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Teaching diversity in your toddler/preschool classroom

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Anti-bias education is not just doing occasional activities about diversity and fairness topics (although that may be how new anti-bias educators begin). To be effective, anti-bias education works as an underpinning perspective, which permeates everything that happens in an early childhood program-including your interactions with children, families and coworkers-and shapes how you put curriculum together each day.

This article is an excerpt of the second edition of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards. An NAEYC bestseller, this book helps early childhood educators fulfill their mission of helping all children reach their full potential. The new edition-with major updates to all chapters, including gender identity-will be available early in 2020.

The four core goals of anti-bias education

Four core goals provide a framework for the practice of anti-bias education with children. Grounded in what we know about how children construct identity and attitudes, the goals help you create a safe, supportive learning community for every child. They support children's development of a confident sense of identity without needing to feel superior to others; an ease with human diversity; a sense of fairness and justice; the skills of empowerment; and the ability to stand up for themselves or for others.

Goal 1: Identity

Teachers will nurture each child's construction of knowledgeable, confident, individual personal and social identities.

Children will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.

This goal means supporting children to feel strong and proud of who they are without needing to feel superior to anyone else. It means children will learn accurate, respectful language to describe who they and others are. Teachers will support children to develop and be comfortable within their home culture and within the school culture. Goal 1 is the starting place for all children, in all settings.

Adding to early childhood education's long-term commitment to nurturing each child's individual, personal identity, anti-bias education emphasizes the important idea of nurturing children's social (or group) identities. Social identities relate to the significant group categorizations of the society in which we grow up and live and which individuals share with many others. Social identities include (but are not limited to) gender, racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and economic class groups. (In the forthcoming book, social identity is described in detail in Chapter 2.) A strong sense of both individual and group identities is the foundation for the three other core anti-bias goals.

Goal 2: Diversity

Teachers will promote each child's comfortable, empathetic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.

Children will express comfort and joy with human diversity, use accurate language for human differences, and form deep, caring connections across all dimensions of human diversity.

This goal means guiding children to be able to think about and have words for how people are the same and how they are different. It includes helping children feel and behave respectfully, warmly, and confidently with people who are different from themselves. It includes encouraging children to learn both about how they are different from other children and about how they are similar. These are never either/or realities because people are simultaneously the same and different from one another. This goal is the heart of learning how to treat all people caringly and fairly.

Some teachers and parents are not sure they should encourage children to "notice" and learn about differences among people. They may think it is best to teach only about how people are the same, worrying that talking about differences causes prejudice. While well intentioned, this concern arises from a mistaken notion about the sources of bias. Differences do not create bias. Children learn prejudice from prejudice -not from learning about human diversity. It is how people respond to differences that teaches bias and fear.

Another misconception about Goal 2 is that exploring differences among people ignores appreciating the similarities. Goal 2 calls for creating a balance between exploring people's differences and similarities. All human beings share similar biological attributes, needs, and rights (e.g., the needs for food, shelter, and love; the commonalities of language, families, and feelings) and people live and meet these shared needs and rights in many different ways. A basic premise in anti-bias education is " We are all the same. We are all different. Isn't that wonderful! "

Goal 3: Justice

Teachers will foster each child's capacity to critically identify bias and will nurture each child's empathy for the hurt bias causes.

Children will increasingly recognize unfairness (injustice), have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.

This goal is about building children's innate, budding capacities for empathy and fairness, as well as their cognitive skills for thinking critically about what is happening around them. It is about building a sense of safety, the sense that everyone can and will be treated fairly.

Learning experiences include opportunities for children to understand and practice skills for identifying unfair and untrue images (stereotypes), comments (teasing, name-calling), and behaviors (isolation, discrimination) directed at themselves or
at others. This includes issues of gender, race, ethnicity, language, disability, economic class, age, body shape, and more. These are early lessons in critical thinking for children, figuring out what they see and hear and testing it against the notions of kindness and fairness.

These lessons build on young children's implicit interest in what is "fair" and "not fair."

As children come to identify unfair experiences and as they learn that unfair can be made fair, children gain an increased sense of their own power in the world. Children cannot construct a strong self-concept, or develop respect for others, if they do not know how to identify and resist hurtful, stereotypical, and inaccurate messages or actions directed toward themselves or others. Developing the ability to think critically strengthens children's sense of self, as well as their capacity to form caring relationships with others.

Goal 4: Activism

Teachers will cultivate each child's ability and confidence to stand up for oneself and for others in the face of bias.

Children will demonstrate a sense of empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.

Goal 4 is about giving children tools for learning how to stand up to hurtful and unfair biased behavior based on any aspect of social identity. Biased behavior may be directed at oneself or another. It may come from another child or adult or from children's books, television, and films. This goal strengthens children's development in perspective taking, positive interactions with others, and conflict-resolution education.

Actions of teasing, rejection, and exclusion because of some aspect of a child's social identities are a form of aggressive behavior. They are just as serious as physical aggression. The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me" is false. Children's developing sense of self is hurt by name-calling, teasing, and exclusion based on identity. And children who engage in such hurtful behaviors are learning it is acceptable to hurt others, the earliest form of bullying. An anti-bias approach calls on teachers to intervene gently but firmly, support the child who is the target of the biased behavior, and help both children learn other ways of interacting.

Children's growth on Goal 4 strengthens their growth on the other three goals. If a child is the target of prejudice or discrimination, she needs tools to resist and to know that she has worth (Goal 1). When a child speaks up for another child, it reinforces his understanding of other people's unique feelings (Goal 2). When children are helped to act, it broadens their understanding of "unfairness" and "fairness" (Goal 3).

Guidelines for your curriculum

Just about every subject area in the typical early childhood program has possibilities for anti-bias education themes and activities. For instance, early childhood education themes of self-discovery, family, and community are deeper, and more meaningful, when they include explorations of ability, culture, economic class, gender identity, and racialized identity. So, too, issues of fairness (Goal 3) and acting for fairness (Goal 4) arise as children explore various curriculum topics.

Differences do not create bias. Children learn prejudice from prejudice -not from learning about human diversity. It is how people respond to differences that teaches bias and fear.

The ideas for specific anti-bias education content and activities come from three major sources. One is from children's questions, interests, or interactions with each other that classroom teachers see as important to respond to and develop. Teacher-initiated activities are a second source of anti-bias activities, based on what classroom teachers and families think is important for children to learn. A third source is significant events that occur in the children's communities and the larger world that classroom teachers think need to be explored with children.

Here is an example of an anti-bias education topic at snack time.

It is snack time in the 4-year-old room. The teacher sets a small pitcher of water on the table for children to pour and drink. Lupe, whose home language is Spanish, looks up and asks, "Agua?" Casey, sitting next to her, says with annoyance, "No! It's water-not ahhgwa" (exaggerating the pronunciation). The teacher stops what she is doing and turns to Casey and says, "Lupe is right. What you call 'water' her family calls 'agua.' There are many words for water, for crackers, for oranges, for everything! We all have words. We have different words. It's pretty wonderful!"

At group time, the teacher follows up by asking children about the different words they have for people in their family. As the children call out Grandma, Oma, Pops, Daddy, Papa, Abuelita, and more, she writes them on a chart. She assures them that none of the words are wrong. They are just different. And they all mean someone who loves them.

Meet anti-bias goals in every corner of the classroom

The ongoing examination of how people are simultaneously the same and different provides children with a conceptual framework for thinking about the world they live in. For example, children playing with blocks can learn that although some children like to build tall towers and some like to build long, flat structures on the floor, all the children like to build. Art projects can show enthusiasm and admiration for blacks and browns along with all the other wonderful colors of the spectrum. The common curriculum topic of harvest time can include respecting and making visible the people who grow, pick, and transport our food.

Everyday activities offer opportunities for Goals 3 and 4 as well. Arguments over toys can include discussion of fairness and kindness. Exclusionary play, stereotypes in books, or teasing are experiences open to critical thinking about hurtful behavior and for problem solving toward just solutions.

Planning Anti-Bias Education Activities for Your Program's Curriculum

An anti-bias education approach is not a recipe. Rather, teachers include anti-bias issues in their planning by considering the children and families they serve and the curriculum approach their program uses. Here are key questions to ask yourself as you and your colleagues plan learning activities and environments. Begin by asking yourself these questions for one or two activities a week, and see how they change what you do and how the children respond.

Where do I best fit anti-bias goals and issues into my curriculum plans for the day and the week?

Who might be left out of this curriculum? How will I use the topic to include each child, connecting to the diversity of their social identities and to their individual needs? How can I be sure no one is invisible or unnoticed?

What ideas, misconceptions, and stereotypes might children have about this topic? How can I learn what these are and provide accurate information and counter misinformation and stereotypes?

How can I use this topic to support and strengthen children's innate sense of justice and their capacity to change unfair situations to fair ones?

What learning materials do I need to gather to incorporate an anti-bias perspective into this curriculum topic?

Use child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities

Children's questions, comments, and behaviors are a vital source of anti-bias curriculum. They spark teachable moments as well as longer-term projects. However, it is not sufficient to do anti-bias activities only when a child brings up a relevant issue. Teacher-initiated activities are also necessary-be they intentionally putting out materials and books to broaden children's awareness or planning specific learning experiences around issues that matter to families and the community.

You do not wait for children to open up the topic of reading or numbers before making literacy and numeracy part of the daily early childhood curriculum. Because you have decided that these understandings and skills are essential for children, you provide literacy and numeracy discussions and activities in your classroom. A balance between child-initiated and teacher-initiated activities is as vital in anti-bias education as in any other part of the early childhood curriculum.

Here's an example of how a teacher begins with a children-generated teachable moment and follows up with teacher-initiated activities:

After a windstorm broke dozens of small branches off of the trees surrounding their preschool, several 4- and 5-year-old boys begin building a "club house" by dragging branches and bunches of leaves to a corner in the playground fence. Valeria (4 years old) starts dragging a branch to join them and the boys shout, "No girls allowed! No girls allowed!"

The teacher considers encouraging the boys to welcome their classmate into their play-but then she hesitates. There are larger societal issues embedded in this interaction. As an anti-bias educator, she decides she needs to address the underlying ideas, especially that girls can't or shouldn't engage in play that emphasizes physical strength or that "real boys" don't include girls in their play.

Deciding to find out what the children are thinking, the teacher asks, "Why do you think no girls are allowed?" She listens carefully to the boys' responses: "Girls can't move the big branches." "And they can't build high!" "We're going to be superheroes! Girls can't be heroes." And, finally, "We don't like girls." All these statements reflect commonly held stereotypes about girls. Additionally, she thinks, not seriously addressing the situation reinforces the additional stereotype that boys don't have to pay attention to the feelings of others.

Seeing an opportunity to expand their thinking, the teacher suggests testing these claims. She says, "Well, let's find out if girls can move the big branches and build high or not." Since many of the children are now gathering around, she invites everyone to join in the challenge. "What do you think is going to happen?" she asks. With much laughter the children run and gather branches. Some girls are faster than some boys, some boys are faster than some girls. Everyone is able to add branches to the club house, which is suddenly much higher!

Bringing the children back together, the teacher says, "It looks like both girls and boys can lift big branches and build high. Thinking that boys would be better at these things than girls was a stereotype." Several children repeat the word stereotype (preschoolers love big words!). Still holding their attention, the teacher clarifies and gives words to the program's values: "Stereotypes are unfair. In our school we want everyone to be treated fairly. What can we do so that we can be sure that we play together fairly?" The next steps are suggested by the children. One suggestion is a sign that says "Everyone can play here." "How about," says one of the boys who began this episode, "how about if we want to play alone, we just say 'you can have a turn in a few minutes'?"

Knowing that one interaction is never enough to help children think in new ways, the teacher plans and carries out further activities. She adds to the classroom library books in which female athletes and firefighters are strong and fast. At circle time, she reads books in which girls and boys play together in big muscle games. She invites a female carpenter in to help the children build with real tools. And she begins a curriculum on "Being a hero," about all the ways boys and girls can be powerful helpers.

In the next staff meeting, the teacher relates what she has done and is planning to do, and why. She asks her colleagues to consider the frequency of gendered exclusionary play in the program and they agree to take the important step of identifying how (explicitly and implicitly) they may be supporting a binary view of gender (see Chapter 9 in the forthcoming book) in their classroom. For example, how often do they call out "boys and girls" rather than "children"? Do they ask "strong boys" to help move furniture and big blocks? Do they comment on girls' clothing or hair instead of asking about their interests and accomplishments?
Do they support boys' tender, sharing, inclusive behaviors or mainly comment on their noisy, power-focused play? The teachers agree to observe each other as well as the children and see what changes they can make to avoid the damage that gender stereotypes have on children's sense of themselves and of others.

Using a combination of child-initiated, teachable moments and teacher-initiated, pre-planned activities is the most effective way to expand children's ability to grow in the four anti-bias education goals and to talk about, think about, and understand the world around them.

Pay attention to the realities of children's lives

While the four core anti-bias education goals are the same for all children, specific activities should be relevant to the children's backgrounds and their lives. Some children need support to resist messages of racial or cultural inferiority; others need guidance to develop a positive self-concept without absorbing social messages that they are the "normal" ones and other children are less than, strange, or negatively different. Children of wealthy families need help resisting the message that material accumulation defines their worth and that of others; children of families with fewer resources need support to resist messages that undercut their families' worth. Some girls may need extra support to develop confidence and interest in experiences that are math and science related; some boys may require help to develop skills for having nurturing, cooperative interactions with their peers
and to engage in play that reflects these attitudes.

Closing thoughts

As in all other areas of the curriculum, teachers tailor and scaffold anti-bias education materials and activities to each child's cognitive, social, and emotional developmental capacities. They plan and choose learning experiences that stimulate children to explore the next step of new ideas and skills and allow each child to apply new understandings and behaviors in his or her daily life.

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Understanding Anti-Bias Education: Bringing the Four Core Goals to Every Facet of Your Curriculum

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This article is an excerpt of the second edition of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards.

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Strengthening Families/ Protective Factors info

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materials including various types of families, cultures, and ages 

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Overview of SF Protective factors

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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The Center's ability to achieve our ambitious mission to improve outcomes for children and families facing adversity around the world depends upon our ability to cultivate an organization that is a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in which everyone is valued. Diversity helps generate a wealth of ideas and perspectives that enhance our collective ability to solve global problems. Inclusion enables individuals who are part of a minority group to express their whole selves safely and productively. To build a community that is both diverse and inclusive, we must ensure equitable treatment of our community members. We must engage in a sustained effort to create a culture of attentive curiosity, compassionate action, and self-reflection.

Read the Center's pledge to address injustice, racism, and inequality.

Acknowledging that this journey is ongoing and remains a work in progress, Center staff spent considerable time working on the vision statement below that keenly describes where we envision our organization needs to go. Embarking on this DEI journey offers the Center an incredible growth opportunity, but also brings difficult issues to the surface. Therefore, we have been focused on getting ourselves "equipped" as an organization to do this critical work honestly and productively.

As we continue our journey we will share more about what we are learning and what we are doing as a result, so we can all understand and contribute to the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for children and families and the societies in which we all live.

Our EDIB Vision Statement

At the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard (HCDC) we care deeply about improving the lives of children who face daily adversity. We value communities, context, intentional action, innovation, shared learning, and impact. We appreciate that actionable knowledge comes from multiple sources, such as science and research, practice and policy as well as lived experiences and community wisdom. We generate, synthesize, translate, and disseminate scientific knowledge to enable innovative design and precise thinking and practice across multiple contexts to support young children in reaching their developmental potential. We know that equity, diversity, and inclusion ¹ matter to our mission and aim to keep it at the heart of all that we believe, value, and do.

As a testament to these stated values and beliefs, we at HCDC are committed to building capacity and leading efforts to create a more representative, equitable, and inclusive organization. We envision a future where:

We engage in reflection and action to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion, internally and externally.

We can demonstrate how diversity, equity and inclusion matter in and strengthen our work.

We can productively and effectively engage across social differences and leverage them to enrich our community and culture and strengthen our work.

¹ Equity is concerned with the fairness of an organization's practice and policies. It is not an outcome but a process focused on continuous attunement to ensuring equal access to opportunities for growth, development, and promotion. An organization can have representation but not have practices and policies that enable equal access to promotion and leadership positions for everyone.
Diversity is a term that describes the representativeness of a collective or group and exists in relationship to members of the group. Diversity is not an individual characteristic. One cannot be a "diverse candidate," though one can be part of a diverse organization. Diversity refers to whether the Center as an organization represents among its membership different social identities. Social identities are reflected in race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, age, socio-economic status, religion, veteran status and worldviews to name a few.
Inclusion refers to a person's experience and sense of belonging and value in the workplace. Like diversity, inclusion is an outcome that reflects whether the culture and climate of an organization is welcoming, trustworthy, and respectful.

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Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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The Center's ability to achieve our ambitious mission to improve outcomes for children and families facing adversity around the world depends upon our ability to cultivate an organization that is a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in which everyone is valued. Diversity helps generate a wealth of ideas and perspectives that enhance our collective ability [...]

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dolls of different skin tones representing outfits of various traditional cultural dress

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dress up materials labeled with country of origin

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Making Connections: "Who Looks Like Me?" Representation Matters to Our Children and Our Members

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NAEYC members are embracing the call to ensure that each and every child feels seen, welcomed, and has a sense of belonging.

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What is the Protective Factors Survey, 2nd Edition (PFS-2)?

The PFS-2 is an evaluation tool for use with caregivers receiving child maltreatment prevention services. It is a self-administered pre/post or retrospective survey that measures protective factors in five areas: family functioning and resilience, social supports, concrete supports, nurturing and attachment, and caregiver/practitioner relationship.

Is the PFS-2 the right tool for you?

As you make decisions about whether the PFS-2 is the right tool for your program, please review the Purpose and Use. Additional information to help agencies determine whether to use the retrospective or the pre/post version of the PFS-2 can be found here. If you find that the PFS-2 is not the right fit for your services, you may want to review FRIENDS' annotated compendium of evaluation tools as a resource.

How was the PFS-2 developed?

The PFS-2 is a product of the FRIENDS National Center in collaboration with the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research. While the original PFS continues to be a valid and reliable ¹ instrument that assesses multiple protective factors and can continue to be used, the PFS was revised to better capture families' growth and change by clarifying and rewording questions. The PFS-2 was developed with the advice and assistance from CBCAP grantees, parents, researchers, administrators, workers, and experts specializing in family support, child maltreatment, and psychological measurement, and has undergone a national field test.

Is the PFS-2 an evidence-based measurement tool?

Yes, the California Clearinghouse on Evidence-Based Practices has included the PFS-2 as an evidence-based tool in their listings. View the listing here.

For more information, see peer-reviewed articles related to the PFS-2:

Sprague-Jones, J., Counts, J., Rousseau, M., & Firman, C. (2019). The development of the protective factors survey: a self-report measure of protective factors against child maltreatment. Child abuse & neglect, 89, 122-134 View source.

Sprague-Jones, J., Singh, P., Rousseau, M., Counts, J., & Firman, C. (2020). The Protective Factors Survey: Establishing validity and reliability of a self-report measure of protective factors against child maltreatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104868 View source.

How is the PFS-2 used?

The primary purpose of the Protective Factors Survey, 2 nd Edition is to provide feedback to agencies for continuous quality improvement and evaluation purposes. The survey results are designed to help agencies measure changes in protective factors and identify areas where workers can focus on increasing individual family protective factors. Click here to learn more about the purpose and use of the PFS-2. A quick-start guide for staff preparing and administering the PFS-2 can be found here, and the full set of instructions on administering and scoring the PFS-2 can be found by downloading the PFS-2 User Manual.

Is there a Spanish version of the PFS-2?

A Spanish-translated version of the PFS-2 (SPFS-2) has been tested and found to have good reliability and validity (Jessica Sprague-Jones, et al The Spanish Protective Factors Survey, Second Edition: Initial translation and preliminary validation, Children and Youth Services Review, in press.) The instruments, both the traditional pre/post and retrospective, are available, as well as a Spanish translation of the standard script. (A full SPFS-2 Manual in Spanish is coming soon)

How was the SPFS-2 developed?

The SPFS-2 is a direct translation of the PFS-2 into Spanish. FRIENDS partnered with the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnership and Research (CPPR) to develop the SPFS-2. CPPR contracted with Qualtrics to translate the PFS-2 into Spanish and field the translation with panel data. FRIENDS and CPPR consulted with practitioners with expertise in working with Spanish-speaking families and adjusted the translation at the item level based on their feedback. Results of CPPR's analysis of panel data indicate that the Spanish translation psychometrically functions very similarly to the English version of the tool.

How can the SPFS-2 be administered?

Both versions of SPFS-2, traditional pre/post and retrospective, are available for traditional paper/pencil administration or for electronic administration through the Protective Factors Survey Online Data System (PFSODS). Using that system, the survey can be administered electronically to program participants via direct device handoff, email, text message, and QR code. See the PFSODS section for more information.

Can the original S-PFS continue to be used?

Yes - the original S-PFS continues to be a reliable and valid peer-reviewed instrument that assesses multiple protective factors to prevent child abuse and neglect ². The original PFS and S-PFS and associated materials are still available on the FRIENDS website and can continue to be used.

Is there an online data system for survey administration and data collection of the Protective Factors Survey?

The Protective Factors Survey Online Data System (PFSODS) is a web-based tool that allows users access to an online data system. This system enables users to manage all aspects of the original Protective Factors Survey (PFS) and the Protective Factors Survey, 2nd Edition (PFS-2). This system allows users to locally own their data while having access to a state-of-the-art online data collection system.

This system is designed to allow for a digital administration of the survey via direct interaction with clients or a text, email link, or QR code for completion at a separate time. The system is responsive and can be administered on a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop environment. These options allow for direct entry by clients into the system, eliminating potentially time-consuming data entry. If you don't have digital access for client administration- don't worry! You can still use this system. You can administer traditional paper/pencil surveys and use the system for data entry via the paper entry format.

Is there a version of the PFS-2 for military families?

The PFS-2 has been adapted for programs serving military families. The adaptation process was led by Greentrike, a Tacoma, Washington-based organization that serves both civilian and military families. FRIENDS' staff and researchers from the University of Kansas's Center on Community Partnerships and Research (CCPR) worked with Greentrike and Praxis and Associates to adapt and test the tool-the Protective Factors Survey, Military Families (PFS-MF). The development process included multiple focus groups, including members of FRIENDS' Parent Advisory Council (the PAC), and parents who were serving or had spouses serving at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). To access the PSF-MF and its accompanying guidebook and spreadsheet for data management, please visit this page on the Greentrike website.

Protective Factors Survey, 2nd Edition Resources

1. Counts, J. M., Buffington, E. S., Chang-Rios, K., Rasmussen, H. N., & Preacher, K. J. (2010). The development and validation of the protective factors survey: A self-report measure of protective factors against child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 34(10), 762-772.

2. Aislinn Conrad-Hiebner, Alexander Schoemann, Jaqueline Counts, & Karin Chang. The development and validation of the Spanish adaptation of the Protective Factors Survey. Children and Youth Services Review, 52, (2015): 45-53

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Protective Factors Surveys | Friends NRC

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Protective Factors Surveys What are the Protective Factors Surveys? The Protective Factors Survey (PFS) and the Protective Factors Survey, 2nd Edition (PFS-2) are designed for use with parents and caregivers participating in family support and child maltreatment prevention services. The PFS and PFS-2 assess multiple protective factors to prevent child abuse and neglect. Both surveys […]

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Sesame Street: "We Belong" Song with Julia and Her Friends

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display with flags from other countries hung in dramatic play

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Our beliefs at Brené Brown Education and Research Group about Inclusivity, Equity, Diversity, and Belonging

We believe in five values that underpin all of our work, including our commitment to inclusivity, equity, diversity, and belonging.

We are called to:

BE BRAVE. SERVE THE WORK. TAKE GOOD CARE. CULTIVATE BELONGING. CREATE BEAUTY AND EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS.

Why We Exist:

To study the intersection of human behavior, emotion, and thinking, and to communicate our findings in clear and compelling ways so that all of us can better understand and care for ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.

Our Passion:

To make the world a braver, safer, and more loving place for all people.

How We Do It:

By using research, storytelling, words, and images to teach and to connect the seemingly unconnectable.

What We Do:

Research, writing, books, podcasts, teaching, speaking, facilitation communities, online resources, and media (traditional, social, and new).

1. We believe the most effective way to tackle issues of privilege and systemic bias is to name them, talk about them, and take personal and collective responsibility to change them.

2. We believe that doing nothing to address inequality is supporting inequality. There are oppressive systems in place, and our words and actions either support those existing systems or dismantle them.

3. We believe that it is not the job of the people being targeted by prejudice and discrimination to start the dialogue, carry the emotional labor of the conversations, or grant absolution to those who are feeling shame and guilt about the pain being experienced by others.

4. We believe that the greatest casualty of trauma is the loss of the emotional, and sometimes physical, safety required to be vulnerable. In addition to violence and neglect, poverty, racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and other systemic forms of oppression and/or bias are trauma.

5. We believe we must recognize that these systems are pervasive and be mindful that when we ask people to "take off their armor" we may be asking them to do something that is not emotionally or even physically safe in all environments.

6. In reference to the above, we also believe that everyone deserves brave spaces to be vulnerable; therefore, we work to both create brave spaces for individuals and we work to promote social justice. It is another form of injustice to ask generations of people to forego the life-giving experiences that are born of vulnerability until our systems are equitable and just.

7. We acknowledge that these beliefs only have value if they are also reflected in our practice, and we are committed to practicing these beliefs at every level - starting and ending with a personal commitment from Brené.

8. We believe that shame is a tool of oppression and is not an effective social justice tool.

9. We believe that love, grace, accountability, courage, vulnerability, empathy, shame resilience, and the power of story can change the world. That's what we are committed to teaching, training, and practicing.

© 2021 Brené Brown, LLC | All rights reserved
Created: Aug 2018 | V3: Aug 2021

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Our beliefs about Inclusivity, Equity, Diversity, and Belonging.

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play materials showing differing abilities 

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How can early childhood programs create welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ families and providers?

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Hear from early childhood experts what makes a difference when ensuring early childhood programs are inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

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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.