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ERP_ Immigration Resources for Teachers, Children  and Families

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Family Letter about Teddy Bears English& Spanish (adapted from Castle Bridge)

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Understanding Behavior at the End of the Year

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Understanding Behavior at the End of the Year

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ERP Understanding and Responding to Behavior at the End of the School Year

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ERP Developmental chart with definitions 0-3 yr old

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ERP Developmental chart with definitions 0-3 yr old

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Teddy Bears in the Classroom updated.docx.pdf

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Trauma Comes to School-What you See.docx

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As practitioners and teachers of Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP) at Bank Street College, we have the privilege and adventure of stepping into a wide range of settings in which grownups work with groups of children. We travel from daycare centers to independent schools, from charter schools to NYC public schools, seeing classroom practice with children ranging in ages from infants to 13 years old. Classroom management and having children learn to take responsibility for their own behavior are common challenges. In this article, we highlight what we see as negative and harmful trends in behavior management and introduce some core concepts and language of Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street , an approach to working with children developed based on deep knowledge of child development and a respect for children's life experience (Koplow, 2002, 2007, 2009). These anecdotes contextualize our discussion.
Stories from the Field: Part I An ERP consultant sits with a first grade teacher in an "academically-focused" charter school, who tells the consultant of a child who is constantly "flipping out" in the classroom and whose tantrums often escalate so fast and intensely that he must leave the classroom several times a day. When the consultant says, "describe to me what happens when he flips out," the teacher replies that one thing that always triggers him is when his clothespin is moved downwards on the behavior management chart, where different-colored cards indicate to children where their behavior falls in the realm of acceptability (see figure 1). When the consultant suggests that the behavior chart may not be the best way to deal with this child's behavior, the teacher quickly replies that it wouldn't be fair to the other children if this child didn't use the same behavior chart. A three year old boy is crying miserably upon waking up from his nap. His caregivers are busy helping other children with their blankets and cots as he sits on his cot unattended. "What's happening?" asks the consultant in the room, pointing to the crying child. " Oh. He does that every day when he wakes up," says the teacher. She addresses the child. "Daniel, I told you before that big boys don't cry. If you want to ride the big boy bicycle when we go to the yard, you'd better stop that crying!" At this, Daniel throws his shoe, unintentionally hitting another child passing by. The other child stands still in shock for a moment and then bursts into tears. The teacher shakes her head. "I told them to keep him with the two year olds, but they gave him to me anyway!" she tells the consultant in a loud voice, exasperated. Then, turning to Daniel, she says, " There'll be no bike riding for you today! You can sit and watch while the other children ride." As 8th grade students file into their classroom, their teacher instructs them to remove their outerwear and prepare for learning. One child tightens the strings of his hooded sweatshirt, hiding his face, and slumps down in his seat. When the teacher challenges him, he stands up, indignant, insisting that he will keep the sweatshirt on. The interaction ends with the frustrated teacher telling the student to leave the classroom and go see the dean. The dean writes up a report, adding to a growing file of this student's negative behavior. The Risks of Behavior Modification Systems: Shame and Punishment
Educational programs for children often face the dilemma of how to manage challenging behaviors in increasingly stressed school environments. In most settings, due to external pressures, there is less and less time for authentic connection-making or creative or self-directed work, and more and more pressure on teachers and students to "perform" academically. More and more often, we see schools relying on implementing behavioral management programs to manage and shift children's behavior. The basic premise of these programs is to reinforce positive behavior with a rewards system. In one of the examples above, we see the use of a behavioral modification chart. Typically, charts have levels or ranks, and the teacher moves each child's name or number to a particular level based on the child's most recent behavior.The highest card indicates that a child is meeting or exceeding the behavioral expectations in the classroom. The lowest card usually indicates that the teacher will call home, something that we frequently witness causing an undue amount of anxiety for children of all ages. In many classrooms that we visit, it seems to be the case that these behavior management systems are relied upon to encourage and demand compliance from children. It is not unusual for the children who struggle the most to adapt to classroom norms to also be the children most easily triggered by the downward movement of their clothespins or cards, which publicly demonstrates their negative value in the classroom.

Often schools carry this theory even further by applying consequences (read "punishment") for low-ranking behavior, such as loss of recess or other special experiences, or a call home. Not surprisingly, the results of implementing these behavioral programs sharply highlight and replicate a macro-system based on shame instead of support, control instead of empowerment, punishment instead of healing: a system that invalidates young children's deeply-felt experience of their own lives. It has been our observation over years of consulting that behavioral modification systems are implemented more often in schools in poor communities and communities of color and that, in racially diverse classrooms, they are used more regularly with children of color.

Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot writes: "In our efforts to control and measure, in fact, we often confuse difference with deviance, illness with identity; we pathologize, exclude, and then label those children who do not fit the norm-who trouble the waters, who misbehave-and we reward the teachers who contain and squelch the troublemakers" (in Shalaby, 2017, p.xi). Indeed, we see behavior modification systems as an effort on teachers' parts to contain children while ignoring the emotions that underlie their behaviors. Carla Shalaby writes: "Teachers in training learn to punish transgressions because it is not controversial to be castigated if you misbehave. It is your choice and your fault. This logic is deeply embedded in the American psyche-the nation with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world-and it justifies our decision to throw away young lives by making young people think the fault for that exclusion is entirely their own" (Shalaby, 2017, p.xxii). It is easy to make the connection between punitive systems in school and the school-to-prison pipeline that has been widely and clearly documented in recent decades.

Let us return to Stories From the Field: Part 1. Our experience is that the vast majority of teachers and administrators want to support children, and that behavior modification systems such as the behavior chart are often introduced with the positively-framed goals of helping children to acquire self-management skills and creating a positive learning space. Unfortunately, these systems are far more likely to induce a feeling of shame in children who cannot meet the criteria on a given day, or every day. Brene Brown (2012, p.69) defines shame as, "the intensely painful feeling of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging." When we see children vehemently deny that they did anything wrong, we understand that they would rather feel any other feeling than shame. While teachers often express frustration that children do not want to take responsibility for their actions, we prefer to interpret those children's denial of wrongdoing as a natural, human reaction of avoiding shame, and ensuring self-protection. The rare children whom we have observed who are able to acknowledge that they hurt others and sincerely apologize are those who have been most well-supported emotionally in and out of school. We propose that teachers shift the lens through which they view the moment in which the child "refuses to take responsibility for his actions" to a lens of compassion, using their knowledge of development and respect for children's life experiences. Utilizing a pathway through relationship and emotional literacy, teachers can empower students to accept responsibility without feeling shamed in the process. The following anecdotes exemplify what such a shift in teacher practice toward a lens of compassion might look like.
Stories from the Field: Part 2 A class of four-year-olds has recently started using individual feelings charts in the classroom. One child is especially drawn to using his, and teachers have noticed that since he has had the ability to show his feelings on his own personal feelings chart, his outbursts have diminished. One day there is an unexpected fire drill, something that has caused him great agitation in the past. On this day, he runs to his feelings chart, moves the clothespin to "scared," quickly finds a teacher's hand to hold, and participates calmly in the fire drill. His teacher is able to talk to him later about how scary fire drills can be, and how glad she is that he could tell her his feelings using the chart. An exhausted third grader puts his head down on the desk, having crumpled up his math assignment and thrown it on the floor. His teacher quietly acknowledges his fatigue and frustration, and invites him to rest in the cozy corner for a while. While he lies on the soft beanbag, in this small space, he holds his classroom teddy bear for comfort. Eventually, he reaches for his journal where he can write or draw something about what is making him feel so tired and frustrated. His teacher will read it if he wants her to. In a similar anecdote to the 8th grade scenario above, instead of publicly challenging the student, the teacher approaches him quietly when all begin writing. He observes that when asked to remove outerwear, this student kept his on; he says, "It looks like you really don't want to take your sweatshirt off today." The student confides that the sweatshirt was a gift from his late grandfather and is helping him feel connected to his memory. With this knowledge, the teacher allows the student to keep the sweatshirt on for today, and makes a mental note to find time to further connect with the student and to let the guidance counselor know he may need some space to process. The teacher also makes a mental note to reconsider his own policy regarding outerwear, realizing that the clothing may provide a feeling of security and retreat for these older students who still experience strong emotions. Emotional Literacy: Healing and Validating
In Stories From the Field: Part 2, teachers have internalized ERP concepts of "inviting and containing" and "relationship-based teaching." Instead of behavior charts, they have created "feelings charts." Instead of removing the children from their community, they have provided quiet areas for children to retreat from group life when their feelings become overwhelming. Feelings Charts, cozy corners, and other types of emotionally responsive invitations are alternatives to behavioral management programs. Feelings charts give children the opportunity to think about how they feel, and to communicate those feelings to the adults in the classroom. Many children struggle to make sense of their internal states, and feelings charts help children to develop emotional literacy.

Adults can help children use the charts to think about cause and effect. For example, "You came in this morning and you were feeling angry, and now you knocked down his block building. I wonder if you did that because you were feeling angry?" When children are able to identify feelings, they are more likely to develop self-regulation and to find more constructive ways to express them.
Using Feelings Charts: Introducing Emotional Literacy
In the current political era, the importance of the social emotional learning (SEL) that happens in school settings has begun to be more widely recognized. "Trauma-informed practice" has become a buzz-phrase, and more funds are being allocated to SEL. We recommend teaching emotional literacy through feelings charts. A feelings curriculum is one of the basic recommendations we make at all grade levels. We have come to view reflecting children's experiences and supplying language to express their feelings as acts of radical love. Naming a child's feelings humanizes the child for the teacher who is struggling to support that child. The behavior becomes secondary to the human value of the child experiencing the feelings at the root of the behavior.

We suggest teachers incorporate feelings charts in stages, first introducing them and making them part of their classes' daily routines, soliciting children's ideas and observations. After a while, children should be invited to use the charts independently. Children should be able to move their names (or popsicle sticks, or pictures, or magnets) on their own. This can happen as they come into the classroom in the morning. It should be stress-free. Teachers should invite children to move their indicators throughout the day as necessary. This helps teachers to track how children are feeling at school, and helps both children who struggle with articulating their feelings and children who act out their feelings to express them in a productive way. Some children may use the chart frequently at first and less so over time while others may continue to use it throughout the school year and some may need their teachers' help to use it at all. As well, teachers can always draw the class's attention back to the chart when they observe that the theme of feelings is relevant.

A teacher who recently implemented a feelings chart in his K-1 classroom comments, "The process of creating the feelings chart brought kids into touch with a greater range of feelings and helped expand their feelings vocabulary. We looked at characters in literature and named and identified with their feelings. Children illustrated the feelings, and used those illustrations as part of the feelings chart. This process, along with the introduction of our "peace nook," has allowed the children fuller recognition of a variety of feelings, especially strong feelings, in themselves and in others."

Little by little, as teachers realize the benefits of their initial efforts to incorporate more emotionally responsive approaches, we see them first shift their thinking, and then shift their practices further. By inviting children to share the authentic stories of their lives and naming and reflecting the feelings surrounding those stories, teachers and schools come to know children in deep and meaningful ways. The children in turn feel understood, valued, and safe. Instead of focusing on stopping behaviors, we encourage educators to invite schools to understand more about the complex web of reasons that children act out at school, and how to listen deeply to what they are communicating through their behavior. Research shows us the power of relationship and community in regulating toxic stress in the bodies of children and adults alike. ( https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/wp1/) ( developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/toxic-stress/tackling-toxic-stress/pushing-toward-breakthroughs-using-innovative-practice-to-address-toxic-stress/) Classrooms and schools must become communities that courageously invite and hold the real struggles, successes and experiences of all children, so that these spaces can become grounds for healing and growth, not shame and punishment.

Figure 1: Examples of classic Behavior Modification Systems

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Feelings Charts Instead of Behavior Charts: Radical Love Instead of Shame - Ethical Schools

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As practitioners and teachers of Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP) at Bank Street College, we have the privilege and adventure of stepping into a wide range of settings in which grownups work with groups of children. We travel from daycare centers to independent schools, from charter schools to NYC public schools, seeing classroom practice with children...

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The devastating, underdiagnosed toll of toxic stress on children

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Using Books About Immigration in the Classroom

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Books can be a powerful doorway into a topic that is complex and highly personal, such as immigration. They can serve as mirrors for students who see their experiences reflected and validated; they can also serve as windows for other students (and adults) who gain a new perspective, some background knowledge, and perhaps a new level of empathy as well.As Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, who created the “windows and mirrors” metaphor, says, “When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.”Here are some ideas for using books related to immigration in the classroom, as well as recommended booklists for children’s and young adults.Note: Educators and school staff should never ask students about their immigration status. All students have a right to a K-12 public education regardless of immigration status.Choosing BooksThe following tips can help guide your selection of books related to immigration:As you get to know your students, look for books related to your students’ experiences and cultures (without asking your students direct questions about their immigration experiences).Ask colleagues for their input on cultural authenticity.Include the books you find in classroom libraries, school libraries, reading rooms, parent resource rooms, or other places where families will be able to share them.Look for ways to include these books as a part of a class unit or classroom read-aloud.Keep in mind that picture books can be great resources for older students and adults as well.See related ideas in the following article:Building Bridges Through Storytelling: What Are Your Students’ Stories? (Colorín Colorado)Note: Many immigrant and refugees have experienced trauma. Educators are encouraged to seek guidance in trauma-informed practices and should use care and sensitivity in discussing topics that may be traumatic. Learn more from the Dearborn video below as well as the from the following articles:Using a Strengths-Based Approach with ELs: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic StressAddressing Student Trauma, Anxiety, and DepressionTalking about Big TopicsWhen talking about a big topic like immigration, it’s helpful to know some strategies for navigating those classroom discussions. Use care with challenging topicsThese topics can be difficult to navigate, particularly if they impact members of the class personally.Do careful research and look for materials from well-established, trustworthy sources.Think about your own point of view and possible biases.Be well-prepared and anticipate the need to manage discussions on controversial topics.Consider the best way to approach the topic so as not to put students on the spot.Assure students that you will respect their privacy when introducing a topic like immigration, and that they do not have to share any personal information to participate. (See more on this topic in our section on immigrant students’ silence.)Create a list of guidelines for respectful classroom discussion with the class.Reiterate that disrespectful speech/behavior and bullying will not be tolerated.Look for strategies designed to increase student understanding and dialogue, such as dialogue circles and the activities compiled by from Facing History and Ourselves.Look for ways to foster students’ empathy. (See ideas under the section on “Teaching empathy.”)Here are some additional resources to support that work:Navigating Tough Topics in the Classroom: Tips for ELL Educators (Colorín Colorado)Building Community with Student-Driven Discussions (Edutopia)Creating a Safe Space for Students to Discuss Current Events (Edutopia)Making Space: Teaching After Trauma (Edutopia)Building Perspective Through Meaningful Discussion (Edutopia)Current Events in Your Classroom: Ideas for Middle and High School (Facing History)The best way to teach current events? Let students lead (KQED)What are good strategies teachers can use to explore “controversial” topics? (Ed Week)Fostering Civil Discourse: How do we talk about topics that matter? (Facing History)Immigration book packsRachel Lerner, a social worker in Massachusetts, started putting together immigration book packs and donating them to libraries and other neighborhood locations as a way to give all families an entry into conversations about immigration. Her titles included:Lost and Found Cat by Doug Kuntz and Amy ShrodesStepping Stones by Magriet RuursMama’s Nightingale by Edwidge DanticatThe Journey by Francesca SannaI’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’BrienWe Came to America by Faith Ringgold.Recommended video This video from The Guardian tells the incredible story of Kunkush, the cat featured in Lost and Found Cat.BooklistsELL, Immigrant, and Refugee Stories: Books for Children and TeensBooks for young childrenImmigration Stories: Books for Young ChildrenBooks for older childrenAfghan Voices: Books for Children and Young AdultsBack-to-School StoriesELL StoriesFamily Separation: Stories and MoreImmigrant Stories: Angel IslandImmigrant Stories: Ellis IslandImmigrant Stories: Family KeepsakesImmigrant Stories: Home at LastImmigrant Stories: Life Along the BorderImmigration Stories: Hispanic HeritageIrish Stories: Immigration and MoreMigrant Farmworker Families: Books for KidsSyrian Stories: Books for ChildrenThe Refugee Experience: Books for ChildrenBooks for young adultsImmigration Stories: A New LifeImmigration Stories: Crossing the BorderMigrant Stories for Young AdultsRefugee Stories from AfricaRefugee Stories from AsiaRefugee Stories from EuropeRefugee Stories from Iraq and AfghanistanRefugees: Books for Middle GradesUndocumented: Stories of Young ImmigrantsImmigration and Refugees (AdLit.org)Related ResourcesClassroom Resources: Talking About ImmigrationSocial Justice Teaching for Change: Booklists for Kids, Teens, and AdultsI’m Your Neighbor: Children’s Books and Reading Projects Building Bridges Between “New Arrivals” and “Long-Term Communities”Related VideosTracey Baptiste: Finding my immigration story in a bookTracey Baptiste describes the powerful experience of seeing her own immigration story in the book The Friends by Rosa Guy. You Are Welcome Here: Supporting the Social and Emotional Health of Newcomer Immigrant StudentsIn this excerpt from Colorín Colorado’s award-winning film You Are Welcome Here, middle school teacher Anna Centi in Dearborn, MI talks about connections her refugee students from Yemen made to Linda Sue Park’s book A Long Walk to Water, observing that she has been able to push her students with more rigorous text when they make those kinds of connections.

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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How Racism Can Affect Child Development - Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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What could our society look like if racial disparities in health and learning outcomes didn’t exist? According to extensive studies, the U.S. would save billions in health care costs alone. The value of realizing the potential contributions of so many people around the world who are impaired by—or die from—preventable chronic illnesses is enormous, and…

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Psychologists are studying the processes by which young children learn about race-and how to prevent prejudice from taking root

Cite this

Weir, K. (2023, May 18). Raising anti-racist children. Monitor on Psychology, 52(4). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/06/anti-racist-children

Racism occurs across a spectrum. It lives within individuals and between them, within institutions and across society. And at every level, children are affected by discriminatory beliefs and practices, said Farzana Saleem, PhD, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. "Racism is learned early on in development, and children receive many messages about race and racism from a young age."

Kids pick up on what their parents and teachers say (and don't say), who and what they see on TV, what their dolls look like, and how other people are treated in their schools and neighborhoods. "Humans are sponges for their social environment," said Evan Apfelbaum, PhD, an associate professor of management and organizations at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. Over decades, research has explored how children come to understand race-and how they learn racism. Yet the science is a long way from prescribing a formula for anti-racism. "There's a whole host of factors that can affect kids' holistic understanding of race-and so much research that needs to be done," he said.

Psychologists are among those working to fill the knowledge gap, studying the processes and influences that lead children to develop ideas about race-and how to fight back against the biased messaging they might learn so early. Dismantling White supremacy and other forms of racism won't be easy. But children can be taught to do better than their parents' generations did. "We learn racism very easily through our society," said Sarah Gaither, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. "But we are malleable. No one is born racist."

Race in early childhood

When do children understand race? It's not an easy question, in part because "race" isn't the rigid construct it's often made out to be. "It's well established that there's no biological basis for race," said Diane Hughes, PhD, a professor of applied psychology at New York University. "Race has meaning because we give it meaning-especially in the U.S., where our history is largely structured to uphold these 'racial differences,'" she said. "We assume that there are unobservable underlying personality traits that correlate to certain physical characteristics."

Even infants have the perceptual abilities to see those physical differences and to start responding to them. International research led by psychologists at the University of Toronto showed that between 6 and 12 months of age, babies begin to show a preference for members of their own racial groups. At 7 months, babies in uncertain situations are more likely to follow the gaze of a member of their own race (Xiao, N. G., et al., Child Development, Vol. 89, No. 3, 2018). And by 9 months, they associate faces from their own race with happy music and those from other racial groups with sad music (Xiao, N. G., et al., Developmental Science, Vol. 21, No. 2, 2018). The researchers suggest these patterns may develop as a result of lack of exposure to other-race individuals during infancy-and that such implicit associations could pave the way to the development of other racial biases in early childhood and beyond.

Within the first years of life, children are bombarded with messages from their environment that shape their beliefs and judgments about other people. It doesn't take long for such messages to stick. By preschool, children begin showing both implicit and explicit bias toward members of other races. Kristin Shutts, PhD, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that at age 3, White children are equally likely to befriend Black or White children. But by age 4 or 5, White children are more likely to choose other White kids as friends (Child Development Perspectives, Vol. 9, No. 4, 2015).

Some evidence suggests that bias might be related to the information young children have already gleaned about social status. In a series of studies, Yarrow Dunham, EdD, at Yale University, and colleagues found that by age 3 or 4, White American children were more likely to associate both Black and Asian faces with anger, while rating White faces as having more positive emotions. Black American children did not show this same ingroup preference. This suggests that ingroup bias isn't implicit. Rather, from a very young age, children are picking up on the status hierarchy of the culture around them (Psychological Science, Vol. 24, No. 6, 2013).

By age 5 or 6, an ingroup preference-and outgroup bias-is well established, Hughes said. And those early beliefs are reinforced by what children see around them. "When they see that Black boys are the ones who get sent to the principal's office or that Black children tend to struggle more when reading aloud, they may attribute certain meanings to different racial groups," Hughes said. "Kids are operating in this universe where they're drawing a lot of conclusions about what they see."

By middle childhood, children have a more sophisticated understanding not only of race but also of racism. Though the biases they learned in early childhood are still present, older kids begin to understand that race may be a taboo topic. "It's around ages 9 to 11 when kids seem to really start understanding the social guidelines about what is and isn't considered culturally sensitive and what constitutes discrimination," said Apfelbaum. He, Kristin Pauker, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Hawai'i Mānoa, and colleagues showed this with an experiment modeled on the game Guess Who?, where kids ask yes or no questions to guess the person in an array of faces that their opponent has picked. In this version, about half of the faces were Black and half were White, so asking about race early on was an effective strategy to narrow down the field. But the researchers found that while 8- and 9-year-olds asked frequently about race, a majority of 10- and 11-year-olds avoided the question (Developmental Psychology, Vol. 44, No. 5, 2008).

"Older kids begin to understand the race question as something more than just a way to win the game. They're more concerned with how they're viewed with respect to social conventions and cultural sensitivity," Apfelbaum said. "It shows the age at which behavior starts to shift. And that suggests it's one important time to think about interventions by educators and parents."

Racial-ethnic socialization

As children grow and learn, messages about race come from all corners: news media and entertainment, teachers and peers, community interactions, and, of course, families. All children, including White children, learn about race through a process known as racial-ethnic socialization, and scholars say that addressing socialization more purposefully will be necessary for dismantling racism.

But for families of color, racial-ethnic socialization also serves the critical purpose of preparing children for the racism and discrimination they may encounter. "Racial socialization in non-White families occurs in the context of structural inequality and oppression. It's proactive, but it also has protective goals," Hughes said.

Researchers have most commonly studied four aspects of racial-ethnic socialization, based on a framework developed by Hughes and colleagues: 1) cultural socialization (messages about racial pride and heritage); 2) preparation for bias (discussions of discrimination and how to cope); 3) promotion of mistrust (teaching children to be wary of other racial groups or environments); and 4) egalitarianism (avoiding discussions of race and valuing individual qualities over racial group membership) (Developmental Psychology, Vol. 42, No. 5, 2006). "Based on interviews and surveys with hundreds of parents over the course of more than 25 years, we find much of what parents and adolescents discuss in family conversations about race involve these four aspects," Hughes said.

Of those four categories, cultural socialization has been shown to be most consistently associated with positive outcomes, according to a review of 259 studies by Adriana Umaña‐Taylor, PhD, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 82, No. 1, 2020). Research has shown cultural socialization linked to positive outcomes in children from a variety of backgrounds, including Black, Asian American, and Latinx, Umaña‐Taylor said. "There's considerable evidence that cultural socialization is linked positively with mental health and academic outcomes."

Preparation for bias can also be helpful, Umaña‐Taylor said, "likely because it prepares kids with coping strategies for the experiences of marginalization they might encounter." But promotion of mistrust, while similar, is sometimes linked with youth maladjustment, she said. "That may be because while both approaches recognize the societal structures of racism and discrimination, promotion of mistrust isn't accompanied by coping strategies."

Families of all racial and ethnic backgrounds draw on these strategies when talking about race with their children, but some groups are more likely to choose one approach over another. "The racial-ethnic socialization strategy of egalitarianism-the idea that we're all one big happy human race-is used most often by White families," said Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD, an assistant professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan. Black families, on the other hand, are more likely to blend messages of racial heritage and pride with preparation for bias, she added. And those messages can balance each other out in helpful ways. "By and large, if you combine pride messaging and preparation for bias, you see better psychological and academic outcomes in children," she said. "Teaching pride without warning can cause children to run into challenges they're unprepared for. But focusing only on bias and discrimination can drive anxiety or depression."

Families of color are often well versed in having explicit conversations about race, Anderson said. Still, research points toward ways to make the discussion more productive. In a paper still in press, Anderson found that greater racial-ethnic socialization competency among Black parents was associated with better psychosocial outcomes in their adolescents. To improve competency, she and psychologist Howard C. Stevenson, PhD, an expert on racial stress and trauma at the University of Pennsylvania, developed the Engaging, Managing, and Bonding through Race (EMBRace) intervention. The five-session intervention blends trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with racial socialization messages to help parents address their racial stress and trauma so they can better approach racial socialization with their children (Family Process, Vol. 58, No. 1, 2019). "We want to address parents first, helping them unpack some of this before we help them think about what they might say or do differently as a parent," Anderson said.

The problem with color blindness

White families, meanwhile, have the luxury of approaching discussions of race from their privileged position in U.S. society. "On average, White parents avoid talking about race with their kids at all," Hughes said. "They don't have to protect their children from oppression and racism."

If they do bring up race, they often put off the conversation until kids are older. With Skidmore College psychologists Jessica Sullivan, PhD, and Leigh Wilton, PhD, Apfelbaum uncovered one reason why: Parents mistakenly don't think their kids are ready. The researchers surveyed U.S. adults and found participants estimated that children develop the capacity to process and understand race at around age 5, though research suggests they're capable of understanding the concept as toddlers. The belief that children weren't developmentally ready was the strongest predictor of delaying discussions of race, the researchers found (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Vol. 150, No. 2, 2021). "There are potentially years during which kids are starting to think about race and coming to their own impressions of what it means before parents broach the topic," Apfelbaum said. "It's a missed opportunity for parents to help frame that discussion in constructive ways."

Children are exposed to race and systemic racism from an early age, Hughes said, and avoiding or delaying the conversation leaves kids to fill in the blanks on their own. "Kids see structural inequality all around them-in the media, in their neighborhoods, in school," she said. Even when schools are integrated, kids see de facto segregation. They see kids of the same race sitting together at lunch or joining the same clubs and activities. "There are all of these things causing kids to attach meaning to race, and nobody is correcting their inferences," Hughes said. "If they're told everyone has equal opportunities but see these differences, they draw their own conclusions and attach deeper meaning to external appearance."

Promoting a more egalitarian or "color-blind" view can have negative consequences for interracial interactions. Hughes has found that when parents teach color-blind attitudes, their children are less likely to report friendships with children of other races. "My guess is that teaching egalitarianism allows kids to maintain a sense of privilege. Kids might think if race doesn't matter, they'd rather be with the group that has better outcomes," she said.

Color blindness can also make people less sensitive to recognizing discrimination. Apfelbaum, Pauker, and colleagues introduced elementary school children to stories that taught either a color-blind mindset or a mindset that emphasized valuing diversity (Psychological Science, Vol. 21, No. 11, 2010). "Children exposed to the value-diversity message were more likely to recognize discrimination when it occurred," Pauker said. "And they were more likely to describe what they saw in a way that made teachers more likely to intervene."

Although children begin learning about race from very young ages at home, schools are critical settings for teaching about race and discrimination. "It is clear that schools, like families, convey messages across multiple methods of expression. Images displayed in the classroom, curriculum choices, policies, and practices are just a few examples of how racial-ethnic socialization is transmitted within the school context," said Saleem.

"Kids look to teachers to understand how to navigate racial norms and what's appropriate to say and do," Apfelbaum added. And what teachers don't say is often as important as what they do say. Pauker and Elizabeth Brey, PhD, of the University of Hawai'i Mānoa, explored the role of teachers' nonverbal behavior in a study in which they assigned children ages 5 to 8 to either orange or green groups. (Because students already have preconceived ideas about race, the researchers invented these groups as a proxy for social categories.) After observing how other kids from each group were treated by teachers, children answered questions about new students from each group. When asked who was smarter, they picked students who had been in the group that received positive nonverbal feedback from teachers, such as smiles and nods (Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Vol. 188, 2019). "When children have conflicting sources of information, they often rely on nonverbal behavior to provide them with information," Pauker said. "They form stereotypes based on how the teacher is interacting with other students."

Yet educators can certainly have positive impacts as well. "When the school climate is one where different cultures and backgrounds are celebrated and valued, students are better adjusted," said Umaña‐Taylor. She developed an eight-session, teacher-led intervention called the Identity Project that provides adolescents with tools and strategies with which to consider their racial and ethnic backgrounds as they explore concepts of their own identity. The intervention was linked to improved psychosocial functioning one year later (Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 47, 2018). "The intervention promotes positive identity development for all students, including White students and students of color," she said. "That has significant implications for their own adjustment, and for society as a whole, since people who have a clearer sense of themselves are more willing to engage with those who are different from them."

Teaching the value of diversity

For parents, teachers, and other adults who want to help children understand race and racism, awareness is a good start. White parents who are more aware of racial bias are more likely to discuss race with their children (Perry, S. P., et al., Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 75, No. 4, 2019). But awareness is a first small step on a long journey.

Hughes runs community workshops to help parents learn to talk about race with their children, and she said that while most attendees are well intentioned, they're often anxious about how and when to start the conversation. Her advice: Just start. "The fear of talking about race makes parents avoid talking about it at all. But you can't just react to situations as they arise or wait for your kids to ask questions. You need to be intentional about what you want your kids to know about race," she said. "If you can't find exactly the right words, don't worry. Childhood happens over a long period, and you get to keep practicing this conversation."

Meaningful intergroup contact is also important for teaching acceptance, Gaither said. Yet it's not enough to simply sit next to a Black man on a bus or chat with a Latinx grocery clerk. "It has to be meaningful, long-term contact. Being exposed to adults and kids from different backgrounds is one of the best tools psychology has to offer for developing positive attitudes about other groups," she said.

In many communities, that's challenging. "It can be effortful for parents to find opportunities for kids to see people who look different than they do," Gaither said. Choosing diverse communities and schools, interacting with babysitters or teachers from other groups, even pen pal programs that connect children from different backgrounds can all be ways to start breaking down barriers, she added. Parents would also do well to look critically at their own interactions. "If you're telling children you value diversity but you have no diversity in your friendships, kids pick up on that conflicting information," Pauker said.

Teachers, too, should be having conversations about race with even very young students, Hughes said. But most teachers are White, and there's a need for more tools to help them include race and diversity in their curricula. "Teachers need practice, and they need training on talking about racial issues in their classrooms," she said.

Efforts are being made to meet that need. The Southern Poverty Law Center's Learning for Justice project (formerly Teaching Tolerance) is in its 30th year working to eradicate hate by fighting intolerance in schools. The project, which provides free resources and guidance to help educators work against racial injustice and encourage student and community action, has plans to expand its reach to caregivers and other communities in 2021. Many other researchers are also tackling the problem. Among them is Umaña‐Taylor, whose team developed a teacher professional development program, Equipping Educators for Equity Through Ethnic-Racial Identity, that prepares educators to have discussions about race, ethnicity, and identity with their students.

"Professional development programs such as these will be essential to create equitable and just schools where all student can thrive," she said.

Prejudice is malleable

Although it's important to start teaching anti-bias messages as early as possible, it's also valuable for children to understand that racist beliefs don't have to be permanent. In a not-yet-published study, Pauker, Apfelbaum, and colleagues applied a growth mindset approach to the way children think about prejudice. "Just because you or someone you know said something prejudiced doesn't mean you'll be that way forever," Apfelbaum said. "Our preliminary research suggests that seeing prejudice as something that can change gets kids to stay interested in interacting across racial lines because it lowers the stakes that any mistakes they make will be a blemish that stays there forever."

While there's been a recent uptick in parents and educators wanting to address racism, it's unlikely there will ever be a universal curriculum for teaching children about race, Gaither said. "There's no one-size-fits-all model. A lot of people want to create change, but we need data about what changes will work for a particular group or school." Rushing to make changes that aren't yet proven could end up doing more harm than good, which is why psychological research is so critical, she added.

Among the many outstanding questions is how best to help multiracial children process their beliefs and experiences with race and identity. A review of the literature on racial-ethnic socialization in multiracial families found most parents do not discuss multiracial identity with their children (Atkin, A. L., & Yoo, H. C., Developmental Review, Vol. 53, 2019). Those conversations probably aren't being addressed sufficiently at school, either. "They are the fastest-growing youth population in the U.S., yet we don't exactly know how they fit into these curricula and interventions," Gaither said.

Even as the research continues, adults must keep up the hard work of confronting their own biases and teaching their children to do the same, Anderson said. "People often have the intent, but they don't sustain it. The books everyone purchased last summer [after George Floyd's murder] are now dusty," she said. To raise anti-racist children, parents, caregivers, teachers-and psychologists-have to work to keep the effort top of mind. "It starts with us as adults," Anderson said. "As professional psychologists, we need to be consistently interrogating ourselves and those around us. There's no way we'll be competent providers if we haven't first talked with ourselves."

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Further reading

RECASTing racial stress and trauma: Theorizing the healing potential of racial socialization in families
Anderson, R. E., & Stevenson, H. C., American Psychologist, 2019

RESilience Initiative
APA, 2018

Resilience in African American children and adolescents: A vision for optimal development
APA, 2008

Something happened in our town: A child's story about racial injustice
Celano, M., et al. Magination Press, 2018

Talking to children about racism: Breaking the cycle of bias and violence starts at home
Hughes, D. L., et al., Child & Family Blog, 2020

Recommended Reading

Contact APA

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Psychologists are studying the processes by which young children learn about race. Dismantling White supremacy and other forms of racism won't be easy, but children can be taught to do better than their parents' generations did.

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Talking to Young Children About Race and Racism

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Here are tips, books, and resources to help you have meaningful conversations with young children about race, racism, and anti-racist behavior.

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Racism has once again gained national attention. Following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, people around the world are taking a stand against race-based inequality and violence. But even after it fades from the news cycle, racism will remain present in the lives of children.

How children experience racism

Racism can feel deeply personal for a child. Children may experience it in the form of racial slurs. They may encounter adults who treat them as racial stereotypes, not as individuals. They may see their parents slighted or treated with disrespect. "Children can internalize harmful stereotypes," says Erica Lee, attending psychologist at Boston Children's Hospital. "Over time experiencing or witnessing discrimination can negatively impact a child's identity and self-esteem."

But racism is also a pervasive social issue that plays a large role in the environment a child grows up in, the quality of their schools, the air they breathe, the water they drink. In a 2019 report, the American Academy of Pediatrics describes racism as "a socially transmitted disease passed down through generations." Directly and indirectly, racist systems and policies contribute to health conditions that can impact a child for life.

How racism affects children's health

Racism affects children's health in numerous and complicated ways. Children who grow up in underserved neighborhoods are more likely to be exposed to air particles that increase their risk of asthma. They are at greater risk of brain and nerve damage from exposure to lead in their homes. Limited food choices and diets of highly processed foods increase a child's risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Lack of access to health care has been cited as one of the reasons children of color are less likely to survive childhood cancer.

"Racism is a socially transmitted disease passed down through generations."
- American Academy of Pediatrics

That's on the physical side - racism also affects children's mental health. Children targeted by racism have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and behavior problems. "Experiences of racial discrimination can make children feel less connected and less worthwhile," explains Lee. "A child may react by withdrawing from activities they like or speaking up less in class." Over time, learning suffers, and often, future opportunities as well.

And racism is stressful - for children targeted by racist acts as well as those who observe them. When asked to recall a racist event they'd witnessed as a child, young adults had stress responses comparable to first responders after major disasters. Over time, the hormones the body releases under stress can damage a child's physical and emotional health.

What parents can do

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by an issue like racism. But parents can protect their children from the negative health effects in a number of ways.

Acknowledge race

"Children see difference and inequality in the world around them," says Lee. In an attempt to support ideals of equality and justice, some parents prefer to overlook racial difference. "Though it may be well-intended, avoiding the topic of race can give children the message that difference is bad and they shouldn't talk about their experiences."

She recommends that parents talk openly about race and inequality with their children and expose them to role models from a variety of backgrounds. You may socialize with diverse communities or bring your child to interracial events. You may read books, buy toys, or watch movies with characters from a variety of cultural groups. "Children need language to talk about these issues and space to process their reactions with caring adults," says Lee.

Help your child build a strong cultural identity

"For children of color, hearing positive messages about their cultural history and values can provide a powerful buffer against experiences of racism," says Lee. Kids who feel proud of their racial or ethnic identity are more likely to recognize bias for what it is, and less likely to believe that they deserve to be discriminated against.

Lee stresses the importance of instilling a sense of racial and cultural identity early. "When children reach adolescence, they are more susceptible to peer influence. It's important that they have a strong sense of self and pride in who they are before they crave peer acceptance."

"Having conversations and correcting misperceptions are not only important in parent-child relationships, they apply to provider-patient relationships as well."
- Erica Lee

Teach your child to be a force for positive change

If left to fester, racism instills a sense of helplessness in both children and adults. But standing up to racism can make a difference in many ways. On a personal level, seeing they can be part of a solution teaches kids to feel empowered, not helpless. On a social level, individual and community actions can promote racial equality and justice.

You and your child might help sign people up to vote. Together, you might organize a food drive to help families facing hunger. Connect with groups in your community or reach out to national organizations such as Color of Change, Black Lives Matter, or Race Forward for ideas. "Parents can model ways to talk about racism and contribute to efforts to address it," says Lee.

Speak up for your child's health

In conversations with minority youth, Lee has heard stories of providers making assumptions about their families or backgrounds that feel insulting and alienating.

If you feel like your child's health care provider is acting on racial bias, say something. If you are uncomfortable or think the conversation may not go well, consider contacting the organization's patient relations department. Or look for a different provider. "Parents have every right to expect that the professionals who care for their child respect their cultural backgrounds and identities," says Lee. "Having conversations and correcting misperceptions are not only important in parent-child relationships, they apply to provider-patient relationships as well."

Racism may be harder to define than conditions with concrete symptoms. But its impact on children's health is no less real. It may feel personal, it has been called political. But racism is a social issue that deserves to be challenged on every level: personally and systematically, locally and nationally, immediately and for many years to come.

Read more on racism from Boston Children's.

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Racism is a health issue: How it affects kids, what parents can do - Boston Children's Answers

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Racism has once again gained national attention. Following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, people around the world are taking a stand against race-based inequality and violence. But even after it fades from the news cycle, racism will remain present in the lives of children.

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Never Too Young: Ages and Stages of Racial Understanding - Sesame Workshop

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Discover the largest collection of great African American books for children in United States at Eye See Me. Browse top 10 African American books today!

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Including Transitional Objects in Classroom Life Setting the Stage for Bears Introducing Bears into the Clasroom Transitional objects can be a powerful addition to classroom life in preschool and elementary grade classrooms. ERP classrooms often have Teddy Bears integrated in to classroom process.

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2024-25 Version Teddy Bears in Traumatic Times (TBTT) Guide for Teachers

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Our Work with Schools and Communities

Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street offers ongoing professional development, teacher support, coaching, and other on-site services to early childhood and elementary school programs. Our services build on the well-documented connection between emotional well-being, learning, and positive peer relationships. We help educators and administrators develop emotionally responsive school routines, curricula, and adult-child interactions that support all children, including those with a traumatic history.

Emotionally Responsive Practice is built on a deep understanding of child development, research on the effect of social and emotional experience on the developing brain, and the proven positive effects of working partnerships between educators and school-based clinicians.

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Want to stay connected to our work and to our staff throughout the 2020-21 school year? Learn more about ERP's Circle of Support, a virtual space to access and share resources that support our continued work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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This annual conference invites professionals from elementary schools and early childhood programs to engage in a deeply interactive study of emotionally responsive practice. Participants learn about child development, the social and emotional foundations for learning, parent engagement, and the mastery of supportive techniques for building safe and nurturing school communities.

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Skip to content Our Work with Schools and Communities Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street offers ongoing professional development, teacher support, coaching, and other on-site services to early childhood and elementary school programs. Our services build on the well-documented connection between emotional well-being, learning, and positive peer relationships.

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Conferences & Institutes

Join us in a warm, collaborative space where we'll explore how to create classrooms and interactions that truly honor the emotional lives of children. This gathering is about more than just strategies-it's about deepening our connections with the children we serve, and with ourselves as educators. Together, we'll reimagine and reinvigorate what it takes to grow and support the wellness and healing of children in their school settings.

Through the lens of ERP, we'll reflect on how our emotional awareness shapes the environments we create, and how we can use practices like a social-emotional teddy bear curriculum, news of the day, reflective arts activities, and bibliotherapy to nurture a community where every child feels seen, heard, and valued. We invite you to join us on this journey of connection and care-together, we can build the kind of supportive, loving spaces that every child deserves.

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Skip to content Conferences & Institutes Join us in a warm, collaborative space where we'll explore how to create classrooms and interactions that truly honor the emotional lives of children. This gathering is about more than just strategies-it's about deepening our connections with the children we serve, and with ourselves as educators.

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Snapshots of Practice

This video series provides a platform for professional development in early childhood education. It introduces viewers to compelling early childhood classroom footage accompanied by facilitated discussions about observations and teaching practices. Viewers will get a hands-on look at how beginning teachers learn to closely observe children and engage in reflective conversations about children, materials, the classroom environment, and themselves.

This series begins with an introduction from Nancy Nager, Course Instructor at Bank Street College of Education and features three parts: classroom routines and transitions, dramatic play, and early materials and movement. The content enacts two essential elements of Bank Street College's teacher education pedagogy: close observation and reflective practice.

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Introduction by Nancy Nager
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Part One: Classroom Routines and Transitions
Explores how an early childhood classroom functions with the support of routines and transitions
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Part Two: Dramatic Play
Examines what happens when children engage in dramatic play
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Focuses on open-ended materials, such as paper, scissors, and crayons, and how children work with them in the classroom
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Learning to Teach: Observing and Reflecting - Bank Street College of Education

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Skip to content Snapshots of Practice This video series provides a platform for professional development in early childhood education. It introduces viewers to compelling early childhood classroom footage accompanied by facilitated discussions about observations and teaching practices.

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This website is a resource for those seeking information on Motivational Interviewing! The Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), an international organization committed to promoting high-quality MI practice and training.

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RIOS framework for reflective Supervision 

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RIOS framework for reflective Supervision 

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Journaling as a Reflective Practice_ Nurturing Inner Voices (1)

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Using Open-Ended, Child-Directed Play as a Reflective Tool (1)

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Using Song and Music as a Reflective Tool

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The Occasional Paper Series is published biannually by Bank Street College of Education. We are interested in research, practice and policy-based papers from a broad array of theoretical perspectives.