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The book, Who I Am: Words I Tell Myself, by Susan Verde, promotes self love and inner strength. It teaches children to embrace all feelings, including sadness or being hurt, but also to know that they are worthy.

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Susan Verde grew up in a brownstone in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City with her older brother Michael. She spent much of her time as a child clad in bell bottoms and rainbow suspenders, roller skating up and down her block with a skate key around her neck and a piece of chalk in her pocket (for spontaneous hopscotch).

Susan's household was filled with books, music and the smell of mocha chip pies, which her mother made for their neighborhood restaurant. Susan often wrote stories and poetry to share with family and friends and even her high school poetry magazine. Susan's love of literature began in utero (according to her mother) and never dwindled. She can, to this day relate very well to Amelia Bedelia.

Ultimately, she moved to the Hamptons and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's in reading remediation and become an elementary school teacher at a private school in Bridgehampton. She has also participated in the Southampton Children's Literature Conference at Stonybrook University.

Although no longer a school teacher, Susan is a certified kid's yoga instructor which allows her to frog jump and wag her tail in Downward facing dog with great frequency.

Currently, Susan lives in East Hampton New York amidst an explosion of Legos, art supplies, and picture books with her twin boys Joshua and Gabriel and her daughter Sophia. They are the constant inspiration for her writing. They never let her forget how to see things from a child's point of view and keep the kid in her alive and kicking.

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Who I Am: Words I Tell Myself (A Picture Book) (I Am Books)

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Who I Am: Words I Tell Myself (A Picture Book) (I Am Books) [Verde, Susan, Reynolds, Peter H.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Who I Am: Words I Tell Myself (A Picture Book) (I Am Books)

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Mister Yes constantly finds himself always saying "yes" even when clearly comes across uncomfortable situations. Finally, he musters up the courage to say "no" and stands up for himself.

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Carmen Gil (Author), Miguel Cerro (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

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Mister Yes - Kindle edition by Gil, Carmen, Cerro, Miguel. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Mister Yes.

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We're Different, We're the Same talks about how we are all different, but also the same in many ways. On the outside, we come in different sizes, colors, and backgrounds, but we all share the same commonalities on the inside.

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Who better than Elmo and his Sesame Street friends to teach us that though we may all look different on the outside-deep down, we are all very much alike? Sesame Street friends help teach toddlers and the adults in their lives that everyone is the same on the inside, and it's our differences that make this wonderful world, which is home to us all, an interesting-and special-place. This enduring, colorful, and charmingly illustrated book offers an easy, enjoyable way to learn about differences-and what truly matters.
Elmo and his We're Different, We're the Same is an engaging read for toddlers and adults alike that reinforces how we all have the same needs, desires, and feelings.

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We're Different, We're the Same (Sesame Street) (Pictureback(R))

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Amazon.com: We're Different, We're the Same (Sesame Street) (Pictureback(R)): 8581126911118: Kates, Bobbi, Mathieu, Joe: Books

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The Carrots Are Orange website shares many hands-on activities that help early childhood learners to appreciate differences in people, like their skin color, their traditions, and even food. It teaches how children can learn to be kind, respect others, and be fair in all they do.

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Carrots Are Orange Montessori Learning & Parenting

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Since we can't always be in the classroom, here are eight easy anti-bias activities for your home and classroom! These Montessori-inspired activities will help equip your family and students with the tools necessary to identify and dismantle bias. Ready to get started? Let's go!

Roots and Wings - Anti-Bias Activities Book

Roots and Wings by Stacey York is an amazingly resourceful and inspiring anti-bias curriculum book for your home and classroom.

The author gives tangible guidance on bringing culture into early childhood education programs, including anti-bias themes and lessons across various areas. I highly recommend the book to teach anti-bias education to young children.

Anti-Bias Themes - How to Bring Culture into the Classroom

Mixing Playdough

Place four or five colors (choose multi-cultural colors such as in this playdough set) out for the kids to explore. Encourage them to mix the colors to create new colors. Encourage them to try to create a color that matches their skin.

Exploring Hair

Ask children to touch their hair and to look at their hair in the mirror. Ask them to describe it. Then show pictures of how people use hair to express themselves and their culture worldwide.

This Sesame Street clip: I Love Hair is an excellent conversation starter. Gather wigs, scarves, rubber bands, hair clips, turbans, and other items to create different hairstyles.

Everyday Images

Simply look at images from around the world and ask questions. Take time to either print out images and prepare cards or simply call your child over to your computer.

I found this great Pinterest board, " People/Faces from Around the World, " a good resource. If you google "houses around the world" or "food around the world," you will find good images for the exercise.

The book Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World is excellent.

Anti-Bias Activities & Curriculum Ideas

What is Different?

Gather images of African American, Hispanic, Euro-American, and Asian American children. Start with images that exemplify the most obvious differences, then move on to the more subtle differences. Kids may want to sort into similar and alike.

Encourage them to do so. Melissa & Doug's Create-A-Face Pad is an excellent primary learning tool for discussing skin color differences.

My Montessori instructor demonstrated a fabulous lesson introducing the concept of family to children. All you need is a basket, preferably with a cover or deep enough so you can reach into it and various "people."

I purchased Pretend & Play Families. The figures are detailed and somewhat "real" looking. I bought Black, Asian, Hispanic, and People with Differing Abilities.

Start by asking the children what makes a family. Then introduce various families using these figures: "This is Joe. He is married to Bill. They have a daughter, Melissa.

They are a family." or "This is Rosa. She lives with her grandmother, Helena. They are a family." The possibilities are endless.

Mothers & Babies

This activity introduces similar features and similar cultural heritage. You need images of mothers & pictures of babies from around the world within various cultures, an image of a cat and her kittens, card stock, and a glue stick.

Prepare the cards and invite the child to match the mother and baby. Ask what is different about the mothers' faces and why the child chose that mother to go with that particular child. Then show the image of the cat and her kittens. Explain how she is still their mother even though they might look different from her.

Easy Anti-Bias Activities for Your Home & Classroom

Crack the Egg

I saw this diversity activity on Kids Activities Blog and fell in love with it. Take a white and brown egg. Ask the children what they notice is the difference between the eggs.

When they answer the color, crack the egg open and show the children how the eggs are the same on the inside even though they look different on the outside.

Bread Tasting Party

This one might be my favorite. Go to the grocery and gather various "bread from around the world" such as naan, cornbread, tortillas, matzo, pita, scones, etc. Introduce the name of the bread and from which culture it originates. Then invite the children to taste it.

Talk about the traditions of those cultures. Maybe even make your bread together. I love this learning activity because it brings in the senses and is hands-on. If you don't have access to the bread, seek images from a library book or the internet.

Resources from this Post

Thank you for reading this post today!

I hope that we have inspired you!
Marnie

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8 Anti-Bias Activities for the Home & Classroom

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Promote inclusivity and diversity with 8 simple anti-bias activities for teachers and parents. Create a nurturing environment for young learners at home and in the classroom.

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40 Empathy Activities & Worksheets for Students & Adults provides a multitude of thoughtful exercises that are designed to build emotional intelligence. By practicing these activities, everyone can foster a more supportive environment in classrooms and the community.

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40 Empathy Activities & Worksheets for Students & Adults

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Target kindness & empathy development with practical activities.

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NAEYC emphasizes that every young child is worthy of dignity, belonging, and participation, regardless of disability. The article offers guidance like making environmental and material modifications, fostering peer support, and collaborating closely with special education professionals to ensure inclusive, developmentally appropriate learning for all.

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Adapted from The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom, by Pamela Brillante. Copyright © 2017 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

When you open your classroom door this new school year, you'll be welcoming preschoolers with a variety of experiences, strengths, and challenges. For some children, this will be their first time in a classroom, and they may struggle to follow routines and grasp concepts. Others will arrive having a lot of experience with books and language, and some may be dual language learners. A few children in your new class might have disabilities or developmental delays that impact their learning, social skills, or behavior.

You may be wondering, How do I support children with disabilities or developmental delays when I don't have any training to do that? All children learn best in a developmentally appropriate program that offers them the supports they need to participate successfully alongside their classmates. Many children with disabilities benefit from simple accommodations and modifications, while other children may need more specialized, individualized supports provided by special education professionals. These professionals will work with you, the children, and their families to help the children learn and thrive.

To be an effective teacher, remember that regardless of individual needs, children are first and foremost children-and best practices for young children are best practices for all young children. Here are some ideas to help you set the stage for a great year for everyone.

Try basic modifications

Painting and drawing: Some children have a hard time painting or drawing on a tabletop because it involves using very small muscles in the hands and wrists, which may not be developed yet. Try also setting up easels, which allow children to stand and use bigger arm movements that originate from the shoulders, which often is easier.

Books: Make board books available, and add jumbo paper clips to regular book pages to make them easier for children to turn. These modifications help children with motor delays but are also fun for everyone.

See the child as a child first

Each child is unique, and every child can learn. Look beyond a child's disability or label, and get to know her as a person. Observe children to discover what interests each one and to get ideas about what might motivate her. Talking and playing with children provides important opportunities for building trusting relationships. Set learning goals, choose strategies, and assess children's progress. And just as you do for all children, have high-but realistic-expectations for children with disabilities or developmental delays.

Reexamine your beliefs and knowledge

To be an excellent educator for all the children in your classroom, stay in touch with your inner teacher. Review both your understanding of child development and your toolkit of practices. Honestly examine your beliefs about children and families. Then think deeply about your responsibility to make learning-and the physical environment-engaging, developmentally appropriate, and accessible for all children.

Tap into the expertise of special education professionals

If a child has an identified disability or developmental delay, he receives services specified in his Individualized Education Program (IEP). The child's teacher should either be given a copy of the IEP or opportunities to review it. Don't hesitate to ask the special education teacher, early intervention coordinator, or administrator to explain anything that is confusing. They can help you adapt and modify your curriculum, physical space, materials, and educational expectations so the child can participate as fully as possible in classroom routines and activities. These professionals can also support you in identifying the child's strengths and interests, helping you find relevant ways to connect your teaching to each child.

Speech, physical, and occupational therapists who work directly with a child can also brainstorm adaptations and modifications with you. For example, for a child who has difficulty with balance and large motor control, a physical therapist could provide a special chair for the classroom and work with you to find other comfortable seating options that let the child be part of the group.

Make simple changes

Design the classroom space, routines, and activities so they are adaptable and can be used by the children in a variety of ways. This proactive approach supports children's strengths and can be modified to address children's needs. Plan activities that require more than one child's participation to accomplish a task. Instead of an adult always working with a child with a disability, pair the child with a peer buddy. Provide dress-up items with multiple ways to fasten them. Find ways to absorb background noise to avoid distracting children.

Strategies to try

While there are many strategies to support children with disabilities, here are a few.

Environment: Arrange the classroom furnishings so all children-including children with visual or physical disabilities-can move and maneuver around the room and learning centers by themselves. Make sure materials are within reach. Watch for classroom clutter and unstable flooring (throw rugs that move easily) that make the classroom space inaccessible for some children.

Routines: The best routines have a predictable beginning, middle, and end. Use visual supports, such as pictures or props, to teach children routines, help them stay engaged, and aid them in transitioning between different activities.

Peers: Peers who do not have disabilities can model positive prosocial and communication skills and demonstrate everyday routines that young children with disabilities can imitate. Classmates can also help children develop social relationships and increase their motivation to be part of classroom activities.

Noise: Managing noise in the classroom plays an important role in both learning and behavior. Loud classrooms affect a child's ability to understand increasingly complex language. Carpets and other sound-absorbing materials, like wall hangings, heavy drapes, felt, and chairs with tennis balls on the bottom of metal legs, all help reduce classroom noise.

Materials: Modifying materials in the classroom can have a big impact on independence. Add pencil grips to crayons and markers to make them easier for children with motor difficulties to hold. Gluing small knobs to puzzle pieces make them easier to pick up.Create opportunities for refugee parents to share their traditions.

Determine where individual children need more support

What do you expect children to do and learn during typical routines and activities? Consider this, then think about the supports you can provide to help a child with a disability be more independent and successful. Break down activities into smaller, more manageable tasks for her, and teach the tasks one by one. To help the child transition to a new activity, give her a picture or symbol of the area to show where to go next. If a child uses a nonverbal mode of communication (picture symbols, sign language), teach all of the children to use it.

Finally, trust your knowledge and instincts

Whatever the needs of the children in your classroom, learn to trust your instincts and rely on your professional expertise and judgment. Be willing to seek help from others who have valuable experience and knowledge to share with you. These are important things you can do not just for children with disabilities but for every child in your classroom!

COMMONLY USED SPECIAL EDUCATION TERMS

When there is a child with a disability or developmental delay in your class, you're likely to hear a dizzying variety of terms from special education professionals. Here are a few helpful definitions.

Assistive technology (AT): any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. Assistive technology helps with speaking, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, and many other functions. Different disabilities require different assistive technologies (wheelchairs, walkers, braces, educational software, pencil holders, communication boards).

Developmental delay: a significant lag in a child's achievement of developmental milestones in one or more areas of development (cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional)

Disability: a physical or mental condition-such as hearing loss, cerebral palsy, autism, or Down syndrome-that affects the way the body works or develops and that significantly limits a person's abilities in one or more major life activities, including walking, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, and learning [Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-336)]

Inclusion: the practice of educating children with disabilities in the same classroom as their same-age peers who do not have disabilities. Inclusion is part of the philosophy that people are more alike than different, that differences make classrooms and experiences richer, and that everyone-children with and without disabilities, families, educators, and communities-benefits when children are educated together.

Individualized Education Program (IEP): a written plan for a child between the ages of 3 and 21 that outlines the child's learning goals and the services to be provided to meet his educational needs

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 (Public Law 108-446): the law that governs how states and agencies provide early intervention and special education services to children and young adults

Interdisciplinary (or multidisciplinary) team: a team of professionals who evaluate a child to determine whether a delay or disability exists and whether she qualifies for services

Least restrictive environment (LRE): the educational setting that allows a child-to the maximum extent possible-to be educated with his same-age peers who do not have disabilities

Referral: a formal request that is often made by families, physicians, or teachers to begin the special education evaluation process

Sensory processing issues: difficulty handling and responding to sensory input
Note: While you may occasionally hear the older term mainstreaming used to mean inclusion, the two are not interchangeable. Mainstreaming describes a child with a disability participating in a program with her peers for just part of the day or for specific activities where she can participate without the teacher making any changes to the activity. Inclusion is the philosophy that children can engage in activities with their peers even if those activities need to be adapted or modified in some way for children to be successful.
Author's note: Different terms, such as challenged, differently abled, and s pecial needs, are used to refer to individuals with disabilities. While these terms appear to be inoffensive and seem to emphasize positive qualities, they are euphemisms and are not frequently used in the disability advocacy community (Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center). The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom (the book the information in this article is adapted from) uses "child with a disability," and we do also.

Photos © NAEYC/iStock

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Every Child Belongs: Welcoming a Child with a Disability

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When you open your classroom door this new school year, you'll be welcoming preschoolers with a variety of experiences, strengths, and challenges.

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This offers practical guidance on embedding culturally responsive practices into early childhood programs, which follows NAECY's position statements in supporting diverse family structures and cultural backgrounds. It recognizes the diversity of family experiences so everyone can engage in culturally competent and inclusive ways.

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Teaching Young Children to Understand and Accept Differences actively challenges gender bias, confronting children's assumptions through thoughtful dialogue versus shutting them down. This approach helps foster critical thinking, empowering children to explore traditional expectations and tear apart stereotypes.

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Teaching Young Children to Understand and Accept Differences | Lesley University

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Through anti-bias education, early childhood educators can create learning communities that support human differences. Discover how you can foster an empathetic classroom.

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The Hunger Solutions Minnesota website is a great starting point for finding local food assistance resources in North Branch, MN. It provides a directory of food shelves, meal programs, and other support services across the state.

In North Branch, people and families can find assistance through a local organization:

Family Pathways Food Shelf
6381 Main St, North Branch, MN 55056
(651) 674-8313
Monday: 11 am – 7 pm; Wednesday: 12 pm – 5 pm; Thursday: 9 am – 5 pm; Friday: 10 am – 5 pm

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Solving hunger in Minnesota requires a two-part approach — directly connecting hungry Minnesotans with food resources AND long-term advocacy. Our core programs connect hungry residents with resources to put food on the table today while also helping to find long-term solutions to hunger. We support Minnesota’s food shelves and connect them with resources to serve […]