THE ROLE OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION An Open Educational Resources Publication by College of the Canyons Created by Krischa Esquivel, Emily Elam, Jennifer Paris, and Maricela Tafoya Peer Reviewed by Cindy Stephens and Antoinette Ricardo Editor: Alexa Johnson, Trudi Radtke, and Alex Gavilan Cover: Ian Joslin and Anthony Flores Version 1.0 2020 2 | The Role Of Equity And Diversity In Early Childhood Education Acknowledgements College of the Canyons would like to extend appreciation to the following people and organizations for allowing this textbook to be created: California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Chancellor Dianne G. Van Hook Santa Clarita Community College District College of the Canyons Distance Learning Office Have Feedback or Resources to Share? Catch a typo? Want to suggest a change to improve the book? Please send us your feedback in this survey. Did you use this book and make changes? 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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 3 | The Role Of Equity And Diversity In Early Childhood Education Table of Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................9 Section One: Introduction to Diversity, Equity, Culture, and Identity ................................................. 13 Chapter 1: Looking at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ....................................................................... 14 Diversity .................................................................................................................................................. 14 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the U.S. and California ................................................................ 15 Equity ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Why Does Educational Equity Matter? .............................................................................................. 17 Inclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 18 Inclusion as it Relates to Children with Disabilities ............................................................................ 18 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 2: The Importance of Culture ............................................................................................... 20 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 20 The Role of Culture in Development ....................................................................................................... 25 Myths About Culture ............................................................................................................................... 26 Responsiveness to Culture and Language Supports Children’s Learning ................................................ 27 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 3: The Development of Identity in Children .......................................................................... 28 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 28 How Children Develop Identity ............................................................................................................... 28 The Role of Early Childhood Education and Play ............................................................................... 29 Relationships with Peers .................................................................................................................... 29 Play ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 Culture and Self-Identity ......................................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 4: Teachers’ Professional Identity and Becoming Equity Minded........................................... 35 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 35 Development of Teachers’ Identity ......................................................................................................... 35 Becoming Equity Minded ................................................................................................................... 37 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 39 Section Two: Anti-bias and Equitable Education ................................................................................ 40 Chapter 5: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Classroom Environments, Materials, and Approaches ............................................................................................................... 41 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 41 Developmentally Appropriate Practices ................................................................................................. 41 Curriculum in Multicultural Classrooms .................................................................................................. 43 Classroom Materials ........................................................................................................................... 43 Children’s Books ................................................................................................................................. 45 4 | The Role Of Equity And Diversity In Early Childhood Education Approaches to the Environment and Culturally Responsiveness ............................................................ 49 Culture in the Classroom .................................................................................................................... 50 The Role of Diversity in Early Childhood Programs across the Globe ..................................................... 55 From Australia .................................................................................................................................... 55 New Zealand’s Te Whariki Curriculum ............................................................................................... 57 Suggestions for Your Program and Classrooms ...................................................................................... 58 1. Respect the Uniqueness of Each Family System ............................................................................ 58 2. Develop a Personalized Relationship with Families ....................................................................... 58 3. Communicate in Culturally Appropriate Ways ............................................................................... 59 4. Recruit Staff Who View Diversity as an Asset ................................................................................ 59 5. Create Alliances with Cultural Guides ............................................................................................ 60 6. Evaluate Process and Outcomes .................................................................................................... 60 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 61 Chapter 6: Multiculturalism and Social Justice in the Classroom: Using Anti-Bias Curriculum .............. 63 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 63 Goals ....................................................................................................................................................... 63 The Role of the Early Childhood Educator .............................................................................................. 64 1. Personal commitment .................................................................................................................... 64 2. Knowledge of what makes a difference ......................................................................................... 64 3. Educational leadership ................................................................................................................... 64 Practices to Promote a Multicultural Classroom ...................................................................................