Saturday, March 15, 2014

Creating Affirming Environments


I will want to have a Family Childcare Home that is located between a middle class and lower class neighborhood. I think this will benefit all children and families. To help me have a Family Child Care Home where all children and families feel welcomed I will start by having an area where each child can have a piece of home or their culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). This will include pictures, fabrics, paintings, and anything that will make the child feel comfortable. Other areas in my Family Childcare Home will include:

Books: These books will be about diverse families, different cultures, varying abilities, genders, and elderly people. These books will allow children to experience people who are different and the same as them (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Pictures: Classroom pictures, family pictures, and pictures from diverse families (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Music: Music from different cultures. Each child can experience the music people of different cultures and diversity listen to (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Dolls: Every doll will be different. They will be a different age, race, and gender. Boys and girls will experience playing with dolls of different races and genders than they are.

Puzzle: Puzzles will be diverse people in a variety of roles (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). .

DVDs: They will be diverse and have people who speak different languages (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Blocks: The blocks will be different colors and any child could play with them (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Dramatic Play Area: This area will have a kitchen, washer and dryer, iron and ironing board, clothing items from different cultures and roles (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

As I move forward I’m sure there will much more to add to my Family Child Care Home. It won’t be perfect, but I will learn as I go. “The important thing is to let children know through your actions that diversity and acceptance of others are good, and prejudice is not”, Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).

Reference

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. (n.d.). Welcome to an anti-bias learning community. (Video webcast).

            Retrieved from

            https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4775481_1%26url%3D

3 comments:

  1. Brenda,

    I think you did a great job of encompassing all areas of diversity in the classroom. I know you said you are not in the classroom not but I am curious if you feel that if you were in a classroom most or all of these items/areas could be found as a result of what you are learning in your Master's program or if they were already present before you began the program. Thanks for sharing your thoughtful ideas!

    Tara

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. All of these areas and others were present before I began my Master's program. I have previous experience working with Pre-K (five years) in which we had these areas. I currently work for the public school system, so I have the pleasure of visiting Pre-K and other classrooms regularly.

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  2. Brenda,
    I agree that it is important to have materials to assist in learning and to represent the children. You have created a family friendly learning environment. Keep up the good work.

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