Child Development 42Roots and WingsAffirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs

Dr. Gallegos

CH. 1The Changing Face of our Classrooms Three points are critical to understanding the impact of diversity on

early childhood classrooms: The United States is a racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse

country that diversity is increasing and not diminishing Most education in the United States does not take this diversity

into account and a result ineffective for students of color Professional standards in the early childhood field increasingly

require that early childhood teachers view diversity as a strength nd provide culturally relevant programs.

2010 Census if California Population Total Population 37,253,956 Households with individuals under 184,713,016 Population by Sex/Age

Male 18,517,830 Female 18,736,126 Under 18 9,295,040 18 & over 27,958,916 20 - 24 2,765,949 25 - 34 5,317,877 35 - 49 7,872,529 50 - 64 6,599,045 65 & over 4,246,514

Racial Diversity in the United States2010 Census if California Population by Ethnicity Hispanic or Latino 14,013,719 Non Hispanic or Latino 23,240,237 Population by Race White 21,453,934 African American 2,299,072 Asian 4,861,007 American Indian and Alaska Native 362,801 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander 144,386 Other 6,317,372 Identified by two or more 1,815,384

“Minorities” are becoming the “Majority” By 2025, nearly one in four schoolagers will be Latino.

America’s children are more diverse than the general U.S. population.

By 2050, half of all Americans will be people of color, which means that, according to the NAEYC 92001), “U.S. babies born today will reach adulthood in a country in which no one ethnic predominates.”

Immigration It has been a major force shaping America’s history, economy, and social life.

Diversity is Spreading beyond the inner city Today’s immigrants are settling in suburban and rural areas. It caught many community leaders, administrators and teachers by surprise They must rethink their practices and change the way they provide services.

Unauthorized Population by Country of Origin, 2012

Teacher-Student Mismatch Demand is great for bilingual teachers and teachers of color.

In accordance to the book, there is a lack of 17 years discrepancy.

Unequal Outcomes U.S. continues to be sharply divided along racial, cultural,

social class, and gender lines. Children of color score lower on standardized tests and have

higher dropout rates

They are more likely tan white children to be identified as having special needs, more often placed in non-college tracks, less likely to be recommended for gifted and talented programs, and more likely to receive more harsher discipline in school.

Unequal Outcomes Reasons for such unequal treatment and outcomes include

the following: You can’t teach someone whose identity you are truing to

ignore or aren’t willing to acknowledge. The classroom, the teaching-learning process, and the

curriculum are oriented European American or white students.

Teachers assume children of color or children who are English language learners are inferior and as a result set lower expectations for these children.

Children of color experience a lack of success in the early grades, which discourage them or alienates them from school.

Redefining Good Teaching Heard start Performance Standards-include principles for multicultural programming and addressing diversity in the classroom. It includes teacher behaviors such as demonstrating respect for children’s cultures, offering a classroom environment that naturally reflects the cultures, offering a classroom environment that naturally reflects the cultures of the children, promoting children’s primary language while helping them acquire English, and avoiding stereotypic materials and activities.

Questions to Discuss What are your dreams for society?

What will happen if we don’t revise the way we prepare teachers?

CH. 2Children and Prejudice Differences children notice

Child Development Infants

Toddlers

Twos

Threes and Fours

Fives and Sixes

Sevens to Nines

Research about Children’s Awareness of Human Differences Stages of Racial Awareness and Prejudice

Infants Toddlers Twos Threes and Fours Fives and Sixes Sevens to Nines Nines and Twelves

What is Prejudice? The Root of Prejudices-Stereotypes

Discrimination