While it is easy to say that we are all simply human, the truth is that there is endless diversity among us. People belong to different races, religions, communities, and so on. And it is important that this diversity is accepted and celebrated. Children need to be taught about it at a young age. Fortunately, there are various resources available, including children’s picture books about diversity, that can help teachers and parents do that.
Importance Of Teaching and Promoting Diversity in the Classroom
There are some pretty significant benefits to teaching about diversity in a classroom setting. Here are some of them:
• Improves cognitive skills and critical thinking
When children begin to consider and understand perspectives other than their own, they develop better cognitive skills and critical thinking.
• Makes children more empathetic
Learning about diversity can help children eliminate their own prejudices and become more empathetic to the experiences of those around them.
• Prepares children to become global citizens
When children are exposed to different cultures and groups, they are better prepared to work in a global economy with a diverse group of people.
• Improve student performance
Students learn and work better when they are in a diverse environment. Also, when they are allowed to read diverse books, they are able to improve their academic performance.
Diversity Activities for Kids
If you want to help children develop a sense of respect, acceptance, and appreciation for the diversity around them, here are some of the activities you can try:
• Reach diverse children’s books
One way to learn about other cultures is to read diverse children’s books. Now, with numerous online stores offering an extensive selection of titles for kids, it has become easier than ever to find children’s books from other countries as well as those written in other languages.
• Create artwork from a different culture
Art has always been a reflection of culture and society and there is perhaps no better way to teach children about diversity than through arts and crafts. From Brazilian Rain Sticks to Japanese origami, the options are seemingly endless.
• Explore food from other cultures
Food is another great way to appreciate cultural differences. If you have a diverse classroom, you can ask your students to bring a dish from their culture and tell the other students about it and let them taste it.
• Listen to music/watch movies
Kids love listening to music and watching movies. So, why not use that as an opportunity to teach them about diversity? Introduce them to songs and movies from countries around the world so that they can have fun while they learn.
No matter which of these activities you pick, you can rest assured that they will prove to be effective in teaching children how to respect and appreciate other cultures and communities. The best thing about these activities is that they can be practiced at home, too, because learning doesn’t stop in the classroom.
But now that we have discussed some of the things you should do to teach kids about diversity, let’s also look at a few things you should not do.
What Not to Do
If you want to teach your kids or students to be more open-minded toward those that are different from them, here are a few mistakes you should avoid:
• Using the wrong language
It is very important for adults to be mindful of the language they use around children, especially when talking about something like diversity and inclusion. Make sure you avoid using terms that might have negative connotations when referring to another culture. You should use appropriately positive language that promotes a wholesome understanding of diversity for the kids.
• Assuming that children don’t see differences
Children today interact with people from various backgrounds and they do see the differences. They do notice when someone doesn’t look or talk like they do. In fact, studies have shown that children as young as 3 years old can express racial bias. So, do not make the mistake of assuming that your students are unaware of race or religion.
As mentioned in this article, promoting diversity and inclusion in the classroom can have some amazing benefits for kids. To make sure that your students are getting the most out of their diversity education, you need to equip them with the right tools and resources that can enhance their understanding. For instance, there are several preschool books about diversity, including storybooks and picture books, which are specially designed to introduce the idea to younger kids.
