Wrong Way VS Right of Way--Observing Communication with Children

   So many times we get stuck on what others are doing wrong--especially when it comes to communicating and interacting with children.  We do this because it hurts to watch a child being mistreated and we instinctively want to defend them or "call out" the adult treating them unfairly.  Unfortunately, examples of negative adult/child interaction and communication can be found everyday at your local grocery stores, WalMarts, Targets, and such.   Adults often become so focused on the task (or multi-task) at hand, that they forget their children's agenda is much different. As a teacher, I often have to fight the need to stand up for the rights of the child and help the parent correct the problem in a more positive way.

     However, I would like to take an opportunity highlight an example of the "right way" I observed a parent communicating with her child.  In a local clothing boutique, a mother was busily scouring a "sale" rack when her 5 yr. old entered the area speaking very loudly in a British accent.  "Mummy, while you are busy shopping, the wee one and I will be very busy in the book area having tea and bickies".  The mother responded, "Ok, love".  The child continued to stay in the area and speak in her British accent as if she were an equal part of the shopping experience pointing out patterns she likes or thought would be nice for her mom.  She turned to me and commented on a piece of clothing in my hand.  Then she explained in a whisper, "I'm not really British; I'm just pretending", and she went right back into character full volume.  It wasn't what her mother said or did that caught my attention, it's what she did not do.  Her mother simply responded with a smile and no words.  How awesome; how affirming for the child, I thought.  

     What I realized is how confident the child was with her mother and herself to allow her to engage in this play scenario in public and to include adult strangers in the game.  She was "trying on" something new in the world, and her mother completely accepted and supported this.  She did not make apologies, excuses or explain to the other adults; she did not tell the child she was being "silly" nor responded in the same accent, but instead accepted her child's dramatization as an active part of play in the world.  Children learn a great deal from pretend and dramatic play, however it does not always take place at a certain "free play" time everyday or in a "dress up" area of the home or classroom.  Children are happily engaged in dramatic play scenarios in the world with or without props, and this is an important part of their learning about the ways of our world, the ways of their world, and the ways of their world in comparison to others.  Kuddos to this mom for allowing her child to be just who she is, and pretend to be whomever she wants to support her growth and development.

     Adult-child communication is often tricky.  Many times adults dismiss and shut down play scenarios or take them over by directing.  But, there are some things adults can bring to the interaction that improves communication, expression, and the development of the child's own voice/personality.  The key is a positive mindset and a little distance to help observe what the child is actually trying to say or work out through action, pretend, or words.  According to Lisa Kolbeck (2011), "It's almost like children have a play being and a real being.  And they're both real, of course, but children's play being is like a metaphor for their real being".  Being aware of how fast and noisy the adult world is, it's important to remember to go slow with them, be receptive to not only what children are saying but how they are saying it without taking words out of their mouth and discrediting the play experience.  "Let them feel what the flower of their idea was, letting it come out of them" (Laureate Education, 2011).
   
     I am learning to do the same-- to slow down, be with children in the world as they experience and express it in creative ways, and to remember that my agenda is different from theirs.  If I am to truly serve them and aid in their healthy development, then I must allow them to be my guide.  Reminding other adults of the depth of learning that takes place during these positive adult-child communications will be a focus for me in future parent/teacher education workshops, as well as doling out compliments to parents in public who are allowing their children the "right of way" in discovery of who they want to be in the world by learning to express themselves and communicate with others in their own unique ways (respectfully, of course).  I invite you to also challenge yourselves to catch another adult in positive communication with a child and compliment them.  We all need positive reinforcement sometimes!

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Communicating with young children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Classrooms = Wide Open Spaces for Anti-Bias Education

     "What children do not see in the classroom teaches children as much as what they do see.  The toys, materials, and equipment you put out for children; the posters, pictures, and art objects you hang on the wall; and the types of furniture and how you arrange them all influence what children learn" (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 161).  Let's take a look at how we can surround children and families with positive images and reflections of diversity to create an affirming learning environment.

     One special note:  creating an anti-bias classroom is an ongoing process in which the teacher must continually reassess and rearrange to continually reflect the students and families served as well as to incorporate new images of diversity from the larger society.  The materials can be made, revised, donated or purchased depending on the budget.  However, "Consider purchasing flexible, open-ended materials that you can use in many ways.  For example, one of the best tools you can have for anti-bias work is a camera, which will permit you to make books, posters, classroom bulletin boards, and learning materials specific to the families and children in your program...Besides, no commercial product has the power that photographs and images of children's own families do" (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 44-45).  Designing your own materials out of photographs helps to avoid the pitfalls of "tourist curriculum"--tokenism, trivializing, misinforming/misrepresenting and stereotyping" (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 45) that does not accurately reflect the children and families you serve.  Diversity is not about holidays or a vacation from the norm; it is about real reflections of real people doing what they do everyday in similar, different and unique ways.  Let's take a look center by center:

Decorations and Wall Hangings:
     Posters, signs, photographs, bulletin boards, art work, shelving should all authentically reflect the diversity of the families served in the program including family structures, economic class, physical appearances, physical abilities, and language.
--Tip 1:  Make sure photographs of each family are displayed in your classroom either by dedicating a special section of wall space or a "family culture" shelf that rotates each week/month.
--Tip 2:  There should be a balanced representation of men and women doing all different kinds of work in and outside of the home including "white collar" professionals (doctors/scientists/business people), "blue collar" roles (construction workers/mechanics/grocery store workers), "domestic" activities (homemaking, house cleaning, child care), and community roles (firefighters/teachers/police persons).
--Tip 3:  When creating a "cozy corner" for quiet reading or emotional regulation, consider asking parents to bring in a small pillow that represents their family.  This will be a warm representation of home to the children and help them stay connected and comforted by their own family familiarity at school.

Dramatic Play Center:
     This section of the classroom is rich in cultural diversity and should reflect a variety of ways to care for a family, cook and eat, keep house, dress, and child & bodily care/ appreciation techniques.  However, most importantly, it should include dolls that represent various skin tones and ethnic features as well as different abilities (glasses, wheelchairs, etc) and age groups (including elderly).  Remember, this is often children's first opportunity to care for others who are both similar and different from themselves.  This type experience creates many opportunities for learning empathy and compassion as well as equity and appreciation of all types of people.
--Tip 1:  Ask parents to donate empty food containers and kitchen utensils that represent their family/ethnic culture.  Children especially enjoy playing with real world items.
--Tip 2:  Include a mirror so that children can view themselves in different roles, clothing, activities and admire themselves.  This includes expressions of emotions, self-care routines (such as brushing/combing/drying hair), and see themselves as they "try on" many different roles.
--Tip 3:  Consider including a shallow tray or box in which generic miniature figures live (Laureate Education, 2011).  You can use wooden, cloth or other materials to create your own.  When using figures without any representation such as clothing, hair/eye/skin color, gender specification or facial expression, children are required to "fill in the blanks" with their own imagination or experience.  Pay attention to these play scenarios as they can often provide clues as to what children are working on socially and emotionally.
--Tip 4:  Consider introducing "persona dolls" through short dramatizations that address issues of diversity or equity that you are working on with your students.  Persona dolls are a great resource to help children understand issues of bullying, aggression, teasing and such by making it one person removed and allowing them to develop empathy for the characters.  The lessons are then extended to real world events in the classroom without singling out any one child.  This way, children are more equipped and empowered to deal with them in a positive manner.

Language/Literacy Center:
     This center should include elements of every home language represented by families included in the program.  They should see, hear, sing and experience language in a variety of ways including American Sign Language or Baby Signs to create concrete connections between multiple languages.
--Tip 1:  Include signs, labels and picture clues (art or photographic) to represent different aspects of your classroom.  For example, if you have a welcome board, it should depict text from each home language in the classroom with a single visual presentation.  This helps children make connections between languages.
--Tip 2:  Use music and movement to increase language and literacy.  Sing songs in all languages represented in the classroom.  While CD's are great resources, consider using this as an opportunity to connect to the family; ask the family to come and teach their favorite children's song to the class in their home language.  This creates family pride, assures that all families are equally represented, and expands language and awareness of all students.  By making up motions, hand gestures, including ASL or baby signs, or various musical instruments to keep the rhythm, children's brains will become more focused, actively engage creating more concrete learning experiences, and longer memory retention.
--Tip 3:  Make sure all books in your classroom (even infant and toddler board books) represent diversity and are inclusive of all children in the classroom. (*refer to the first line of this post).  Scan books for stereotypes and if you choose to still use them, do so as a learning opportunity to identify stereotypes.  Photographic books of children's homes, environments, culture, neighborhoods and communities make the most effective learning materials for language and literacy because children find then relevant to their own lives.  Also consider including books that represent a range of physical abilities, age groups (i.e. elderly/grandparents), occupations/income levels, family structures, and gender roles as well as cultural/ethnic diversity.

Art Center
     This center should provide children with art materials that represent who they are and their unique diversity and perspectives.  Think about how these materials can be used for individual or group art.
--Tip 1:  Provide colors, paint, markers, clay, construction paper that represent diverse skin tones
--Tip 2:  Collect collage materials that depict images of diverse people and lifestyles.  Use photographs of the children and their families to create art.  Ask parents to donate magazines from home or ask your local library to donate.  Collect newspapers in different languages to use in various projects.
--Tip 3:  Consider art projects that utilize special techniques related to culture such as pinatas, Japanese flower arrangements, or batik as opportunities to talk about cultural differences.  Food can also represent art using different fruits to make designs or fruit faces (just remember that many people believe that food should not be wasted, so do the art project at snack time, photograph it and eat it up after you finish.

Manipulative Center
   This center may include blocks, puzzles, memory games, number literacy games and other small toys such as cars/trucks.
--Tip 1:  Create small bean or rice bags using material that represents a range of skin tones to allow the children to compare (Laureate Education, 2011).  These can then be used in many other games and activities.
--Tip 2:  Pick an item and hide it in the room.  Give each child 10 seconds to find the item while the group counts to 10.  The child searching can pick which language they want the group to count in while they search.  The game continues if the item is not found, and the next child gets to choose the language while they search.
--Tip 3:  Provide photographs that depict different types of housing, urban and rural elements, handicapped access, street signs, and signs in different languages.  Use photographs to create memory games and puzzles.

Science Center
     Many preschool classrooms do not think about including a science center.  However, according to Dr. Mike Longoria, PhD, Early Childhood Consultant, having a science center is an non-negotiable.  Children need a special place in the classroom dedicated to science.  It creates so many opportunities for children to discover the wonders of their world through exploration, experiment, and experience.  Don't over think this area, many activities can be done to incorporate diversity easily.
--Tip 1:  Include poetry and movement around science themes.  This example is from Dr. Mike! who promotes music and movement to extend learning in science, literacy, math and social studies.  He created a poem:
Dig a little hole
Plant a little seed
Pour a little water
Pull a little weed
Then he asked "Johnny" to show him how to dig a little hole.  "Johnny" does and then all the children are asked to repeat that movement.  Each child will have a different and creative way to move their body to represent "digging a hole", pouring water, etc. which also supports diversity of ideas and ways of being and representing.  "Sam" had a different idea; he made the motion of a jack hammer to dig a hole.  The children didn't understand, and it provided an opportunity for the teacher to explain that jack hammers dig super holes in areas where it would hurt our hands to dig.  "Sam" says he knows this because it's what his father does everyday.  How proud to you think "Sam" will be to go home and explain to his father that "today at school, we leaned about digging different holes, and I taught everyone how you do it at work--and they did it too"?  That's cultural diversity and family pride in action--that's what we want in an anti-bias classroom.
--Tip 2:  Check out the Dr. Mike! website  www.drmike.info  for all sorts of free downloads and ideas to incorporate music and movement in your lessons including social/emotional, science, math, literacy, and games.  All materials are also available in Spanish.
--Tip 3:  Ask each child to bring in a sample of dirt, a plant, a rock, an item found in their yard in a ziplock bag.  Then compare what's the same and different between them.  "Same" and "Different" are the cornerstones of anti-bias education, and a science center provides many opportunities to explore these ideas relevant to the children's lives in the classroom.
--Tip 4:  Go to the local pet shop, and ask them to collect samples of bird feathers or poop of different animals in ziplock bags.  These can then be compared in the classroom and related to diversity.  Examples:  All birds have feathers but each one is different and unique.  Or, an extension of the popular preschool book "Everybody Poops", showing how different animal poops look different yet are all poop--the same.  So many opportunities exist in science to compare and appreciate similarities and differences, and extension activities allow children to introduce their own unique ideas and ways of experiencing the world creating critical thinking skills, introducing new perspectives and create concrete learning experiences.  The child, family and community are easily incorporated into the science center.
--Tip 5:  Designate a time and clear transition to science.  If you do not have the space to create an entire area dedicated to science in your classroom, allow the children to change into their "lab coats" complete with their name (made out of donated men's button down shirts).  This will help children to shift their focus and understand science time is different than story time or circle time.  By making sure that all children have adequate time to enjoy science and research in their world, the more we break stereotypes reinforced by commercial toy companies that only market science kits to boys instead of children of both genders.  Challenging these stereotypes with concrete activities is just another easy way to begin to allow anti-bias work to permeate into every center of our classroom and, simultaneously, into the hearts and minds of every child we serve.

     Remember, environments change, and you can rotate, eliminate or add to each center as you see the need or discover "teachable moments".  The most important factors to consider when thinking of anti-bias materials to be used in the classroom are finding accurate, respectful ways to represent the diversity of your classroom and school community as well as society at large.  The more children see and experience different types of people, lifestyles, abilities, and ways of being depicted in their classrooms, the easier it is to foster tolerance, promote pride, and be inclusive.  You don't have to spend a lot of money or purchase all new materials for you classroom.  "With ingenuity, patience, resourcefulness, and some help from family and friends, many teachers have created their own remarkable and powerful anti-bias materials.  Be creative and have fun with the process!

Reference:

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Building on children’s strengths. Baltimore, MD: Author

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).