Creating Affirming Environments

If I were to open my own Family Child Care Home the setting would address children’s rights, family participation and integration, and would keep in mind the anti-bias education goals.   It would be warm, inviting, and very organized.  In viewing this weeks’ media segment, I appreciated how child care provider Adriana Castillo has a path for children to follow throughout the day in the home (Laureate Education Inc., 2011b).  It demonstrated a flow and routine that is effective and helps children, families, and even the professionals, including herself, transition from activity to activity by physically moving to a different space.  I would strive to replicate that in my own setting and take it one step further by making a map with the children and having them help name each space to make it more personalized and help include them in the planning.  I also think it is important to help support children in their language when they discuss diversity.  I like the approach of having children talk about differences they observe and have adults respond model answering accurately and matter-of-factly (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  I feel that it is effective in helping children feel comfortable with the subject matter and does not make it seems like the matters are topics of issue.

The visual and material environment would have toys, posters, pictures, and objects that support anti-bias.  An environment that is rich in anti-bias materials invites and encourages children to play, explore, discover, discuss, and think about these materials in a safe space (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  I would include material from the family culture of all the children in the setting as well as some that are not.  I would engage all the five senses by having music, clothing, food, and songs in different languages that represent the diversity that exists within our community and beyond.

I would strive to counter invisibility by making sure I included nonstereotypical learning materials that represent children and adults from various racial and ethnic identity groups, a range of economic groups and work, people with disabilities, diverse family structures and important persons who work or have worked for social justice (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  I would also ensure that every child and family feels welcome and respected would be to include them in the daily routines and also have every family represented in the setting.  I would do this by having photos displayed of every child with their family and be sure to include the families as partners by helping plan curriculum, organize events, and act as family and cultural resources to demonstrate to the children build an integrated sense of self (Laureate Education Inc., 2011a). 

References

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).

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

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Strategies for working with diverse children: Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. Baltimore, MD: Author