Family
Involvement in Early Multicultural Learning
Research supports
the idea that children's early childhood experiences are powerful
in influencing their cultural understandings (Banks, 1993).
Children develop ideas about racial identity and the attributes
of cultural groups other than their own as early as three
years of age (Banks, 1993). Equally significant, children
begin their development of self-understanding (inclusive of
their cultural identity) at birth. Self-understanding is constructed
from experiences with others, mainly parents, but certainly
including caregivers and teachers and significant kin and
friends (Rossi & Rossi, 1990).
Recent studies
suggest that the intimate involvement of parents and teachers
with young children provides natural opportunities for modeling,
guiding, and nurturing positive racial, ethnic, and cultural
attitudes and perspectives. Fostering young children's multicultural
understanding can be accomplished naturally through family
involvement in children's care and education on several levels.
Strategies that
support children's multicultural learning within a context
of family involvement fall into three categories: parent education
and support, school-family curriculum activities, and teacher-parent
partnership efforts (Banks, 1993; Swick & Graves, 1993).
PARENT
EDUCATION AND SUPPORT
Enlisting parents' help in identifying appropriate and meaningful
goals and activities for family involvement in multicultural
education is a first step. Teachers can involve parents by
holding orientation meetings for parents in which the importance
of the multicultural focus of the curriculum is explained.
They can share multicultural information with parents through
a lending library of books, articles, and videos; bulletin
boards of events, ideas, and suggestions; parenting programs;
and newsletters. "Anti-bias alerts" can warn parents
about upcoming television programs that may present cultural
groups in inaccurate ways (Derman-Sparks, 1989). Other steps
include supporting parents in their efforts to find resources
and activities by fostering in parents the need for pride
in their family and their ethnic and racial heritage.
Parent and family
involvement strategies need to support parents in gaining
confidence and competence in their modeling and teaching roles
(Swick, 1987). Children look to their parents or guardians
for examples of how to relate to people who are different
from themselves. Parents need positive support for their efforts
to intentionally function as multicultural role models (Byrnes,
1992).
SCHOOL-FAMILY
CURRICULUM
The diversity of cultures in the classroom is a natural starting
point for increasing children's multicultural awareness. Activities
that can increase both parents' AND children's multicultural
awareness include study and discussion groups on racial or
cultural issues; events in which parents as well as teachers
and children celebrate their cultural diversity; and parent
participation in specific classroom curriculum activities
(Ramsey & Derman-Sparks, 1992). Concrete activities in
which parents and other family members can take part, such
as field trips and classroom presentations, should include
a time for discussion in which children can ask questions
and explore their concerns and ideas (Neugebauer, 1992). Helping
children have positive interactions with people from other
cultures is critical to their formation of sensitive and supportive
perceptions of others.
Using interesting
and appropriate materials in classrooms is another way of
fostering children's awareness (Byrnes, 1992). For example,
PROPS such as containers of hair products for men and women
from various cultures can stimulate discussion about similarities
and differences among people. Activities such as eating can
be represented for different cultures (Neugebauer, 1992).
Byrnes (1992) suggests
that DISPLAYS throughout the classroom should include representations
of people from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds
engaged in meaningful activities. These displays can include
family photos, original work by the children in the class,
and contributions from children's parents and peers.
ORIGINAL CLASS
BOOKS, including class directories, friendship or family books,
activity books focused on field trips, and "profiles"
of class guests, enrich the school-family curriculum (Neugebauer,
1992). Children can create original books by gathering photographs
or making drawings, writing or dictating texts, and binding
these materials in some way. Such projects are most effective
when family members create the book together. Art, drama,
music, dance, and writing are other ways of fostering children's
positive attitudes toward others.
PARENT-TEACHER
PARTNERSHIPS
Joint efforts by parents and teachers are the natural starting
point for building a family-school program. Parents can participate
in establishing multicultural guidelines for curriculum and
instruction activities (Banks, 1993). Classroom study teams,
school advisory groups, and multicultural planning sessions
are some avenues that assure parents' input in policy (Ramsey
& Derman-Sparks, 1992).
The role of parents
as resource persons is a familiar one to teachers, who can
ask families to share cultural items like magazine pictures,
family recipes, dramatic play props, family experiences, stories,
and artifacts. Teachers can also be a powerful resource for
multicultural learning at home. Teachers can share with families
items such as books, videotapes, and child-made materials.
Teachers should focus on integrating the learning to be derived
from these materials with families' literacy and cultural
growth. Summer reading lists, special public library learning
centers, and community cultural fairs are ways to extend and
reinforce this process.
MULTICULTURAL
RESOURCES
There are many types of activities and resources that can
enhance children's multicultural learning. FAMILY STORIES,
written by children and parents about themselves as families
and shared in the classroom, can stimulate tremendous growth
and sensitivity. Such stories might include historical anecdotes
about ancestors, accounts of family struggles, and humorous
incidents. Good CHILDREN'S LITERATURE that is set in various
places and situations supports the development of multicultural
perspectives (Boutte & McCormick, 1992). Good children's
literature addresses real problems and can be used as a basis
for classroom discussion. Relating literature to concrete
activities such as performing drama and making artifacts is
essential.
Children respond
enthusiastically to STORYTELLING by parents, grandparents,
neighbors, and teachers. Crary, in Neugebauer (1992, p.11-15),
suggests that adults can tell stories about their culture
and its development, and about struggles to achieve respect
in their community. Such stories should be related to children's
interest, developmental level, and cultural context. VIDEOTAPES,
sometimes accompanied by companion books, provide a means
for enhancing children's cultural understandings.
MUSIC AND DRAMA,
either recorded or produced by the children themselves, are
effective for supporting children's multicultural development.
Families and teachers can use FIELD TRIPS to enrich children's
ethnic, racial, and cultural understanding. Visits to local
restaurants, museums, workplaces, churches, and government
facilities offer beginning points for learning about community
diversity.
CONCLUSION
Preparing children to be sensitive members of a multicultural
community is a great challenge. Families and teachers can
prepare the foundation for this sensitivity by creating family-school
learning experiences in the early years that enable children
to understand and appreciate the value of cultural diversity.
This article was
adapted from: Swick, Kevin J., Gloria Boutte, and Irma van
Scoy. (1994). Multicultural Learning through Family Involvement.
DIMENSIONS 22(4, Summer): 17-21. EJ 488 475.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
Banks, J. (1993). Multicultural Education for Young Children:
Racial and Ethnic Attitudes and Their Modification. In B.
Spodek (Ed.), HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH ON THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG
CHILDREN. New York: Macmillan. ED 361 107.
Boutte, G., and
C. McCormick. (1992). Authentic Multicultural Activities:
Avoiding Pseudomulticulturalism. CHILDHOOD EDUCATION 68(3,
Spring): 140-144. EJ 443 506.
Byrnes, D. (1992).
Addressing Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in the Classroom.
In D. Byrnes and G. Kiger (Eds.), COMMON BONDS: ANTIBIAS TEACHING
IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY. Wheaton, MD: Association for Childhood
Education International. ED 348 152.
Comer, J., and
N. Haynes. (1991). Parent Involvement in Schools: An Ecological
Approach. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JOURNAL 91(3, Jan): 271-278. EJ
429 059.
Derman-Sparks,
L. (1989). ANTI-BIAS CURRICULUM: TOOLS FOR EMPOWERING YOUNG
CHILDREN. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education
of Young Children. ED 305 135.
Neugebauer, B.
(Ed.). (1992). ALIKE AND DIFFERENT: EXPLORING OUR HUMANITY
WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. Washington, DC: National Association
for the Education of Young Children.
Ramsey, P., and
L. Derman-Sparks. (1992). Multicultural Education Reaffirmed.
YOUNG CHILDREN 47(2, Jan):10-11. EJ 438 179.
Rossi, S., and
P. Rossi. (1990). OF HUMAN BONDING. New York: Basic Books.
Swick, K. (1987).
PERSPECTIVES ON UNDERSTANDING AND WORKING WITH FAMILIES. Champaign,
IL: Stipes.
Swick, K. (1991).
TEACHER-PARENT PARTNERSHIPS TO ENHANCE SCHOOL SUCCESS IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. Washington, DC: National Education Association.
ED 339 516.
Swick, K., and
S. Graves. (1993). EMPOWERING AT-RISK FAMILIES DURING THE
EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS. Washington, DC: National Education
Association. ED 360 093.
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