' experiences.

What we love: This book is very straightforward and explains the terms transgender, cisgender, and non-binary using accessible language and understandable examples. This story both validates our feelings about ourselves and is a great starting off point to discuss how the gender we're assigned at birth isn't always right.

Things to know: The author of this book is a parent of a transgender child and the illustrator identifies as non-binary.

Perfect for the age when kids are asking a lot of "how's" and "why's", What Makes a Baby satisfies youngsters who are curious about babies and where they come from.

What we love: The text uses gender-neutral language, such as "people with eggs" and "people with sperms," expanding our ideas about conception. The illustrations reflect this deliberately inclusive approach via Smyth's bold, multi-colored silhouettes without gendered body parts.

Things to know: A great book choice for kiddos who know someone that's expecting a child or has a new sibling arriving soon.

Looking for a way to discuss gender identity, gender presentation, and what gender even is with your little reader? Maya Gonzalez draws on queer and indigenous scholarship for her framework and accompanies her text with vibrant and expansive pictures.

What we love: The detail and dedication to articulating these complicated concepts for young audiences is clear in the language and in the drawings Gonzalez uses and creates.

Things to know: We originally published this list recommending by Brooke Pessin Whedbee as easier to understand than The Gender Wheel. While we found that to be true then, we now appreciate the decolonizing take on how gender can be taught to kids. More importantly, Maya Gonzalez published an article on her blog detailing how she felt Who Are You? plagiarized her work in The Gender Wheel. We did not learn of this until after we published that version, but now include this note. Our apologies for not catching this sooner. We cannot support nor recommend a book that has possibly plagiarized another person's body of work, nor one that whitewashes the content, as Gonzalez claims. This is a good reminder that being a conscious consumer is not just about the end product itself, but also about how it is produced.

An award-winning comic book, Sex is a Funny Word provides a comprehensive look at what the word "sex" means, in particular, for a diverse cast of characters. Exploring gender, bodies, and sexual orientation, this book discusses respect, boundaries, and safety in an open and thoughtful way that facilitates similarly open and thoughtful conversations

What we love: The four narrators, Zai, Cooper, Mimi, and Omar, ask many questions that are helpful for young readers to consider and respond to. Explanations provided within the book are ungendered (which is extra great when it comes to body parts)!

Things to know: This book is not entirely about the gender spectrum. As the author notes in the beginning, this book is intended to be read over a long period of time, with room for questions and discussions.

Part 2: Books about transgender children and the process of transitioning

Gender does not mean sex, yet we live in a world that equates them anyways. The books in this section showcase children living their gender! The process of transitioning takes so many different forms. These titles exemplify the representation transgender children (and adults) deserve, and the exposure cisgender children (and adults) need to both celebrate and advocate for their peers.

So many kids can relate to having a stuffed animal they love. This book lovingly challenges how we can make assumptions about someone's (or some stuffed animal's) gender identity and encourages acceptance for loving people and stuffies just as they are.

What we love: This book gently demonstrates to young readers what it's like to share who you are and accept others as they are.

Things to know: The author identifies as queer and wrote this story after noticing her children's bookshelves "didn't reflect the diversity of her family." We love this story and the only thing we would change is the title to "Introducing Tilly" as that is teddy bear's true identity.

Calvin comes out as transgender to his family, and is worried about what people will think when he returns to school after transitioning. His family is nothing but affirming and helps him overcome his concern with love and empathy.

What we love: What really matters to children is feeling accepted for who they truly are, and this book exemplifies that completely.

Things to know: Vanessa Ford wrote this book with the help of her transgender son, JR. We love "own voices" stories like this!

My Rainbow is our favorite children's book normalizing and celebrating an autistic trans girl. The love and affirmation that Trinity's family expresses throughout the book is beautiful.

What we love: Trinity co-authored this story with her mom, making it both an authentic and easy-to-understand story for kids. We think every family should have at least one book that has a transgender protagonist, and My Rainbow is so affirming we believe that it should be on all classroom and home bookshelves!

Things to know: At Little Feminist, we deeply believe that Black trans disabled lives matter, and we are indebted to Trinity and her mother DeShauna (who is also queer!) for writing this incredible book filled with so many important openings for conversations about Autism, the history of hair in the black community, what it means to be transgender.

Payton is a Lakota child who gets a little help from their family members and a two-spirit elder in expressing their two-spirit self and dancing at a powwow in regalia that represented themself fully.

What we love: It's hard to find two-spirit representation in children's books, and it shows how to support and show up for our loved ones and community members. This book brought us to tears!

Things to know: We wish that throughout this book, Peyton had been referred to as their name or a different pronoun instead of "she" after Peyton expressed that they were two-spirit.

They Call Me Mix is a bilingual (English and Spanish) children's book about what it means to be a Latinx transgender person in a culture where gender categories can make life difficult. Lourdes has a hard time even imagining where they'll ever fit in until they find queer and trans community where they feel empowered to reinvent language that works for them and we see them doing fun everyday things with friends.

What we love: The last few pages show the main character, now an adult, explaining that they became a teacher (and wrote this autobiographical book). It's a rare and needed vision (at least in children's picture books) of a nonbinary child who grew up into a successful adult.

Things to know: The author, Lourdes Rivas, is a kindergarten teacher in a public elementary school!

Follow a young trans girl through her experience of becoming her true self publicly.

What we love: This is a great book for transgender youth to read to see a character that represents them. It's also a wonderful read for cisgender youth, to help them support transgender peers.

Things to know: This book was formerly published under the title "George" but the author changed the title in 2021 to better reflect the needs of the main character.

The author of When Aidan Became a Brother has written a wonderful ghost story focusing on three main themes: gender identity, grief, and ghostly hauntings, through the eyes and experiences of the main character, Bug.

What we love: This book is about an 11-year-old finding their identity, while also grappling with grief and familial relationships, as well as a resident ghost!

Things to know: This book deals with the main character's grief over their uncle dying, which may be a complex topic for some children to read about independently.

Part 3: Books about gender presentation and breaking gender stereotypes

Gender presentation is a visual symbol of how people self-identify in the world. However, we know that how someone expresses themself on the outside (choices in clothing, hairstyle, makeup, etc.) does not always match their gender identity or pronouns. It's important to remember, and teach our children, that the only way we know someone's gender identity is to ask them. We recognize that people can wear clothing that breaks gender stereotypes; a boy wearing a skirt doesn't make him LGBTQ+. Clothing doesn't have a gender, despite the untrue and unfair stereotypes assigned to them.

An inclusive book that highlights the diversity and beauty of the human body, including scars, prosthetics, skin colors, and all types of body shapes and types.

What we love: The text does not gender any of the people in illustrations - when we read Bodies Are Cool, we point out things we notice about groups of people or individuals, and change the pronouns we use to show that anyone can look anyway (example: "He [pointing at an individual] has scars on his chest. Maybe he had chest surgery to affirm his gender identity" or "Look at this person! They are having so much fun dancing with their friends!")

Things to know: Each time we reread this book, we notice new things in the illustrations and can dive deeper into discussions of body positivity with our kids!

In a world full of blue bunnies and yellow birds, a baby that is not quite a bunny or a bird hatches. In the land of This and That, what happens to those who don't fit either?

What we love: With colorful pictures and clear, simple text, this book provides solace for those who feel as though they don't fit in. A wonderful stopping point for discussion occurs when both the bunnies and birds ask what the creature is, and it responds with "I am both!" The bunnies and birds then reply, "No, you are neither!" What a perfect opportunity for children to learn that being neither can also mean being both.

Things to know: This story allows you to tailor your discussion with your child to a variety of situations such as what it means to be gender non-conforming, intersex, or genderqueer. The story lends itself to discussions about multiracial families too!

By Stacy Davids, illustrated by Rachael Balsaitis

Ages 3-8

It's Annie's uncle's wedding! Annie plans to wear her favorite plaid shirt, the one that she always wears, every day. Annie's mom says girls wear dresses to weddings, but dresses make Annie feel like she isn't herself. What will she do?

What we love: Annie's Plaid Shirt addresses how her mom worries about Annie and wonders if she made the right decision in asking her to wear a dress. This shows that parents and adults aren't always sure of themselves, which presents a good opportunity to talk with your little reader about this topic.

Things to know: Annie's Plaid Shirt contains relatively simple text and is somewhat lacking in depth of character and storyline. The ending, while mostly satisfying, feels a bit forced. Nonetheless, we've kept this book on our list because there are so few books about girls presenting as masculine in their choice of clothes. Is That for a Boy or a Girl? by S. Bear Bergman is another option if you're in the market for these specific stories.

By Laurin Mayeno, illustrated by Robert Liu-Trujillo

Ages 4-8

The school parade is coming up and Danny knows just what he wants to be: a princess! He even has the perfect dress in mind. The problem is, he can't find it!

What we love: With the help of his mom, Danny creates the dress of his imagination, sewing together a curtain and a bathrobe. When parade day comes, some kids comment on his attire, stating that they've never seen a boy princess before. Danny humorously relieves the tension by responding that he's never seen a walking butterfly or a talking pineapple.

Things to know: There are a good number of other books that address boys being into stereotypically "girly" things. We liked Sparkle Boy which would be particularly helpful for children who might be struggling to understand their sibling's presentation. My Princess Boy, Morris Micklewhite and The Tangerine Dress , 10,000 dresses , and Jacob's New Dress are other reading options. Our first choice is One of a Kind, Like Me because Danny is free to be himself and the book does not focus on overcoming bullying like other books on this topic do. While it's always important to share stories of overcoming bullying, normalizing acceptance can be just as powerful!

Well there you have it, 9 amazing books to keep the themes of and Introducing Teddy When Aidan Becomes a Brother alive and well in your home. Make sure to tell us your family's favorites!

Want more? Sign up for the Little Feminist Book Club. We send new favorites to our members every month!

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The 9 Best Children's Books about Gender Identity and Expression | Little Feminist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are signed up for our book club , you'll know that we featured Sylvia & Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Ellison, The Bare Naked Book by Kathy Stinson, Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton, and When Aidan Becomes a Brother by Kyle Lukoff.

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Our online groups and events, and other resources for

gender expansive youth and families during the time of Covid-19.

Gender Spectrum has years of experience in creating safe, successful online spaces

for adults and young people. If your organization is doing more work online, we can help.
Online Consulting
Gender Spectrum hosts online groups for pre-teens,

teens, parents, caregivers, and other family members.
View All Groups

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gender Spectrum Homepage - Gender Spectrum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our online groups and events, and other resources for gender expansive youth and families during the time of Covid-19. Gender Spectrum has years of experience in creating safe, successful online spaces for adults and young people. If your organization is doing more work online, we can help.

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National Center for Transgender Equality

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Protect Trans Rights - National Action Center

For years, NCTE's advocacy at the federal level has successfully created structural changes and slowed down harmful regulatory rules from becoming a frightening reality. Regardless of administration changes, it is up to our community to speak up, fight back, and demand change.

Now is the time to fight back!

Take the steps below. And check back here for new, urgent actions.

ACTION CENTERS >> National Action Center | State Action Center | Health Care Action Center

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Protect Trans Rights - National Action CenterFor years, NCTE's advocacy at the federal level has successfully created structural changes and slowed down harmful regulatory rules from becoming a frightening reality. Regardless of administration changes, it is up to our community to speak up, fight back, and demand change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
National Center for Transgender Equality

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Protect Trans Rights - National Action Center

For years, NCTE's advocacy at the federal level has successfully created structural changes and slowed down harmful regulatory rules from becoming a frightening reality. Regardless of administration changes, it is up to our community to speak up, fight back, and demand change.

Now is the time to fight back!

Take the steps below. And check back here for new, urgent actions.

ACTION CENTERS >> National Action Center | State Action Center | Health Care Action Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Protect Trans Rights - National Action CenterFor years, NCTE's advocacy at the federal level has successfully created structural changes and slowed down harmful regulatory rules from becoming a frightening reality. Regardless of administration changes, it is up to our community to speak up, fight back, and demand change.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our online groups and events, and other resources for

gender expansive youth and families during the time of Covid-19.

Gender Spectrum has years of experience in creating safe, successful online spaces

for adults and young people. If your organization is doing more work online, we can help.
Online Consulting
Gender Spectrum hosts online groups for pre-teens,

teens, parents, caregivers, and other family members.
View All Groups

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gender Spectrum Homepage - Gender Spectrum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our online groups and events, and other resources for gender expansive youth and families during the time of Covid-19. Gender Spectrum has years of experience in creating safe, successful online spaces for adults and young people. If your organization is doing more work online, we can help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It is important to be intentional about the way we use pronouns so we can create an affirming, inclusive environment for everyone. Check out the new Welcoming Schools Pronouns 101 resource for information on what a pronoun is, why pronouns matter and pronoun etiquette tips!

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Welcoming Schools - Gender and LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools

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Comprehensive bias-based bullying prevention program providing LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive professional development training and resources.

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Measuring equity in Montessori communities

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Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.*
Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and disability). The visual and verbal messages young children absorb from books (and other media) heavily influence their ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, they can reinforce (or undermine) children's affirmative self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes about diversity. Children's books teach children about who is important, who matters, who is even visible. Consequently, carefully choosing quality children's books is an indispensable educational and child-rearing task.

It is important to offer young children a range of books about people like them and their family - as well as about people who are different from them and their family. All of the books should be accurate and appealing to young children. Fortunately, there are some good anti-bias children's books, which are available as a result of the ongoing activism of many individuals and groups over many years. However, while choices have improved over past decades, the lack of quality multicultural kid's books currently being published has frustrated many communities. The number of children of color in the United States continues to rise, but the number of books published by or about people of color stays the same or even decreases.

Check the Illustrations

Look for Stereotypes: A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular identity group (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability/disability), which usually carries derogatory, inaccurate messages and applies them to ALL people in the group. Stereotypes dehumanize people. So, too, does misinformation. ( See Box 1 below for a list of common, harmful stereotypes).

Unfortunately, all of us absorb socially prevailing stereotypes about a range of people, even if we do not consciously subscribe to them. To alert you to stereotypes in children's books, as well as other media, it is useful to list all the stereotypes you know about various groups of people as precondition for critically reviewing children's books. The books you choose should depict people compassionately and as real human beings. Also consider if images depict all people as genuine individuals with distinctive (rather than stereotypical) features. Books containing stereotypes require you to engage children in critical thinking, but should probably be eliminated from your collection.

BOX 1: Common Harmful/Undermining Stereotypes

Strong, independent girls and women are "manlike"

Book-loving or nonathletic boys and men are "effeminate"

Latino men talk funny, are lazy, gang members, or wear oversize sombreros

Latina women are earth mothers or subservient

African American men are gang members, oversexed, or underemployed

African American women are too independent, oversexed, or "welfare moms"

Arab and/or Muslim men are terrorists

Arab and/or Muslim women are voiceless and passive

All Muslims are Arab / All Arabs are Muslim

American Indians live in teepees, carry bows and arrows, or are half-naked in winter

American Indians were only significant in the past (read)

Disabled people are not independent or are to be pitied

Disabled people must "overcome" their disabilities rather than just live with their disabilities

LGBTQ+ people are invisible

Poor people are invisible

Poor people are depicted as passively needing help from others

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) are depicted as the "model minority"

AAPI are exotic or their food is exotic/abnormal

All AAPI know martial arts or are meek and compliant

AAPI are portrayed with slanted eyes or just lines to represent eyes

Jewish people are all Zionists (read)

Jewish people are wealthy and yield undue influence in the financial and political world

Look for Tokenism: This is the "one only" message. Regularly seeing only "one" person of any group in a book teaches young children about who is more or less important. Examples of tokenism include books with only one African American child among many white children or having only one book about children with disabilities among many other books. Tokenism also becomes stereotypical. It only allows children to see one view of a group of people, rather than the diversity that exists among all groups.

Look for Invisibility: What children do not see in their books also teaches them about who matters and who doesn't in our society. Invisibility in their storybooks - as well as in textbooks as they get older - undermines children's affirmative sense of themselves and reinforces prejudiced ideas about people who are not seen (See Box 2 for examples of groups who tend to be invisible). The booklists on this website include a great variety of books with groups who are often excluded. (The titles are vetted by Teaching for Change.)

BOX 2: Examples of Groups of People Who Are Often Invisible in Children's Books or Mainstream Media

Families who live in rural areas

Blue-collar workers

Musicians, artists, and writers

Families with two dads or two moms

Single mothers or fathers

Homeless families

Families with an incarcerated parent

People of Middle Eastern descent

Families who practice Islam

Transgender adults and children

Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People

Even if a book shows visual diversity, the story line may carry biases related to how it handles power relationships among people of various identities. Are whites or male characters the central figures with people of color or female characters in essentially supporting roles? To gain acceptance and/or approval does a child of color, a girl, or child with a disability have to exhibit extraordinary qualities or be the one to understand, forgive, or change? Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their looks or relationship with boys/men?

Are people of color, women, low-income families, or people with disabilities depicted as needing help or in passive roles, while whites, men, and "able-bodied" people are in leadership and action roles? How are problems presented, conceived, and resolved? Who typically causes a problem and who resolves it? Your book collection needs a balance of different people in "doer" roles.

Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles

Do the lives of people of color or people living in poverty in the story contrast unfavorably with the norm of white, middle-class suburban life? Are negative value judgments implied about ways of life that differ from the dominant culture or economic class (e.g., people are to be pitied, or the story is about one person who "gets out" of the less desirable way of life)? Do images and information go beyond oversimplification and offer genuine insights into the lifestyle of the characters in the story? Does the setting reflect current life - or past assumptions about life? Does your book collection depict diversity among people within a specific racial/ethnic group, such as a range of family structures, living environments, socioeconomic conditions and types of work, and male/female roles within the family? (Remember that every racial/ethnic group has diversity, including people who self-identify as white).

Consider the Effects on Children's Self and Social Identities

In addition to specific books, also examine your book collection. Do your books reinforce or counteract messages that teach children to feel inferior or superior because of their skin color, gender, family income, able-bodiedness, or type of family structure? At school, will all of the children you serve see themselves and their family's way of life reflected in your book collection? Will all children of color, including those with mixed heritage, girls, and children from the many types of family structures, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities see one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify? If they are visible in your book collection, are the illustrations and information accurate and respectful? Does your overall collection balance the backgrounds of all the children in your program? Does it also show diversity within the social indentity groups to which the children belong (e.g., a range of ways to be female and male, families reflecting different kinds of jobs within a racial/ethnic group). Does your book collection also include a balance between diversity within your classroom and beyond your classroom?

At home, does your book collection reflect diversity among the groups to which your family belongs? Does it have stories about people like you who have contributed to creating a more just world? Does it also include a range of books showing diversity beyond your family and neighborhood?

Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change

To fully develop a strong sense of self and a disposition toward cooperation and fairness, children need to know how to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unfairness. They also need to know about people from all social identity groups who have - and are currently - working for justice for all. In addition to previous criteria, here are more items to consider: The story line should be about children and adults working together, rather than perpetrating the myth that change happens because of special, individual people who do it by themselves. Does your book collection include a balance of people who have made important and honored contributions to American life as well as the world community - and not just the traditional white, male "heroes?" Do some of your books about important people include struggles for justice? Do they show people who were/are poor or from racial/ethnic groups of color? Are people with disabilities engaged in these struggles for justice?

Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background and Perspective

All authors write from a cultural as well as from a personal context. In the past, most children's books were by authors and illustrators who were white and members of the middle class. As a result, a single cultural and class perspective dominated children's literature. There are now excellent books by people of color from a range of backgrounds - although not nearly enough. Consider the biographical material on the jacket flap or back of the book. What qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the book is not about people or events similar to the author or illustrator's background, what specifically recommends them as creators of the book? What is the author's attitude toward her/his story characters? Are the images accurate and do the illustrators respectfully render the people in the story? Do you have books reflecting a balanced range of author and illustrator identities and experiences?

Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it in any way demeans or makes people invisible because of any of their identities. One example is the generic use of the word "man" to stand for women as well as men (although the opposite never occurs). This traditional terminology is now questioned by many because of its sexist implications. Here are some examples of ways to avoid sexist language: community instead of brotherhood; firefighters inserted of firemen; human family instead of family of man; ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman. Examples of adjectives applied to people of color that carry racist messages include: "savage," "primitive," "superstitious," "backward," "inscrutable" and "treacherous." Always consider the context in which a word is used and to whom it applies.

Look at the Copyright Date

Copyright dates indicate the publication year, not the time of its writing, which might be two to three years before the copyright date. Although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity, copyright dates are useful information. More children's books began to reflect the reality of a pluralistic society and nonsexist and non-ableist perspectives in the 1970s. Since then, the range of accurate, respectful, and caring books reflecting diversity has increased significantly (unfortunately the diversity of books published in the United States still does not accurately reflect the actual diversity of the people living here). When considering new books for your collection, begin with most recently published ones and then continue with descending copyright dates.

Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

Although these guidelines focus on the messages about diversity and equality reflected in children's books, it is also important to take quality into account. Be sure the book is a "good read." If children find the story or illustrations boring, a book will not hold their attention, even if the book adds a specific kind of diversity you need. Check for active, interesting story lines where different kinds of people are integral to the people in the story, not the main topic. For example, in A Chair for My Mother, a young child tries to save money to get a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. Although the book shows a single parent, working-class family, and a resourceful girl, it is not didactic. Also look for illustrations that are colorful and recognizable to young children. Although they enjoy a range of styles, illustrations that are too subdued or abstract may not hold their attention.

Check for age appropriateness. Most booksellers list any picture book as appropriate for early childhood even if the story line is really for primary grade children. Sometimes a book for older children will work if you simplify the story or "tell" the story rather than read it. In some cases, this is the only way to get books that present specific groups of children (e.g., stories with Cambodian children or children with learning disabilities). Some additional issues to consider:

Many children's books use animal characters instead of people and there are some excellent books that explore diversity with animal characters (e.g., And Tango Makes Three or A Coyote Solstice Tale). Children enjoy these. However, such books are not a substitute for exploring issues of diversity and anti-bias fairness with people as the main characters.

Some early childhood teachers wonder if it is necessary for every book in their collection to show diversity. Every book needs to be accurate, caring, and respectful. However, you will want individual books about specific kinds of people (e.g., a biracial family or a family with adopted children). Diversity becomes essential in the balance of your book collection, where you want to avoid invisibility or tokenism of any group.

Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children's literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions - not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti-bias values of quality and fairness.

Overuse of folk tales to "teach" about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society - and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

Finally there is the somewhat sensitive issue of what to do about "classic" or "well-beloved" children's books. Many of these are wonderful as children's literature, but unfortunately they often convey values of sexism, racism, ableism, or even colonialism. People who love the books that pose this dilemma argue that it is OK to use them because they "reflect their times," which they imply somehow excuses their biased messages. For example, I adored the Babar series of books as a young child and was unpleasantly shocked to realize as an adult how much the images and story lines reflected messages of European colonialism in Africa. I chose not to use them with my own children, wanting them to learn accurate information about how people in Africa really live. Not sharing childhood favorites may sadden some, but it is far better than the harm caused by reinforcing messages of racism and colonialism.
In a nutshell - as you choose books or critically examine your current book selection, always keep in mind the power of books - their words and their images - to nurture or, conversely, to undermine a child's sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and motivation to act for fairness.
Additional Resources

Louise Derman-Sparks is an internationally respected anti-bias educator and author (along with Julie Olsen Edwards) of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. She has co-authored several additional books with Dr. Carol Brunson Day (Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism), the ABC Task Force ( Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children), Dr. Patricia Ramsey (What If All the Kids Are White?), and Dr. John Nimmo and Debbie Leekeenan ( Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change). She speaks throughout the United States and abroad, and served on the NAEYC Governing Board from 1998 to 2001. Louise has a lifelong commitment to building a more just society for all people. Her children Douglass and Holly, now grown, were her inspiration. A Pacific Oaks College faculty member for 33 years - when its mission and pedagogy reflected anti-bias education principles - Louise is now retired.
*In 1980, the Council on Interracial Books for Children published the book Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks. A shorter version of the book in pamphlet form, "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism," followed. One of the first guides written for teachers and families, it became an invaluable tool for hundreds of thousands of people. Both the book and pamphlet have been out of print for several years. Rethinking Schools published their adaptation of the original Guidelines in 1994.

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books - Social Justice Books

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By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.* Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, [...]

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I just recently had someone reach out to me on Facebook asking for titles for a new baby/toddler about social justice, equality, and diversity. Basically, a way to flood her child's bookshelf with books that make them a better citizen of the world.

Now, there aren't a ton of titles for your woke toddler (or baby) for that matter, but it's important to showcase a variety of races, cultures, religions, disabilities and more on your bookshelves because it's likely that your child will see people that will look/dress/act/speak differently than they do and what better way to first explore the world than cuddling with your family in a safe, happy environment?

And if you live in a community that is very similar, then why not teach your child to respect and accept differences in people to be educated about the world them live so that whenever they do meet someone who is different they know what to do - treat them like a human being. So check out these (few) but great titles about social justice, equality, diversity and celebrating the differences that make us all unique!

A is for Activist by Innosanto Nagara

All of Baby, Nose to Toes by Victoria Adler and Hiroe Nakata

Counting on Community by Innosanto Nagara

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee

Fast and Slow by Britta Teckentrup

Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children

More, More, More Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams

My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett

Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora

Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee

Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury

Ten Tiny Babies by Karen Katz

Tinyville Town series by Brian Biggs

We All Count: A Book of Cree Numbers by Julie Flett

Welcome Song for Baby by Richard Van Camp

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, illustrated by Leslie Staub

Picture Book Titles

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee

Bee-Bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee

Come With Me by Holly McGahey, illustrated by Pascal Lemaître

Families by Shelley Rotner and Sheila M. Kelly

Families, Families, Families by Suzanne Lang

The Family Book by Todd Parr

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Golden Domes, Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini

Green is a Chile Pepper: A Book of Colors by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by John Parra

Happy In Our Skin by Fran Manushkin, illustrated by Lauren Tobia

Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Most People by Michael Leannah and Jennifer E. Morris

One Family by George Shannon, illustrated by Blanca Gomez

Over the Hills and Far Away edited by Elizabeth Hammill

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by Grace Lin

Say Hello! By Rachel Isadora

We're All Wonders by R. J. Palacio

I've updated this list to include 18 More Books for Babies & Toddlers: Social Justice, Equality and Diversity, so check this list out for even more great board book titles!

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36 Titles for Babies & Toddlers: Social Justice, Equality and Diversity - Literacious

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I just recently had someone reach out to me on Facebook asking for titles for a new baby/toddler about social justice, equality, and diversity. Basically, a way to flood her child's bookshelf with books that make them a better citizen of the world.

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As children, many of us recall being shushed or scolded by adults whenever we pointed out people's differences such as skin and hair color. Or, we may recall a teacher abruptly ending the conversation when a question regarding race or racism was brought up in the classroom. From these interactions, we likely learned that talking about race was wrong. When teachers and parents avoid talking about the questions and concerns kids have around race and racism, it can further perpetuate misunderstandings, biases, and racial injustice.

Engage in open, honest discussions about race and racism.
As trusted educators, caregivers, and parents, we need to engage in open and honest conversations with children about race and racism. To begin, we must fully understand our country's legacy of slavery and how systemic racism maintains and feeds racial inequity in the United States. For white teachers and parents especially, this might evoke some anxiety. Much of this initial anxiety can be managed by examining your own understanding of race by reading books about race and racism, talking with and listening to experts, watching documentaries, and learning how (and committing) to address anti-racist policies and actions within your own community.

Getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
I find that many parents and teachers are worried about saying the "wrong" thing or not having the "right" answers. This is common. The first step in getting comfortable with the uncomfortable is to increase your own knowledge. By learning more, you'll be better prepared to raise and teach socially conscious and conscientious kids.

Children are observant and complex thinkers. They look to people around them including parents, teachers, and other children, to make sense of who they are and learn how people who look and don't look like them are treated. Research shows children as young as two can begin to articulate ideas about racial differences and develop judgments on what those differences might mean.

Encouraging the conversation at a very young age.
From as early as three years old, many children begin to verbalize what they notice about differences including skin color, hair, visible disabilities, and gender. Children also want to talk to you about what they notice! As any parent knows, these observations or questions come up at the most inconvenient and unexpected times - while you are busy getting ready for work, while riding the bus within earshot of many other people, or while waiting in line at the grocery store.

It is important to acknowledge a child's questions and observations, even if you don't have the answers or feel uncomfortable. Some back pocket responses are: "I'm so glad you brought this up, let's talk more about it when we can sit down together," "I love that you are curious about this and I don't have all the answers right now, but we can learn together." and "Hmm.. that's a good observation. I wonder where you came up with that idea. Let's explore."

Social awareness and empathy are learned behaviors.
When we keep the conversation going, we let our children know their observations about the world are important. It helps them develop social awareness and empathy. It helps reaffirm that it is ok to notice differences and to be curious about others. The discussions they have with the trusting adults in their lives are the most influential in shaping how they see themselves and others.

The PBS Let's Talk Series
I recently hosted a PBS Utah show called Let's Talk in which I interviewed 14 parents on their own experiences with race and racism, some of whom are teachers, as well as an elementary school counselor. In each episode, we talk about how they navigate conversations around race and racism with their children. Each episode reveals the triumphs they've experienced, lessons they've learned, vulnerabilities they've felt as well as some of their best tools. To watch each of these interviews visit Let's Talk at PBSUtah.org/letstalk.

Based on these conversations and my own experience as a mother and educator, here are 10 Tips to help you on this journey.

Examine your own understanding of race.
If race wasn't discussed in your household growing up, do some research on your own and reflect on what it brings up for you. The more you understand what race means and how it permeates our society, the better equipped you are to teach your children about it. For a list of adult and children's books visit Let's Talkbook list resource page!

Become comfortable with terminology and familiar with how certain concepts are used.
For example, race and culture are not synonymous. It's important to be explicit and provide children with accurate terms so they can learn how to apply them.

When your child brings up a topic related to race, don't be afraid to keep the conversation going.
This lets children know it is okay to talk about what they notice. Instead of telling kids to keep quiet, refrain from using particular words or make specific observations out loud, talk to them. Ask them what they noticed and discuss it.

Find opportunities to ask questions.
For example, when reading a book to or with your child, ask them why someone is being treated a certain way? Is it because of their gender or skin color? Let this lead into a rich conversation.

Let children take the lead.
While I recommend that parents intentionally initiate conversations about race and racism, children will often bring up these thoughts on their own too. It's important to spend time on what they've noticed. Validate their questions or observations ("that's such a great observation...") and then move into a discussion. Statements and questions such as, "I'd love to hear more about that," "That's really interesting, what made you think of this?" or "How did that make you feel when that happened?" are helpful ways to deepen your conversations.

Involve your children in activities to help them learn about their own cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
This will help them develop a greater sense of who they are, which will then enable them to create more positive interactions across various racial-ethnic groups.

Help your children to think critically. It is common for children to focus on concrete and visible features to describe others, such as skin color or assumed gender. Challenge them to think about other important personal dimensions. For example, if your child refers to a friend as "my white friend" or "my brown friend," ask them to tell you more about their friend (e.g., "What does your friend like to do?" and "What kinds of things do you play together?").

Recognize your child's limits and know when to stop.
Depending on age and attention spans, conversations with children about these topics may only last a minute or two.

Initiate a book club or conversation group with other parents who are interested in learning how to talk with their children about race.
Sharing challenges you encounter will normalize the difficulty in talking about socially charged topics.

It's OK to make mistakes!
Many parents did not grow up discussing race or racism, so there is quite a steep learning curve. You will stumble over your words and may share wrong information. Let your child know you are still figuring out how to talk about these important topics too, that learning is a life long process which you are committed to and that you are so happy you get to have these conversations together.

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10 tips on talking to kids about race and racism

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10 Tips on Talking to Kids About Race and Racism | PBS Education

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Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.

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Anneliese W. Johnson and Samantha Peterson, The Ohio State University
Abstract How do very young children develop a sense of identity and belonging culturally, and how can this sense be supported by early care and education teachers and programs? This article examines literature associated with identity and belonging in early childhood and how those who work closely with children and families can incorporate best practices into daily routines and procedures. The authors share several practices from the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning at The Ohio State University, a high-quality program serving children and families who are economically and culturally diverse.
Elizabeth is a 19-month-old toddler who attends our early care and education program full-day, full-year while her parents work. Her family, including siblings, primarily speak Spanish at home, as do several other of the schools' students. As such, the school has made a concentrated effort to employ teachers who are native Spanish speakers or otherwise fluent in Spanish. When Elizabeth arrives for the day, she is greeted enthusiastically with phrases in Spanish and English from her peers and teachers. Spanish phrases and words make up the environmental print throughout the room. Laminated notecards are displayed prominently for all children and teachers to access; the cards contain phrases supplied by Elizabeth's parents for commonly used routines and classroom rituals such as "Do you want to use the bathroom now or in 5 minutes? ¿Quieres usar el baño ahora o en cinco minutos?" and "We wash our hands before we eat. Nos lavamos las manos antes de comer. " Children frequently carry these card packs around the room to "read," and teachers read them in English and Spanish and point to the words when providing one of the directives. Photos of all the children's families, and of the teachers and their families, are displayed on the walls and in small frames throughout the classroom. Similarly, each child has a small photo album with photos supplied by families and/or taken by teachers at school of children's families, friends, and pets. Children carry and use the photo albums throughout the day, often taking them from their display in a basket in the reading area to their cubbies and other personal spaces to review.

At this morning's drop off, Elizabeth is feeling sad as her mother leaves for her workday. The teacher says "We will miss Mommy when she is at work. Let's get her picture to look at and we can write her a note. Esta bien que extrañes a Mamá cuando ella esta en el trabajo. Vamos a ver su foto y podemos escribirle una nota." The other children in the classroom notice Elizabeth is sad, and the other teacher says, " Una nota. Elizabeth is writing her mommy una nota " and shows the other children the writing area where children can write small notes to parents and vice versa, interspersing Spanish and English, and reads the card aloud that has been transcribed to the teacher.

Identity Development Begins at Birth

Parents and caregivers may not give much thought to their baby's developing sense of identity while they are overwhelmed with the daily tasks of infant-toddler care and support. Much of the research focused on child identity and the developing sense of self is centered on middle childhood and adolescence, which is when most people expect children to individualize and become their own person (Bennett, 2011). In fact, as soon as they are born, babies are undergoing this process and making sense of the world around them using social relationships to guide their learning. In an increasingly diverse population, this process may place children in the care of educators whose culture, values, and norms are vastly different from those experienced at home. At the same time, early childhood programs, especially those which serve children at-risk and are subsidized by state or federal funds, are experiencing increasing regulation and accountability which often results in standardization. How can early childhood teachers and administrators support and celebrate the diversity of the children within classrooms while also developing a cohesive classroom and infant-toddler community of learners?
The Importance of Relationships
Erikson was among the first to examine how children's sense of identity and character developed, and he proposed a stage theory to explain how young children and later adolescents and adults progress in life span development (McLeod, 2008). For children less than 36 months old, there are two stages identified by Erikson: Trust vs. Mistrust, which encompasses the first 18 months of life, followed by Autonomy vs. Doubt, which includes ages 18 to 36 months. Both stages are influenced heavily by the types of environments and support a very young child receives. During the Trust vs. Mistrust stage, infants learn whether they can trust that their needs will be met by caring and competent adults and caregivers; those whose needs are not consistently or adequately met will be insecurely attached and suffer later in developing secure and stable relationships. Similarly, in the Autonomy vs. Doubt stage, children begin to test their abilities and competencies; those who are supported and provided an opportunity to explore will grow to be industrious and independent. Children with overly controlling or anxious caregivers will not develop the fortitude to persevere and learn autonomously.

Explicit in both of Erikson's stages during infant-toddler development of self is the tremendous role of caregivers and parents in how the child's identity is formed. One of the most fundamental goals that we have for the infants and toddlers in our program is that each establish a strong, secure relationship with a teacher in his or her classroom. This development of trust is a critical foundation for a child's later understanding of who she is and how she fits into the social world around her. One of the ways we help infants and toddlers develop a sense of trust is by establishing primary caregivers for each infant and toddler in our school. One teacher from the staff of three in each classroom will be partnered with a child upon enrollment and is responsible for the child's daily routines, family updates, and screenings and assessments. Although any teacher will appropriately meet the needs of each child throughout the day, the primary caregiver is the acknowledged "expert" on a particular child and makes a concerted effort to bond and have special time with their primary care group each day. The primary caregiving teacher takes the lead on supporting developmental milestones such as transitioning to solid foods, walking, and toilet training and is a primary point of contact for families for conferencing and communication purposes.
Cultural and Societal Influences
Bronfenbrenner later expanded stage theory to include a complex system of cultural and societal influences on child and adult development in his Ecological Models of Human Development (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). Bronfenbrenner's model examines social systems which influence child development in terms of levels based upon those which the child encounters daily and interpersonally and those which permeate development more indirectly. The role of the parent and/or early childhood educator of a child is critical and inextricably linked in both Erikson's and Bronfenbrenner's theories. According to Erikson, a child who is not getting his needs consistently met by a caring adult will suffer greatly during the Trust vs. Mistrust stage. A child whose parents are letting him "cry it out" through the night but is being swaddled and held throughout naptime at child care is receiving inconsistent and confusing messages which makes navigating this stage successfully even more of a challenge. Similarly, in the Autonomy vs. Doubt stage, a child whose parents let her explore and try new things at home but who at child care is kept to a small room with the same materials and rigid schedule day after day would also experience a similar sense of confusion.

Bronfenbrenner's model also includes parents and teachers at the same Microsystem level; that is, they both have daily and direct influence on how a child interacts and develops socially in the world. In both models, having families and caregivers on the same page and supportive of each other and their child-rearing efforts serves to bolster a child's development and navigation of these important stages of development of self. One way that our school helps families and teachers to engage in clear and consistent dialogue is ensuring a permanent staff member open and close a classroom daily, rather than "collapsing" classrooms as children and teachers leave or having substitutes end the day. Having a consistent presence in the classroom provides face-to-face communication and opportunities for discussion. Often miscommunications, questions, and assurances are easily sorted out through daily check-ins and concerted efforts by teachers to engage families in conversation each day in the morning and afternoon. Permanent staff who have been with the children for the majority of the day are also more equipped to answer questions about daily routines and experiences throughout the day.

These established theories emphasized the important nature of the relationships infants and toddlers have with those providing primary care and education to them. For children who are cared for outside of the home, typically in group early education and care settings, it is important that there is consistency and routine established between home and school, and that educators and families communicate and have an understanding of family and school culture.

Bridging Home and Classroom Culture

Classroom and group identity form in the school through classroom routines and rituals around arrivals, departures, mealtimes, and toileting. These daily routines help children to understand and predict what is going on around them, support the development of classroom culture, and provide the consistency that is critical in supporting children to feel safe and secure in their environments (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 2006; Spagnola & Fiese, 2007). Within a safe group setting, children begin to develop their own classroom or peer culture; this is the language, routines, and rituals that children themselves develop with each other while in group contexts, although these may be heavily influenced by the adults who are a part of the group setting as well (Corsaro, 2009). Peer culture develops in such a way that each school, classroom, and smaller groups of peers within classrooms cultivates its own set of explicit and implicit rules and expectations. For instance, our entire school uses the phrase "make a plan" to initiate and support sharing behaviors between children. However, classrooms may have different routines and expectations around activities such as mealtimes based upon the current make-up of the classroom (e.g., perhaps a classroom with more very young infants has a less autonomous snack time than a classroom with several older toddlers). Even within classrooms, toddlers form their own peer culture routines and rituals that indicate belonging and knowing. Toddlers who want to play rough and tumble ideas will navigate to the mat area of a classroom, and it is implied that those who join in that space are also looking to run, jump, and roll. School culture, classroom culture, and peer culture are all opportunities for children to share in common acts and knowledge with others, contributing and building their sense of identity and belonging. Children are social beings and enjoy shared experiences and learning with peers and caregivers. Positive classroom experiences contribute to the development of an understanding of themselves as competent and significant. The simple act of singing songs and other typical group time activities further strengthen the relationships children develop in school and support their developing sense of belonging and social identity, that is, the sense of themselves in relation to others (Bennet 2011; Niland, 2015).

Because those in intimate roles with infants and toddlers impact their sense of identity and belonging so greatly, it is imperative that the classroom and school culture reflect and honor the home cultures of its many students while also developing its own unique culture and practices within the learning community. Cultural and family tradition take on unique meaning when working with infants and toddlers. Very young children can distinguish between male and female faces and different languages and will often show preference for that which is familiar. However, family cultural, religious, and ethnic values, which have more of a verbal transmission, may not yet be internalized by an infant or even experienced by a child (Bennett, 2011).

Oftentimes, early childhood programs attempt diversification by adding images or posters of non-dominant cultures or other tangible artifacts such as ethnic art. These items may be meaningful in a classroom context and encourage language and conversation, however, identifying and supporting family practices and traditions provides meaningful opportunities to enhance the environment and the learning activities which benefit all children in the program (Nieto, 2002). Therefore, it is important that early childhood settings not only add images and celebrate non-dominant holidays, but also take into consideration how families structure their own routines such as eating, sleeping, and speaking with their young child.

Moreover, a well-meaning classroom which focuses on adding artifacts, images, and holidays to its environment may be missing the point of cultural empowerment by creating a "tourist" approach to other cultures and which only serves to emphasize the well-known holidays, dress, or famous individuals of a group (Mangione, 1995). While tangible cultural artifacts and celebrations can be one aspect of cultural sensitivity, it is even more important that an early childhood program create and foster a language of respect, understanding, and welcoming. Although there may be differences in care and routines, establishing a rapport and relationship with families which encourage dialogue and discourse and allow for flexibility is the true key to supporting diverse children and families in the classroom. All families develop systems and rituals around the intimate daily care tasks of infants and toddlers, and, considering the established impact of family and school ecology and relationships on a developing child's sense identity, it is critical that early childhood educators make every effort to provide pathways for communication and understanding between classrooms and families.

The A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning

Taking the time to build relationships with all families enrolled in diverse schools supports teachers, families, and children. Empirical evidence indicates that children's development within early childhood classrooms is affected by the skills of their classmates; children who are less skilled due to environmental disadvantage or disability can benefit greatly by being surrounded by highly skilled classmates (Justice, Logan, Lin, & Kaderavek, 2014).

The A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning had previously been located on The Ohio State University's campus and was viewed as a typical laboratory school where all families paid tuition and were within the same socioeconomic income bracket. The School for Early Learning was purposefully moved to an area historically deemed one in need and located just south of the University, especially to support the large amount of low-income families with young children under 5 years old.

Accessing high-quality early childhood programming is unfortunately out of reach for many families. There is a disproportionate number of minority families living in poverty (Jiang, Granja, & Koball, 2017) and having children all from the same socioeconomic background provides little diversity within the classroom. When the School for Early Learning was on campus, there was much diversity ethnically and racially, being affiliated with the University, but there was not diversity socioeconomically. The move to the Weinland Park neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, allowed the School to expand its diversity to socioeconomic status as well.

The cost for high-quality early childhood education is often unattainable for many families that live at or below the federal poverty level. Prioritizing a mixed-income model ensures that a diverse population of families are able to come together and receive the same schooling regardless of income level. The use of multiple funding streams ensures a mixed-income model and helps support children and their families by partnering with local and federal agencies. While the requirements to meet local and federal guidelines can take a lot of administrative time, the benefits of having a mixed-income model are crucial to supporting diversity and inclusion of all families. This can be done by leveraging existing local, state, and federal funding to support school operations. But it doesn't end there; families should feel welcomed and "heard" when enrolling their child in an early childhood school.
Partnering With Families
Prior to enrolling in the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning, families meet with the assistant principal and the classroom teachers. This process allows the parents (or guardians) to share important information regarding their family and their child (see Box 1). Teachers use a guided questionnaire that parents answer in a natural flow, highlighting important points for the family with the teacher. Teachers ask specific questions related to home life such as, who resides in the home or whom the child spends time with, religious and cultural preferences, types of foods eaten, languages spoken in the home, child's areas of interest, and how involved parents wish to be in the day-to-day experiences of the classroom. All of these can be used to gain a better understanding of a typical day in the life of the child. By sharing this information prior to a child enrolling in school, the teachers can then add or create a classroom environment that has familiar surroundings to the child (Richards, Brown, & Forde, 2007). Teachers intentionally set up their classroom environment to be representative of the children and families that are enrolled; also including their own backgrounds and culture throughout the space. Being purposeful and mindful of the children in the school and having materials and books that are representative of those families is vital to bridging the home-school gap and providing a space where children feel comfortable to freely express themselves (Durden, Escalante, & Blitch, 2015).

By incorporating images and practices familiar to students, teachers can capitalize on the strengths students bring to school; using the physical environment builds authentic classroom experiences and interactions (Richards et al., 2007). Teachers can show their inclusion of the families by displaying familiar words and phrases throughout the classroom environment in the families' native languages and incorporating the native language into everyday conversations. The vignette in the beginning of this article gave the example of how the teacher included Elizabeth's native language of Spanish into the conversation and addressed her feelings to the other children present. This dialogue emphasized the importance of all languages and exposed children, who may not be native Spanish speakers, to the idea that there are many ways in which to communicate with one another.

As young children are playing in the dramatic play area, teachers can place culturally relevant clothing, blankets, and décor in the space and discuss how these materials are being used and their importance (Bredekamp, 1997). Teachers can use developmentally appropriate interactions to explore many different backgrounds and cultures, as well as children with varying needs (e.g., wheelchairs, leg braces, glasses). Materials might include dolls that are representative of all family structures, photos and other materials at the children's eye level-rather than on a wall or shelf-that "show" diversity within in the classroom, and family photos arranged aesthetically around the room.

Encouraging families to actively participate in their child's education by inviting them to spend time in the classroom is another way to show the importance of family collaboration and inclusiveness. It is important to communicate with families daily about their child's interests and also to find out the caregiver's interests. Ask caregivers to share their knowledge with the classroom. This could be accomplished by having the family bring in a favorite food, create an art project, read stories, sing a song, or simply volunteer in the school office. These efforts show that the school values the family and looks at the family as a partner. Children can begin to see their families are having meaningful interactions within their school and are building relationships with the school and their teachers. Children's interactions and relationships support their sense of belonging, which in turn supports the development of social identity (Bennett, 2011).
Building Community
The A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning collaborates with the university whenever possible. As the model demonstration site for the College of Education and Human Ecology, undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to use the observation deck at the school to watch the children, teachers, and families interact with one another. College students are also placed directly in the classrooms as part of their coursework and work alongside the children and teachers. Members of outside disciplines, including social work interns, marriage and family therapy interns, and speech-language pathologists, are also involved in the school team and aid in supporting all families no matter what their socioeconomic background. These individuals are on-site and work directly with the administration and teachers to support families and bring them together in ways their everyday lives may not have. The principal and assistant principal ask families to complete questionnaires at the beginning of each school year to assist in determining topics for the Parent Education series for the year. This input allows families' interests to be heard and offers a way for the school community to come together. The school began a Family Storytime with the school librarian and social work intern once a week for parents to network with one another, spend time with their children at the school, and have the opportunity to interact with the social work intern to support their needs. All of this contributes to the families building a sense of community with not only other families but with the school community as well. Even though the families are from varying socioeconomic backgrounds, they are growing and learning together and have the opportunity for their children to learn from other families that may be unlike their own.

Conclusion

Children are increasingly being cared for outside of the home while one or both parents work. At the same time, the diversity of the United States and the ability to communicate instantly using technology has created pathways for progressive communication and insight. Although providers have an understanding about how it feels best to support and engage with diverse families in early childhood programs, there is still a need to support research in responsive care and education in infant-toddler programming specifically, including its impact on identity and self-development and still later academic success. In order to teach diverse student populations, secondary education and teacher training programs must ensure that coursework emphasizes and explicitly teaches cultural sensitivity and responsive education for an impact and appropriate changes to be seen in classroom practice (Goldstein, 2003). Namely, success has been found in professional development which explicitly illustrates the differences in individualism and collectivism in various cultures, and how this may impact a classroom environment or interactions with parents and children (Rothstein-Fisch, Trumbull, & Garcia, 2009). Cultures which value group settings and community may not find it critical that an infant eat independently or sleep alone in a crib, whereas infant programs in the United States may tend to support these outcomes and view them as a success of a child's autonomy. The individualism vs. collectivism continuum is so prevalent in daily routine and care tasks of infants and toddlers (sleeping, eating, walking, carrying, and speaking) that supporting education and understanding about this cultural difference predictably fosters dialogue and awareness among teachers. In addition to the importance and sensitivity of the pre-service educator's curriculum and content, the diversity of instructors in early childhood teacher training programs is significant. Diverse instructors are predictive of coursework which was more culturally relevant and sensitive and supported students to think crucially about their role in families' lives and to continue working with children from different backgrounds (Lim, Maxwell, Able-Boone, & Zimmer, 2009). Attracting diverse candidates and supporting their continued commitment to children and families in the field will positively impact the workforce and classroom in early childhood education. At our early education program, families see their own cultures and languages reflected in the teaching staff and student teachers who work with their children. Evidence of collaboration and communication among diverse teachers is seen through everyday interactions and smooth classroom management as well as classroom documentation. Celebrating diversity and collegiality is evident between the families and teachers, and among the school staff, creating a welcoming and positive environment for everyone associated with the school.

Authors

Anneliese W. Johnson, MS, is the principal of A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. The school is dedicated to a mixed-income, mixed-age-grouping model of education for children birth to 5 years old and is the model demonstration site for the college. In her work, Johnson supervises educators and preservice teachers, and she seeks funding and enrollment pathways to support families living in poverty in attaining high-quality early childhood education. Johnson has presented locally and nationally on early childhood topics such as play, language and literacy, classroom management, the Reggio Emilia Approach, and working with children and families who have experienced trauma. Johnson has a master's degree in human development and family science from The Ohio State University, and has spent her career in Columbus, Ohio. Although she has been in the field more than 20 years, her 10 years as a preschool teacher in the classroom are the most important in informing her work today with diverse children and families.

Samantha Peterson, MS, is the assistant principal at the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University at the Ohio State University. Peterson supports the delivery of innovative, evidence-based curriculum and systematic documentation and assessment of learning for all infant-toddler and preschool classrooms and serves as the literacy coach for the school. In her role, Peterson provides direct supervision of classroom teaching staff and supports teachers in behavior guidance, problem solving, and development of teaching strategies and supports teachers and families through referral processes. She oversees enrollment of children, parent communication, and compliance paperwork for families. Peterson works with many of the ancillary staff, speech-language pathologists, undergraduate and graduate student placements in marriage and family therapy and in social work, volunteers, and others and coordinates their time at the school and communicating information back to families as needed. She has co-authored a white paper on Blending Funding Streams in Early Childhood Education: Case Study of the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning in 2015 and a literacy supplement manual specifically for infants and toddlers. Peterson has also presented on various topics at local conferences in Ohio, as well as at the annual conferences of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and ZERO TO THREE.

Peterson holds a master's degree in human development and family sciences, with a concentration in early childhood development and education, from The Ohio State University. She has also held an early intervention certificate from the state of Ohio and serves as a stakeholder for the ACHIEVE grant through the Health and Rehabilitation Science department at the Ohio State University. She assists with the grant for children with cerebral palsy (CP) regarding dosing in children with CP, participates in panel discussions with the team, performing community outreach, and providing teacher perspective and knowledge of educational needs during infancy, preschool, and kindergarten readiness.

References

Bennett, M. (2011). Children's social identities. Infant and Child Development, 20(4), 353-363.

Bredekamp, S. (1997). NAEYC issues revised position statement on developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Young Children, 52(2), 34-40.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological models of human development. International Encyclopedia of Education, 3(2), 37-43.

Corsaro, W. A. (2009). "Peer culture." In The Palgrave handbook of childhood studies (pp. 301-315). London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Durden, T. R., Escalante, E., & Blitch, K. (2015). Start with us! Culturally relevant pedagogy in the preschool classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(3), 223-232.

Goldstein, L. S. (2003). Preservice teachers, caring communities, and parent partnerships: Challenges and possibilities for early childhood teacher education. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 24(1), 61-71.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2001). Cross-cultural infant care and issues of equity and social justice. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 2(3), 368-371.

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity in early care and education: Honoring differences. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Harms, T., Cryer, D., & Clifford, R. M. (2006). Infant/toddler environment rating scale. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Jiang, Y., Granja, M. R., & Koball, H. (2017). Basic facts about low-income children children under 6 years, 2015. New York NY: National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Justice, L. M., Logan, J. A., Lin, T. J., & Kaderavek, J. N. (2014). Peer effects in early childhood education: Testing the assumptions of special-education inclusion. Psychological Science, 25(9), 1722-1729.

Lim, C. I., Maxwell, K. L., Able-Boone, H., & Zimmer, C. R. (2009). Cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood teacher preparation: The impact of contextual characteristics on coursework and practica. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(1), 64-76.

Mangione, P. L. (1995). Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers. Infant/toddler caregiving: A guide to culturally sensitive care. Sacramento, CA: Bureau of Publications, Sales Unit, California Department of Education.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Erik Erikson | Psychosocial stages-Simply psychology. Retrieved from

Nieto, S. M. (2002). Profoundly multicultural questions. Educational leadership, 60(4), 6-10.

Niland, A. (2015). "Row, row, row your boat": Singing, identity and belonging in a nursery. International Journal of Early Years Education, 23(1), 4-16.

Richards, H. V., Brown, A. F., & Forde, T. B. (2007). Addressing diversity in schools: Culturally responsive pedagogy. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64-68.

Rothstein-Fisch, C., Trumbull, E., & Garcia, S. G. (2009). Making the implicit explicit: Supporting teachers to bridge cultures. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(4), 474-486.

Spagnola, M., & Fiese, B. H. (2007). Family routines and rituals: A context for development in the lives of young children. Infants & Young Children, 20(4), 284-299.

Witmer, D. S., & Petersen, S. H. (2010). Infant and toddler development and responsive program planning: A relationship-based approach. New York, NY: Pearson.

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Supporting Individual and Community Identity Development in Infant-Toddler Classrooms - ZERO TO THREE

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Anneliese W. Johnson and Samantha Peterson, The Ohio State University Abstract How do very young children develop a sense of identity and belonging culturally, and how can this sense be supported by early care and education teachers and programs? This article examines literature associated with identity and belonging in early childhood and how those who work closely with children and families can incorporate best practices into daily routines and procedures.

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Understanding My Privilege | Sue Borrego | TEDxPasadenaWomen

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Inclusion. Diversity. Privilege. These are major buzzwords in higher education.

You've probably already heard at least one today, maybe ad nauseam. But it's for a good reason: Inclusion, diversity , and have an enormous impact on how students move through the world , succeed in their classes , and form friendships .

Despite this, students may be wary or unsure of how to discuss these tough issues with one another. After all, it's not exactly natural to ask, "So, how is everyone here privileged?" over lunch or casually share your experiences with discrimination between classes.

Fortunately, student affairs professionals can come to the rescue. Just as we often use games, discussions, and other interactive activities to get students to reveal their favorite kitchen utensils or Harry Potter characters, we can set the stage (or a room in the student union) to foster discussions on diversity, inclusion, privilege, and other interconnected societal issues.

But, before I get started with the activity suggestions, let's talk about ways to make the activities themselves inclusive and how to debrief for optimal reflection and learning.

Inclusion tips

It's wonderful that you're aiming to openly discusses diversity and privilege, but your point will be severely undermined if not all students are able to participate fully.

So, don't hesitate to creatively modify any of these activities for maximum inclusion.

For example, rather than requiring students to move around the room, you could ask them to hold up papers or props, share answers verbally, or raise their hands to indicate responses. This simple modification will allow students with mobility impairments to participate.

Or, in addition to asking students to respond verbally, ask them to also write short answers on a whiteboard (or write for them) so that anyone with a hearing impairment can stay fully involved. Similarly, be sure to read any written words aloud, in order to include students with visual impairments or learning disabilities.

Keep in mind that a student's visual, hearing, or mobile impairments may not be visible nor apparent to you. So, it's best to err on the side of inclusion .

Additionally, be mindful of ableist language and adapt appropriately. You hopefully already know to avoid defamatory words ( such as the ones listed here ), but you should also avoid using verbs which describe actions that may not be possible for students with disabilities. For example, rather than instructing students to "walk" somewhere, say "move" or "go toward," and substitute "speak" with "share."

At the end of the activity, you can even point out these modifications as practices that students themselves can utilize when leading programs and in everyday conversations.

Sample debriefing questions

Your debriefing questions should change to fit the activity, your learning outcomes and goals , and your participants' identities. But, here are some general questions to get you (and your students) started.

If you have time, you can also ask students to suggest their own questions. Providing paper for anonymous suggestions can yield questions that students may not feel comfortable asking aloud.

Now, let's get started with the activities!

The 7 activities

1. Just by Looking at Me

Purpose: This activity allows participants to reveal personal factoids that they might not have found the right opportunity to share yet. It also breaks down stereotypes by demonstrating facets of a person that, based on their outward appearance, may be surprising.

Instructions: Have participants sit in a circle. One at a time, ask them to share their answers to the prompt: "My name is ___ and I am from ___. One thing you cannot tell just by looking at me is ___. This is important for me to tell you because ___."

Participants can choose to disclose absolutely anything - varying from highly personal, such as having dyslexia or taking antidepressants, to something light and fun, such as loving Black Mirror or having a pet rock. Program leaders can help set the tone by first responding with their own answers.

Key debrief question: How can you find out meaningful information about your peers in the future? What is the value in that?

Bonus inclusion tip: Write out the prompt on a whiteboard or poster, or pass it around on a slip of paper. This will be helpful for participants of different learning and memory capabilities.

2. I Believe

Purpose: By being challenged to share their beliefs on controversial topics, this activity helps students examine their unique perspectives and consider why their fellow participants may feel differently.

Instructions: Hang up three sheets around the room - labeled "always true", "sometimes true" and "rarely true" - with space for students to move near. Then, ask students to respond to statements (which you'll read one at a time) by moving closest to the sheet that represents their opinion. The statements can address a variety of inclusion topics or be narrowed to fit your goals or the students involved. (For example, you can adapt this to be only about race or gender.)

Here are some possible statements:

After each statement, ask volunteers if they would like to share why they responded the way they did.

Key debrief question: Which statements were the hardest to respond to? Why?

Bonus inclusion tip: If any students are unable to move around the room, the program can be modified for everyone to raise of slips of paper labeled "always true", "sometimes true" and "rarely true" (or bright, color-coded slips to represent each response) instead.

3. What's in a Name?

Purpose: This activity helps students get to better know one another, gaining insight into each other's heritages, families, and life experiences.

Instructions: Have participants write their full names on a slip of paper. Then, ask them to share the meaning behind their names. What is its origin? What does it mean to them? How has it impacted their life experiences? For larger groups, participants can split off into pairs instead of sharing with everyone.

Key debrief question: Did you have any preconceived notions or assumptions about anyone's names before this activity?

Bonus inclusion tip: Emphasize that names can include middle names and hyphenated names. If students wish, they can also share religiously assigned names, names only used by close family members, or cultural adaptations of their names.

4. Forced Identities

Purpose: This is an excellent activity for group bonding and identity examination. As it can get pretty emotional and involves students sharing rather personal facets of themselves, it's best done with a group that's already established a strong level of comfort with one another.

Instructions: Prior to participants' arrival, hang up signs around the room with space for students to move near. Each sign should list one of the following words: race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, first language, religion, body size/shape, physical ability, mental illness, socioeconomic status, education, and . Feel free to add or change identity markers to fit your group.

To play, ask students to move closest to the identity that resonates the most with them, as you read a series of statements one-by-one.

Here are some suggested statements:

After reading each statement, ask volunteers (ideally representing multiple identity categories) to share why they settled on that identity marker. Sharing their specific identities - such as their religion or mental illness diagnosis - is optional.

Key inclusion question: What was it like to have to choose only one identity from around the room? Did anyone's selection surprise you at any point?

Bonus inclusion tip: Allow participants to suggest their own additional statements for the rest of the group to respond to.

5. Move into the Circle

Purpose: This activity helps students get to better know one another individually while showcasing the commonalities they share. It can also encourage students to share facts about themselves that they might not consider revealing unprompted.

Instructions: Have participants form a circle. Tell them that you'll read a series of statements, one-by-one. After each statement, participants should move into the circle if the statement is true for them.

Here are some sample prompts:

You can also ask students to add additional statements after you've read all the preset ones.

Key debrief question: How did it feel to step into the circle and be joined by several others... or to be alone?

Bonus inclusion tip: Some students may not feel comfortable identifying with some of the more personal statements. So, before starting, encourage them to be bold but ultimately make a decision (whether to move into the circle or not) that feels right to them.

6. Circles of Influence

Instructions: Hand each participant a sheet of paper listing different types of people in their lives. Instruct them to write down the name of the first person who comes to mind for each.

Here are some suggested prompts:

Next, place large sheets around the room, each listing a different racial category, such as black, white, Middle Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx, multiracial, Native American/indigenous people , and

You'll then call out the prompts from students' individual papers (best friend, roommate, etc.) and ask them to move closest to the large sheet with the racial category that best applies to the person they wrote down. Throughout the exercise, ask participants to pay close attention to where they and others are moving.

Key debrief question: Are you surprised by the patterns you saw throughout the room or by your own list? Why?

Bonus inclusion tip: Participants may feel uncomfortable if most of the people they named are within the same racial category. You should address this in debriefing. Ask students how it felt to stay in the same spot. Be careful to note that you don't aim to shame participants for their selections, but rather to help them reflect upon who resides in their spheres of influence.

7. Privilege for Sale

Purpose: Break participants into small groups of three to five. Then, pass each group a piece of paper listing out types of privileges - such as white privilege, cisgender privilege, Christian privilege, male privilege, heterosexual privilege, socioeconomic privilege, citizenship privilege, and able-bodied privilege.

Explain that for the purpose of this activity, students must imagine that they hold none of these privileges. However, they can buy them. For $1 per listing, every member of the group will be granted that privilege.

Next, hand out slips of paper to each group, listing a different dollar amount - starting at $1 and going up to just one dollar fewer than the amount needed to purchase privilege. Explain that this is the amount each group has to spend.

T hey'll have ten minutes to select which privilege(s) to purchase. The decision must be unanimous within each group.

Emphasize that, when making their decisions, students should focus on the privileges rather than the identities associated with each. For example, if a group opts to purchase white privilege, it does not mean that non-white participants wish to be white; rather, they simply desire the privileges that come along with being white.

Key debrief question: How did you go about picking privileges? Why?
What other activities have you used and loved? Let us know on Twitter @HelloPresence.

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7 Easy Activities That Encourage Students to Open Up About Identity and Privilege | Blog | Presence

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Inclusion. Diversity. Privilege. These are major buzzwords in higher education. You've probably already heard at least one today, maybe ad nauseam. But it's for a good reason: Inclusion, diversity , and have an enormous impact on how students move through the world , succeed in their classes , and form friendships .