Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
Chapter 8
Diversity in Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education has become a place where children from a variety of cultures
come together to learn. Therefore, the concept of teaching must change in order to ensure that
each child, as well as their family is treated with respect. Teachers should become culturally
aware by examining their own personal thinking patterns and how they may influence classroom
decisions. A multicultural curriculum involves promoting a positive attitude toward differences.
Teachers need to learn about the children and their families within the classroom in order to
guarantee that all children are learning and developing appropriately. Children become aware of
racial differences as they move through the early childhood years. Teachers have a duty to be
supportive, answer the children’s questions, and discuss any issues with stereotyping or
prejudice. Having a reciprocal relationship with the families can also assist the teacher in better
understanding that child’s culture. Multicultural education also provides equality for all
individuals including special needs students. There are numerous resources available to families
who have these children in their lives and the teachers must be aware of them.
What is Cultural Diversity?
• Culture is the pattern of knowledge, skills, behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and material
artifacts produced by a human society and transmitted from one generation to the next.
What is Multicultural Education?
• Multicultural education is defined as an approach to teaching and learning that is based
upon democratic values and beliefs.
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
How Do We Teach from a Multicultural Perspective?
• In order to teach in this environment, the teacher must self-evaluate by considering how
diversity is present in our own lives and how it affects our behaviors in the classroom.
• Integrating multicultural education into the curriculum can be done with an anti-bias
curriculum.
o Make a personal commitment.
• Four approaches teachers should use as they develop a multicultural curriculum:
o The Contribution Approach: curriculum includes content about holidays and
celebrations of various ethnic groups.
Are Children Aware of Racial Differences?
• Race: the physical and biological characteristics of different people throughout the world.
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
• Ethnicity examines people’s national origin, religion, race, and any combination thereof;
sense of identity; shared interests; and involuntary membership.
• Research about children’s racial awareness: the “Doll Study” tested young children’s
racial awareness, preferences, and self-identification.
• Children’s formation of ethnic identity begins with their family’s ethnic cultural heritage.
o Children are socialized by their parents, peers, and community.
• The process of socialization: children learn the values, behaviors, and social patterns of
their ethnic group before they gain the ability to self-label.
How can Multicultural Programs Involve Family Members and the Wider Community?
• Educators must know the community to which the families belong and understand the
cultures of those families.
• Program models for involving parents and the community in multicultural education:
o Infant Stimulation through Family Life Education program
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
• Important findings from programs involving parents:
o All parents need to fully understand and appreciate the significance of their
behavior in shaping children’s lives.
o Parent involvement should be sought cross-culturally.
o Teaching parents effective parenting skills by modeling and demonstrating.
o Parents need to be involved early on in the school life of their child.
o No single approach to parent involvement matches every parent’s ability to
What Do We Know about Cultural Differences in the Special Education System?
• Early childhood special education (ECSE) is a federal and state government funded
program that provides services for children less than 9 years of age and their families
when a child has a disability or developmental delay.
• Early intervention
o Children with developmental delays
• Preschool special education
o Four guidelines that teachers can use to design the physical space of special needs
preschoolers:
Gordon Biddle, Early Childhood Education: Becoming a Professional Instructor Resource
▪ Adapt toys and materials where needed.
• Early primary special education