Submitted by Dan Gilbert on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years, Primrose has helped students achieve higher levels of success by providing them with AdvancED® accredited, education and early child care services. Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools preschool students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Dan has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.
Celebrating diversity with your children can be a complex affair. Often times, a young child has a very finite understanding of the world around them, limited to family, school and the neighborhood. As a result, children who are not directly exposed to disparate cultures may struggle with the concept of diversity itself. Nevertheless, lessons on diversity represent an opportunity to provide a unique and interesting teaching moment for your children.
Lessons on diversity can help expand a child’s world and stimulate their imagination. Best of all, education about different cultures can be approached from a variety of angles, including music, sports, and animal wildlife. Exposing your child to exotic cultures will help them obtain a better grasp of the overall breadth of the global community.
Celebrating diversity can also help children build character. “We live in a diverse world. By teaching children to appreciate other cultures from an early age, you will help them develop compassion and seek out shared values,” said Dr. Mary Zurn, vice president of education for Primrose Schools. Having an appreciation of unfamiliar cultures develops empathy and openness. Growing these traits will benefit your child socially, as they are more likely to be empathetic and compassionate toward those who are different.
Tips For Celebrating Diversity:
• Family History – Knowing others begins with knowing yourself. Share your ancestral history with your children by showing them pictures of relatives and telling stories to flesh out who they were. Many family trees will branch out across various continents to cultures vastly different from the one you currently reside in. This will not only expose your child to new and exotic wonders, but build an awareness of their own cultural identity and how that reflects who they are.
• Music – Music is a language that requires no translation, and is the easiest way to expose a child to the very heart and soul of a different culture.
• Books on Diversity – Reading to a child is an excellent way to introduce them to different geography and people. Although pictures of exotic wildlife, fashion, or food can spark the imagination, characters and stories can provide depth to things that would otherwise lack context. Some examples include Shane Derolf’s The Crayon Box That Talked and Todd Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different.
• Direct Exposure – Ultimately, the best way to teach your child to appreciate different cultures is to interact with them. Take them to museums or ethnic festivals that showcase a culture’s heritage and enthusiasm for life. Try restaurants that feature not only different foods, but new eating customs as well. Encourage them to make friends with schoolmates who share different backgrounds from their own.
“Lessons on diversity are an important part of a child’s growth and development. In addition to helping them learn to be understanding of cultural differences, exposure to diversity can help your child gain a better appreciation for their own culture through comparison. “Encourage a celebration of cultures near and far, including your own, to help your child grow to be an accepting, compassionate adult, who values the differences in others.” – Dr. Zurn
