Delivering a curriculum that celebrates cultural and ethnic diversity can sometimes feel a daunting task for settings with children from a single ethnic group, yet it is vital that all settings reflect our multicultural, multi-ethnic society in a positive way.
Practitioners often fear that their efforts may be tokenistic or insensitive. However, there are many simple ways to help children to develop positive perspectives on other cultures.
Forging links
One of the best ways to develop children's understanding of other cultures in a meaningful way is by forging links with settings whose intake includes different ethnic groups. Children will enjoy exchanging information through letters, drawing, photographs, tapes or even videos, which can be displayed in the setting. It might even be possible to arrange visits between settings if they are not too far apart.
Practitioners from other settings will probably be happy to advise you on resources and give advice on how to participate in festivals they celebrate.
Good practice tips
When introducing materials to children, take every opportunity to discuss and model their use. Examine your own attitudes and practice. Be aware how your behaviour may influence the children. Use positive and inclusive language and behaviour.
Cooking
Food is a wonderful way to introduce children to different cultures. Many cookery books contain simple recipes that can be used with young children and most ingredients are now readily available in supermarkets, with a wide range of fruits and vegetables.
Many children will try new types of food, though practitioners must respect the fact that some are not so adventurous. But they will probably still enjoy being involved in cooking by using other senses to investigate ingredients.
Displays
* Make displays that celebrate different cultures, religions and ethnicity.
* Don't limit the use of 'multicultural' pictures to displays of people. Incorporate pictures into displays throughout the setting, for example, by the sand/ water tray, drawing/writing area or in the home corner.
* Supplement banks of pictures from educational catalogues, travel brochures, back copies of Nursery World and other magazines.
Books and writing
Make sure your library includes fiction and non-fiction books that reflect other cultures and parts of the world. If these books are not used on a regular basis, investigate why, and whenever possible replace them with more appropriate materials.
Make available examples of different scripts. Some educational suppliers provide posters with greetings in different languages and scripts.
Songs and music
It is easy to obtain songbooks and recordings of world music. If you lack the funds to build up a collection, borrow them from libraries. Provide musical instruments from around the world, available from educational suppliers.
Role play
Add to your home corner resources:
* dolls that represent ethnic groups, and multicultural doll's clothing.
* dressing-up clothes that reflect different cultures, for example, saris.
Ethnic role-play clothes are now available from most educational suppliers, but it is cheaper to buy real ethnic children's clothes or make your own.
Suitable materials can be bought cheaply from charity shops or car boot sales.
* cooking and eating equipment such as woks, chopsticks and balti dishes and models of different foods. Again, it is often cheaper to buy the real utensils rather than role-play versions.
* newspapers, magazines and menus in different languages and scripts.
* small-world people of different ethnic groups.
* a doll's house in the style of a home from a different part of the world.
Celebrations
Children need no encouragement to get involved in activities such as cooking or making cards, presents or decorations, which are features of almost all celebrations. There are many festivals throughout the year, so choose ones that you feel the children in your settings would relate to most easily.
Refer to books or Nursery World articles about festivals to help you understand their significance.
MORE INFORMATION
* Early Years Equality (formerly Early Years Trainers Anti-racist Network), tel: 0151 639 1778
* Working Group Against Racism in Children's Resources, tel: 020 7627 4594
* 'All About Anti-discriminatory Practice' (Nursery World, 3 January 2002)
