Multicultural Ideas

[midaycare]

This. Honestly, half of the things the OP posted are offensive imo or wouldn't count for me when the state comes. They don't want to see people in foreign outfits acting like they just got off the boat. Honestly, this 2015. People aren't wearing traditional costumes in their homelands most of the times unless it's for celebrations or something. I don't get say a child from African wearing a dashki. I get a child from Africa (or African parents) who wears what we do. I feel this post is more true.

I'm sorry you are offended. Anyhow ... the materials you are talking about are intended to be used to show kids in their traditional country, not being integrated into the U.S. I have a large "our world" section on one of my walls. I actually think it is fun to learn about traditional, historical dress. But I'm a history buff, so there's that. We learn about a different country each month and talk about all of these things.

When the STARS program came into my home and looked at my multicultural items/programs, they told me I had the best setup they had ever seen. So ... I will go with what they think.

It is probably hard for you to see how I use these materials without me explaining every one - and the above is a fraction of what I use - but the purpose of this post was to provide the ideas for materials so the daycare providers could decide how to use them creatively.

[redmaple]

Another simple idea is magazine cut outs. I have family members pass on their old magazines and I cut out various pictures of babies and children from multiples backgrounds. I cut out Dads and children, Moms and children, seniors, and well just have a whole collection of diverse pictures. Some I put on poster boards and display. Some I laminate and put velcro on the back for the felt board.

[midaycare]

Another simple idea is magazine cut outs. I have family members pass on their old magazines and I cut out various pictures of babies and children from multiples backgrounds. I cut out Dads and children, Moms and children, seniors, and well just have a whole collection of diverse pictures. Some I put on poster boards and display. Some I laminate and put velcro on the back for the felt board.

I like it!

[Unregistered]

I'm sorry you are offended. Anyhow ... the materials you are talking about are intended to be used to show kids in their traditional country, not being integrated into the U.S. I have a large "our world" section on one of my walls. I actually think it is fun to learn about traditional, historical dress. But I'm a history buff, so there's that. We learn about a different country each month and talk about all of these things.

When the STARS program came into my home and looked at my multicultural items/programs, they told me I had the best setup they had ever seen. So ... I will go with what they think.

It is probably hard for you to see how I use these materials without me explaining every one - and the above is a fraction of what I use - but the purpose of this post was to provide the ideas for materials so the daycare providers could decide how to use them creatively.

I understand what you're doing with them, but it's not accurate. If you go to another country most of the time they dress like we do here. They're not wearing historical garb. I think it's a disservice to teach children "If you go to China, the children are going to be wearing (the outfit on the cover of the book you posted)". They're not. I think it's good to teach all sides, but it should be accurate.

[Unregistered]

Another simple idea is magazine cut outs. I have family members pass on their old magazines and I cut out various pictures of babies and children from multiples backgrounds. I cut out Dads and children, Moms and children, seniors, and well just have a whole collection of diverse pictures. Some I put on poster boards and display. Some I laminate and put velcro on the back for the felt board.

Or I will use foreign containers/labels. If I see a child with something from with foreign writing, I will take the wrapper/container and clean it and put it in the kitchen play area.

[redmaple]

I understand what unregistered is saying too. I laugh that often in the counties around the world snapshots for kids it typically shows Canadians with an igloo and dogsleds. Which often makes me question the accuracy of how other countries and cultures are portrayed

[midaycare]

I understand what you're doing with them, but it's not accurate. If you go to another country most of the time they dress like we do here. They're not wearing historical garb. I think it's a disservice to teach children "If you go to China, the children are going to be wearing (the outfit on the cover of the book you posted)". They're not. I think it's good to teach all sides, but it should be accurate.

Except that's not what I teach . I use a variety of resources to teach modern and historical concepts for each country - to the point 2 and 3 year olds can understand.

[midaycare]

I think this is a good discussion on multiculturalism. Not exactly what I was going for in this thread, but still important. I think it is egotistical to present to children that everyone is "the same". When you go to different countries, people dress and do different things. They have different customs. Do the people dress exactly like the children on the language cards or country cards? Definitely not in all cases. Would someone from that country be offended by the pictures? I don't think so. Someone from the Netherlands visited and saw the picture of the girl in the Dutch costume and loved it. The Spanish teacher I pay to come in is from Columbia and that country card shows a little boy in shorts and a t-shirt playing soccer. She lives for soccer, so she's definitely not offended. The cards took one or two things the country was known for, and tried to incorporate them into the dress.

I think we are becoming waaaaaay too PC.

With that said, I don't expect someone from South Africa to dress in jeans and a sweatshirt. Or someone from Morocco. Things are different in each country, as are customs. I work hard to go above and beyond the "picture cards" - but there has to be a starting point. And for 2 or 3 year olds, that's my starting point.

Now that is just for teaching different cultures/countries. When I work with multiculturalism in my daycare, I set up my daycare so everything is partial to not just one type of culture. As a PP mentioned, my books were carefully chosen, station signs depict different children, I am careful to have men and women doing role-reversed occupations and have books and dolls that show such, my puppets, babies, and Barbie's are all equally distributed, the food in the kitchen is from around the world, I have a lot of items depicting handicapped children, yada, yada, yada.

[Unregistered]

I think this is a good discussion on multiculturalism. Not exactly what I was going for in this thread, but still important. I think it is egotistical to present to children that everyone is "the same". When you go to different countries, people dress and do different things. They have different customs. Do the people dress exactly like the children on the language cards or country cards? Definitely not in all cases. Would someone from that country be offended by the pictures? I don't think so. Someone from the Netherlands visited and saw the picture of the girl in the Dutch costume and loved it. The Spanish teacher I pay to come in is from Columbia and that country card shows a little boy in shorts and a t-shirt playing soccer. She lives for soccer, so she's definitely not offended. The cards took one or two things the country was known for, and tried to incorporate them into the dress.

I think we are becoming waaaaaay too PC.

With that said, I don't expect someone from South Africa to dress in jeans and a sweatshirt. Or someone from Morocco. Things are different in each country, as are customs. I work hard to go above and beyond the "picture cards" - but there has to be a starting point. And for 2 or 3 year olds, that's my starting point.

Now that is just for teaching different cultures/countries. When I work with multiculturalism in my daycare, I set up my daycare so everything is partial to not just one type of culture. As a PP mentioned, my books were carefully chosen, station signs depict different children, I am careful to have men and women doing role-reversed occupations and have books and dolls that show such, my puppets, babies, and Barbie's are all equally distributed, the food in the kitchen is from around the world, I have a lot of items depicting handicapped children, yada, yada, yada.

I agree there has to be a starting point, but I think it should be an accurate one. For example, there was a child I had years ago. Who loved dinosaurs. I could have shown him a MILLION books about dinosaurs. It would have stuff like the names and where they lived when they were alive. I feel I was doing a disservice when I showed him books that showed certain dinosaurs (I think called theropauds, but I forget the groups)without feathers. For example, books that used the work Pterodactyl instead of Pterodon. It molds their minds for misinformation. Race and culture is something we have to deal with, unlike a hobby (like dinosaurs). I think this where our ideas differ. You want to deal with as, at least from your posts, Asian people live in China, Japan, India and do X,Y, Z. Where as I want to approach it as Ming is from Japan. In Japan they make phones. We all use phones. Ming's dad/mom is Japanese and her mom/dad is Japanese American. They use phones, but they work as a teacher and policeman. I think this is more realistic than Ming is Japanese. Her mom/dad was born in America, but her dad/mom and grandparents were born in Japan. Talk about stuff they do and wear a few times a year. To me, it reminds me of a Jewish friend I have. She said "Because Hanukkah and Christmas are close together, people assume it's like Christmas. When to Jewish people, it's Yom Kapor (sp?) that's a big holiday". I don't think we should imprint these biases on young children. Sorry this is so long.

[midaycare]

I agree there has to be a starting point, but I think it should be an accurate one. For example, there was a child I had years ago. Who loved dinosaurs. I could have shown him a MILLION books about dinosaurs. It would have stuff like the names and where they lived when they were alive. I feel I was doing a disservice when I showed him books that showed certain dinosaurs (I think called theropauds, but I forget the groups)without feathers. For example, books that used the work Pterodactyl instead of Pterodon. It molds their minds for misinformation. Race and culture is something we have to deal with, unlike a hobby (like dinosaurs). I think this where our ideas differ. You want to deal with as, at least from your posts, Asian people live in China, Japan, India and do X,Y, Z. Where as I want to approach it as Ming is from Japan. In Japan they make phones. We all use phones. Ming's dad/mom is Japanese and her mom/dad is Japanese American. They use phones, but they work as a teacher and policeman. I think this is more realistic than Ming is Japanese. Her mom/dad was born in America, but her dad/mom and grandparents were born in Japan. Talk about stuff they do and wear a few times a year. To me, it reminds me of a Jewish friend I have. She said "Because Hanukkah and Christmas are close together, people assume it's like Christmas. When to Jewish people, it's Yom Kapor (sp?) that's a big holiday". I don't think we should imprint these biases on young children. Sorry this is so long.

I completely understand where you are coming from, I just think you have a different idea of what I do. I don't teach about Ming in America, I teach about Ming in Japan. Because I want children to realize there is a world outside of the one they know.

Any multicultural differences within America I try to teach throughout play.