AntiBias Classrooms

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Anti-Bias Classrooms
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Multicultural Activities should

• Be developmentally appropriate
• No stereotypes
• Foster self-esteem
• Acknowledge similarities
• Acknowledge diversity
• Teach children about their own culture
• Promote respect for other cultures
• Helps children notice and challenge prejudice

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Implementing Multicultural Education

• Remove stereotypic materials from room
• Make multicultural visual displays
• Develop small and large-group activities
• Use daily events to talk with children about
  concepts related to multicultural education
• Confront children on biased remarks and behavior
• Discuss sexism, classism, ageism, handicappism,
  etc

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Guidelines for Celebrating Holidays

• Dont allow holidays to be focus of curriculum
• Give all holidays equal importance
• Celebrate holidays relevant to children in
  program and involve parents
• Be sensitive and teach children that some groups
  dont celebrate holidays
• Focus on feelings associated with holidays rather
  than exotic costumes, food, and dances
• Celebrate in the context of people and families
  daily lives
• Give children accurate accounts of historical
  evens and reasons for holidays
• Recognize the difference between and celebration
  and a religious ritual
• Dont worry about celebrating on exact dates
  Combine similar holidays into one celebration
• Together with parents plan alternatives ahead of
  time for children who cant participate

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When Using Multicultural Books Ask

• Are characters "outside the mainstream culture"
  depicted as individuals or as caricatures?
• Does their representation include significant
  specific cultural information? Or does it follow
  stereotypes?
• Who has the power in this story? What is the
  nature of their power, and how do they use it?
• Who has wisdom? What is the nature of their
  wisdom, and how do they use it?
• What are the consequences of certain behaviors?
  What behaviors or traits are rewarded, and how?
  What behaviors are punished, and how?
• How is language used to create images of people
  of a particular group? How are artistic elements
  used to create those images?
• Who has written this story? Who has illustrated
  it? Are they inside or outside the groups they
  are presenting? What are they in a position to
  know? What do they claim to know?
• Whose voices are heard? Whose are missing?
• What do this narrative and these pictures say
  about race? Class? Culture? Gender? Age?
  Resistance to the status quo?