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In this article, educators can find ways in supporting multilingual children and their families in the classroom such as having children share about their home language and teach other children and the educators learn certain things in their home language.

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Supporting Multilingual Students in the Early Grades

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Five ways teachers can celebrate and extend the linguistic expertise of young students who speak two or more languages.

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This resource provides families with lots of information that they can benefit from such as help with jobs and education, financial and medical assistance, food supplies and family events. They also offer resources for families with children with disabilities.

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Fairfax County, Virginia - The Department of Family Services (DFS) promotes the well-being of the County's diverse community by protecting and improving the lives of children, adults and families through supportive services, education and advocacy.

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“Provide equal opportunity for girls and boys to speak” (Derman-Sparks, Edwards, 2010, 98)

Treating boys and girls the same teaches the children about equality. Children will learn that neither one is better than the other. One way that I could support biases regarding gender, in nursery rhymes such as “Mary had a little lamb”, change it to a boy's name.

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When families are involved in their child's education this helps with their self esteem, their behavior along with their overall development, but families can also get involved to share about their cultures. Hosting a cultural night and having families share about their culture is a great way for families to connect.

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"... And the very sleepy bunny said, 'Goodnight Mom, goodnight Dad.'"

A line like this wrapping up a sweet children's story probably doesn't cause you any surprise. But if you are a preschooler with two moms or a toddler living with an auntie, then these familiar lines are painting pictures-and parameters-of what a family looks like.

Make no mistake, families with one mom and one dad are wonderful. But other family structures are wonderful as well. When kids know their family looks different than the stories represent, they can feel excluded or confused about where they fit in and if their family counts.

The importance of recognizing diverse families

"The early childhood school setting is often a child's first experience with diversity," says Dawn Kurtz, Ph.D., chief program officer at Child360. "Research has shown that between the ages of two and five years, children become aware of differences, such as gender, ethnicity, disabilities-even differences in family structures."

This can be excellent news for educators who want to instill a sense of confidence in students in the face of their differences. Kurtz explains that talking about our differences is beneficial for children's identity development, while also fostering a sense of curiosity and appreciation for other people.

"You're teaching children about respect for others. Celebrating the beauty in our differences helps to build a stronger community, diminishes prejudice or fear and enriches our society by creating global citizens in our children," Kurtz says.

On top of that, honoring diverse families in your classroom will help children feel included in their learning environment. "When children know that their family-the people they love most in the world-are valued and truly seen by their teachers, it helps send the message that they belong in that classroom," says Chelsea Myers, early childhood educator at Hilltop Children's Center. "Children learn best in that environment."

Since the heart of education is to help children learn, including diverse families in your classroom is a great goal to set for any classroom. To get your ideas flowing, we asked experts in early childhood education to weigh in on honoring diverse family structures.

8 Ways to create an inclusive environment for students from diverse families

1. Recognize that your assumptions carry weight

Teachers know even the youngest students are extremely perceptive. That definitely includes observing the teacher. Your reactions to questions kids ask about the differences they observe in people around them, for example, paint a landscape for your students. And at an age where you might be one of the only adults they interact with outside the home-your opinions have major impact.

"An educator plays an integral role in helping to shape how a child views themselves, their family unit and the world," Kurtz says. "Research reveals that by age two, babies use observations to classify who 'their' people are, and show preference based upon skin color. These conclusions are often learned by what they perceive from their caregivers."

In the same way, Kurtz explains, children make connections about how their caregivers perceive family systems. If teachers speak about families in exclusively "mom and dad" terms, kids notice. But even a little awareness goes a long way. Teachers who are aware of diverse families can intentionally loop in examples and encourage children to realize that every family looks different.

"The most natural approach is to create an environment that celebrates all differences as a whole," Kurtz says.

2. Add a few characters to dramatic play environments

If your classroom has a play area, a dollhouse or any zone that encourages kids to play act, be sure to include characters and dolls that encourage inclusion.

"Offer persona dolls in the dramatic play areas and have displays around the classroom that include photographs of people from around the world," Kurtz suggests. Maybe this means adding a grandma and grandpa to the dollhouse-or costume clothing choices from around the world. According to Kurtz, a classroom that celebrates differences in all categories will best honor diverse families.

3. Allow kids to notice and talk about differences

This one might seem obvious, but it can be tricky to know what to say when a student blurts out something an adult would never say. But it's very natural for children to make observations and ask questions about race, gender and family structure differences.

"Remember, children are merely making observations of differences-what makes a boy or a girl, differences in skin color-they are not making assumptions that fall into what we, as adults, know as racism or prejudice," Kurtz says. "Every conversation and interaction is a valuable opportunity to begin supporting inclusive ideas and identity development early in life."

4. Be intentional with story time

"Books are an excellent way to start," Myers says, adding that you can find stories that lay out a counter-narrative from the norm as well as stories depicting the many ways to make a family. "These books help validate my children's own lives, they showcase ways that others live and they spark rich conversations."

"There are all types of families, including same-sex parents and multiracial parents, which can be celebrated and embraced through classroom practices," Kurtz says. Representing different kinds of families in picture books is one of the most straightforward ways to showcase diverse families.

5. Invite family members to share in class

Any activity that puts your students' family members in the classroom spotlight can teach more than words ever will. Kurtz suggests inviting family members to visit the classroom and share about their heritage. Even inviting family members to participate in show and tell for a day-or to talk about a meal they love could work.

"All of these actions help normalize the idea that all of our families do not look the same," Kurtz says. Activities like these offer the added bonus of giving you more time with your students' families. Those partnerships are known for supporting student learning.

6. Model curiosity

Curiosity about other people and their families can find roots in an amazing imagination. "When talking to kids about their play, we can help open their worlds," Kurtz says. "They are so creative already-if a baby leopard can run the fastest and fly, then it can easily also have two moms."

This is another way where the creative and imaginative environment of your classroom can have a huge impact. Dream big, imagine things and ask questions. "When talking to kids about their home life, we can be the ones modeling curiosity about others instead of judgment," Kurtz says. "We can ask questions instead of making assumptions."

7. Look into free resources

Trying to add diverse families to your curriculum or classroom environment can feel like a big task, but Myers encourages everyone to take advantage of free resources. "You don't need to reinvent the wheel-people have been working on this for a long time."

For ideas, Myers suggests checking out your state's ECE licensing website. "They may offer financial assistance, calendars of trainings or maybe even book lists or other classroom resources." Expanding your work in this way might not feel easy, "But it will be worth it," Myers says.

8. Emphasize the importance of family

In a sense, honoring diverse families boils down to the idea that every family is valuable and important. Family structures, no matter what they look like, are the foundation your students are standing on. That is always worth encouraging.

"It's important to have a baseline of valuing the families that are in your classroom, even if they all look like the stereotype," Kurtz says. "Making a family book from photos or displaying photos of your children's families around the classroom or school is one way to get that ball rolling."

Making every family important in the classroom space is an excellent way to encourage your students to understand and respect the value of all families and not just the ones that look similar to their own families.

Building on a solid foundation

The best teachers are always going the extra mile for their students. When you see those little eyes light up with understanding, the extra effort you put into your job feels so worth it. In the end, it's about how they develop and approach their own lives.

"As these children grow up, I want them to know that it's wonderful that the people around them are different," Myers says. "I also want them to know that however they make a family later in life is wonderful."

Education is the foundation for a diverse and prosperous future-and while it may seem easy enough to follow the "Golden Rule" of treating others as you'd like to be treated, we all have our blind spots. One way to fix that is to enroll in an ECE program that challenges students to recognize these biases. Learn more in our article, " 5 Ways Rasmussen College ECE Students Are Equipped to Educate in a Diverse World."

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8 Ways to Honor Diverse Family Structures in the ECE Classroom

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Diverse families are represented in every classroom, so how are you incorporating this into your lessons? Get some ideas from early childhood experts on how to honor various family structures in your curriculum.

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Incorporating toys that show people with disabilities is a great way for children to learn about disabilities. They are curious, allow them to ask questions and just be prepared. Toys such as a puppet with crutches or people in wheelchairs.

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Some disabled artists and educators have found that disability-themed puppet shows are an effective way of increasing understanding and improving attitudes about disability among the school-age children who watch them.

The Kids on the Block was one of the first puppet arts program to use puppets to educate children about disability. According to The Arc of Chemung-Schuyler (New York), the child-size puppets "were first developed in 1977 in direct response to US Public Law 94-142, sometimes called the "mainstreaming law."

Since then, Kids on the Block puppet shows have been presented in schools and community venues all over the United States and in 30 countries around the globe. "Each Kids on the Block program is thoroughly researched and field tested before it becomes available to school districts, community service organizations and special interest groups."

The Kids on the Block troupe include puppets with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hearing and visual impairment, autism, ADHD, epilepsy, and learning differences as well as puppets without disabilities.

After each puppet show, young audience members have the opportunity to ask questions about the puppets and their disabilities. "The Kids on the Block program is powerful in helping break down barriers, enabling children to be candid with their questions and concerns. The puppets also help children feel positive about themselves, accept individual differences and learn valuable personal skills," says The Arc.

Though Kids on the Block may be the most well-known puppet troupe to instruct children about disability, they are not the only one. Below are descriptions of other disability-themed puppet programs that teach school-age children about disabilities.

"What Happened to You?"
Puppet artist Nikki Charlesworth's production, "What Happened to You?" is based loosely on her own experiences living with disability. Featuring three puppets with disabilities, the show raises awareness about the challenges people with disabilities face on a daily basis.

"Each puppet's story explores our preconceptions about disability in a playful and humorous way and showcases the endless opportunities out there once barriers of all kinds are removed," Charlesworth explains on her website. "What Happened to You?" is accessible to all audiences because it provides embedded audio description, integrates British Sign Language and is presented in a sensory friendly environment. The show was first performed in the UK and will soon open in Toronto, Canada.

Special Kids, Special Families Koscove Kids
SKSF, a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, also uses puppetry to explore disability themes. Featuring the seven Koscove Kids, multicultural puppets with distinct disabilities, SKSF's puppet shows educate students in area schools and other venues about how disabilities affect their disabled peers and promote respectful and positive attitudes toward individuals with disabilities.

" Addy and Uno"
Touted as the first family musical about disability, New York City-based "Addy and Uno" tells the story of Uno, a math prodigy with autism who qualifies for a math competition but is afraid to compete. His puppet friends, all with different abilities, encourage him to participate.

Pacer's Count Me In
Pacer's Count Me program was established in 1979 and operates mainly in Minneapolis. Schools can request Count Me In programs, or they can purchase their own puppets and present their own onsite shows. Pacer's sells child-size puppets that represent diverse children with a range of disabilities. Schools can choose between several packages that include puppets, a custom-built wheelchair, props, and resource books. They can also arrange trainings for aspiring puppeteers. Pacer's also offers anti-bullying puppet programs that include puppets with and without disabilities.

Joseph Maley Foundation's Disability Awareness, Hope, and As You Are Program
The Maley Foundation offers puppet summer camps where seventh and eighth grade students are trained to facilitate puppet shows and lead post show discussions with their classmates.

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Some disabled artists and educators have found that disability-themed puppet shows are an effective way of increasing understanding and improving attitudes about disability among the school-age children who watch them. The Kids on the Block was one of the first puppet arts program to use puppets to educate children about disability.

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I think that activities that help children learn about each other's families like All About me and my Family, is a great way to teach them about diversity and other cultures. Children enjoy talking about their families, what they eat and holidays that they celebrate.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Prevent and Address Microaggressions with Role-Plays

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

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

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

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

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

4. Explore the Stories of Social Justice Movements

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

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

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

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

5. Provide Children with Opportunities to Speak Up About Bias

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

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

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

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

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

More Anti-Bias Resources for Early Childhood Educators

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Five Anti-Bias Education Strategies for Early Childhood Classrooms

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

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Title- The Same but Different too

Author- Karl Newson

Publisher Candlesick

Date March 19, 2020

This book teaches children about what makes them the same, but that they also have differences and that's what makes them unique.

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Title- Our Skin

Author Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, Isabel Roxas

Publisher Rise X Penguin Workshop

Date March 16, 2021

This book teaches children about different races, different skin tones, what racism and discrimination are. The book also explains some racial labels (age appropriate) that are used on people with different skin tones that hurt other people's feelings.

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Megan Pamela Ruth Madison (she, her) is an early childhood educator, scholar, and activist based in New York City. She began her career working as an assistant in a Waldorf elementary school. After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, Megan then went on to become a teacher in a Head Start preschool classroom. Now, as a doctoral candidate at Brandeis University, she works part-time facilitating workshops for teachers and families on race, gender and sexuality. Megan is currently working on a board book series with co-author Jessica Ralli for Rise x Penguin Workshop on race, gender, consent and body positivity.

Megan recently completed a term on the governing board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (or NAEYC) after several years serving as a co-facilitator of the association's Diversity & Equity Interest Forum. In that role, she worked to organize early childhood professionals around the country who are passionate about social justice. She is proud to hold a master's degree in early childhood education from Dominican University.

Megan lives in Harlem (unceded land of the Lenape people*), where she loves reading, eating ice cream, and building community with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (or JFREJ).

*to learn more, visit mannahattafund.org

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Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race (First Conversations)

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Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race (First Conversations) [Madison, Megan, Ralli, Jessica, Roxas, Isabel] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race (First Conversations)

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Title- The Proudest Blue

Author- Ibtihaj Muhammed

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young readers

Date: 9/10/19

The proudest blue teaches children about self esteem and how to feel confident and respected. It also teaches children to be independent and how to always be positive.