Cultural diversity

Each culture has its expectations of children and those who care for them. Early childhood programs should create a welcoming environment that respects diversity and supports children’s ties to their families and communities. They should also promote learning of a second language while preserving the child’s home language and cultural identity.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offers the following recommendations on training staff to work with families:

Actively involve families: Encourage meaningful family involvement in early learning, promoting links between school, home and community. Staff needs to be sensitive to individual differences, and not let their own culture and language interfere.
Encourage families to maintain the child’s home language: Preserving the home language benefits the child’s cognitive development.
Honor individual families’ cultural values and norms: Continuity at home and school supports the child’s social, emotional, cognitive and language development.
Encourage home language and literacy development: Bilingualism is an asset and educational achievement. Children transfer skills to a second language.
Work with children within their first language, and in cultural contexts they understand: Most children learn new concepts better in a familiar language and cultural framework.
Support home-language usage: Classroom environments should incorporate a child’s home language and culture.
Promote participation and learning: All children should have the opportunity to participate fully in a program’s learning opportunities.
Provide children alternate ways to demonstrate what they know and can do: Don’t underestimate children’s abilities; instead, allow them to show interests, knowledge and skills in creative ways, including nonverbal communication.