We can work on Culturally Competent Approaches

NAEYC states “for optimal development and learning of all children, educators must accept the legitimacy of children’s home language, respect (hold in high regard) the home culture and promote and encourage the active involvement and support of all families, including extended and nontraditional family units” (NAEYC 1995, 2). This inspired the development of the Quality Benchmark for Cultural Competence Project (QBCCP), which promotes cultural competence in early childhood programs. The QBCCP provides seven culturally competent approaches for early childhood education settings:

Long description

Acknowledge that children are nested in families and communities with unique strengths. Recognize and mitigate the tension between the early childhood profession’s perceptions of the child as the center of the work versus the family as the center of the work.
Build on and identify the strengths and shared goals between the profession and families and recognize commonalities in order to meet these goals.
Understand and authentically incorporate the traditions and history of the program participants and their impacts on child- rearing practices.
Actively support each child’s development within the family as complex and culturally driven ongoing experiences.
Recognize and demonstrate awareness that individuals’ and institutions’ practices are embedded in culture.
Ensure that decisions and policies regarding all aspects of a program embrace and respect participants’ language, values, attitudes, beliefs, and approaches to learning.
Ensure that policies and practices build upon the home languages and dialects of the children, families and staff in programs and support the preservation of home languages.
(NAEYC, 2019)

But what do these principles actually look like in the school setting? What kinds of resources and support are needed to make these principles come alive (i.e., materials, policies, professional development, etc.)? In this discussion, you will analyze how educational settings currently address approaches to cultural competence.

To prepare for this discussion:

Read Chapter 2.
Read NAEYC’s Quality Benchmark for Cultural Competence ProjectLinks to an external site..
Imagine you are an educational environment coach, and your focus is cultural competence. Pick one of the 7 approaches and prepare to describe how you might assess it an educational setting.
In your initial post,

Describe the chosen approach in your own words.
Provide an example of the culturally competent approach in action and specify the age group (between 0 and 8 years).
Describe how the example is culturally appropriate and sensitive.
Justify why your example is an effective way to implement this approach

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Sample Answer

 

 

 

Let’s explore how to bring NAEYC’s culturally competent approaches to life in early childhood settings.

Chosen Approach: “Ensure that policies and practices build upon the home languages and dialects of the children, families and staff in programs and support the preservation of home languages.”

Description in My Own Words: This approach emphasizes the importance of valuing and incorporating the languages children and families speak at home into the early childhood program. It’s about recognizing that a child’s home language is a valuable asset, not a barrier, and that supporting its preservation is crucial for their cognitive, linguistic, and emotional development. It means creating a welcoming environment where all languages are celebrated and where children feel pride in their linguistic heritage.

Example in Action (Age Group: 3-5 years):

A classroom includes children who speak Spanish, Mandarin, and English. The teacher notices that several of the Spanish-speaking children are hesitant to participate in circle time, often remaining quiet. To implement this culturally competent approach, the teacher takes the following steps:

 

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  1. Learns Basic Spanish Phrases: The teacher learns some basic greetings, numbers, colors, and common phrases in Spanish. This allows her to connect with the children in their home language and show respect for their culture.

  2. Incorporates Spanish into Circle Time: The teacher begins incorporating Spanish into circle time by counting in Spanish, singing simple songs in Spanish, and asking simple questions in Spanish. She also uses visual aids, like picture cards, to support comprehension.

  3. Invites Spanish-Speaking Families to Share: The teacher invites Spanish-speaking families to come into the classroom and share songs, stories, or traditional rhymes in Spanish. This creates a bridge between the home and the school and shows the children that their language is valued.

  4. Labels Classroom Objects in Multiple Languages: The teacher labels common classroom objects (e.g., table, chair, door) in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. This creates a print-rich environment that reflects the linguistic diversity of the classroom.

  5. Provides Books and Materials in Multiple Languages: The classroom library includes books and other learning materials in the languages spoken by the children in the class. This allows children to access stories and information in their home language.

Cultural Appropriateness and Sensitivity:

This example is culturally appropriate and sensitive because it:

  • Respects Home Language: It acknowledges the importance of the children’s home language and shows that it is valued in the classroom.
  • Promotes Inclusion: It creates a welcoming environment where all children feel a sense of belonging, regardless of the language they speak at home.
  • Supports Bilingualism: It encourages the development of bilingualism, which has cognitive and social benefits.
  • Builds Relationships with Families: It actively involves families in the classroom, fostering a strong partnership between home and school.

Justification for Effectiveness:

This approach is effective because it:

  • Supports Language Development: Research shows that children learn best when they are taught in their home language. Incorporating the home language into the classroom supports children’s overall language development and literacy skills.
  • Builds Self-Esteem: When children see that their home language is valued, it helps them develop a sense of pride in their culture and heritage. This can boost their self-esteem and confidence.
  • Facilitates Communication: When teachers make an effort to learn some basic phrases in the children’s home language, it can facilitate communication and build rapport.
  • Creates a Culturally Responsive Classroom: By incorporating the languages and cultures of all the children in the class, teachers create a more culturally responsive and inclusive learning environment.

By implementing practices like these, early childhood programs can create a rich and supportive environment where all children th

 

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