Diverse Culture in Early Childhood Education
Short Essay
In this essay there will be a range of strategies to support children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds Identified and discussed using perspectives and concepts. In addition, I will reflect on my personal identity and attitudes to diversity in my role as an early childhood teacher.
There are multiple strategies that can support children and whanau from cultural and linguistic diverse background. Firstly communication between teachers and parents/whanau or centre and home are an important part of the process. Having a bilingual staff that can translate and using translation materials to help families understand and feel comfortable (Care for Kids, 2008). We as teacher can meet and greet parents on arrival, while the communication is in progress the teacher could exchange information about their child, so the parent feels inclusive within their child’s learning and development and so they know that we as educators can give their child the best learning opportunities. Ask the parents/whanau if they could provide the centre a listing of words and some phrases that their child uses in their language. In Te Whāriki (1996, p. 58) it states that “children and their families experience an environment where they know that they have a place”. We can be sensitive and attentive to information about their cultural and religious backgrounds, likes and dislikes these can be related to the child’s settling into the centre. In Guo, (2004, p. 6) states that in the “Asian culture parents didn’t seem to care if children cried but would leave without hesitation and furthermore assumed that the longer they stay the worse children will behave”. During a mat time we could invite the children’s parents/whanau to read a book in their language and translate the story so we can have an understanding on how their words are pronounced properly and we could also hear the pronunciation so we can practice ourselves. The centre could display
In this essay there will be a range of strategies to support children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds Identified and discussed using perspectives and concepts. In addition, I will reflect on my personal identity and attitudes to diversity in my role as an early childhood teacher.
There are multiple strategies that can support children and whanau from cultural and linguistic diverse background. Firstly communication between teachers and parents/whanau or centre and home are an important part of the process. Having a bilingual staff that can translate and using translation materials to help families understand and feel comfortable (Care for Kids, 2008). We as teacher can meet and greet parents on arrival, while the communication is in progress the teacher could exchange information about their child, so the parent feels inclusive within their child’s learning and development and so they know that we as educators can give their child the best learning opportunities. Ask the parents/whanau if they could provide the centre a listing of words and some phrases that their child uses in their language. In Te Whāriki (1996, p. 58) it states that “children and their families experience an environment where they know that they have a place”. We can be sensitive and attentive to information about their cultural and religious backgrounds, likes and dislikes these can be related to the child’s settling into the centre. In Guo, (2004, p. 6) states that in the “Asian culture parents didn’t seem to care if children cried but would leave without hesitation and furthermore assumed that the longer they stay the worse children will behave”. During a mat time we could invite the children’s parents/whanau to read a book in their language and translate the story so we can have an understanding on how their words are pronounced properly and we could also hear the pronunciation so we can practice ourselves. The centre could display