Celebrating Cultural Diversity.
Becoming aware of cultural diversity is a foundation for life. It is crucial as role models we support and encourage children to understand diversity and implement the value of different cultures to teach children to accept and respect people and their traditions from all over the world. Every learning environments a child is exposed to will be diverse. It is important that in the early years children develop an understanding and respect for the
The Early Years Learning Framework expresses the importance of diversity of culture and emphasises the importance of cultural competencey in supporting the development of every child and their sense of 'belonging, being and becoming'.
‘Educators who are culturally competent respect multiple cultural ways of knowing, seeing and living, celebrate the benefits of diversity and have an ability to understand and honour differences’ (EYLF, 2009, p.16).
WHAT IS CULTURAL DIVERSITY?
“Cultural diversity refers to people who identify with particular groups based on their birthplace, ethnicity, language, values, beliefs or world views. This does not mean that everyone from a particular cultural group will hold exactly the same values or do things in the same way” (KidsMatter. (2012-13). Cultural diversity and children’s wellbeing, 4. https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/sites/default/files/public/KMP_C1_CDCW_CulturalDiversityAndChildrensWellbeing.pdf. © Commonwealth of Australia 2008, reproduced with permission. p 1).
The Australian curriculum was built around student diversity to ecourage excellence and equity in education. Students develop an intercultural understanding as they learn to value their own as well as others cultures, languages and beliefs. They come to understand how personal, group and national identities are shaped, and the variable and changing nature of culture. The capability involves students in learning about and engaging with diverse cultures in ways that recognise commonalities and differences, create connections with others and cultivate mutual respect.
The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA 2008) recognises the fundamental role that education plays in building a society that is ‘cohesive and culturally diverse, and that values Australia’s Indigenous cultures’ (MCEETYA, p. 4). Intercultural understanding addresses this role, developing students who are active and informed citizens with an appreciation of Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, and the ability to relate to and communicate across cultures at local, regional and global levels.
Goal 1: Australian schooling promote equity and excellence
Goal 2: All young Australians become:
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successful learners
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confident and creative individuals
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active and informed citizens
Achieving these educational goals is the collective responsibility of governments, school sectors and individual schools as well as parents and carers, young Australians, families, other education and training providers, business and the broader community.
Help your child develop a sense of belonging by:
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Identifying and understanding your own culture.
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Getting to know your child's ECEC service.
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Build social networks.
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Seek support.
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Remember that it takes time to adjust to unfamiliar environments.
For more information from the KidsMatter website on this topic, click here.
Early Years Learning Framework and its connection to cultural competence:
The following principles build cultural competence by:
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secure, respectful, reciprocal relationships.
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partnerships.
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high expectations and equity.
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respect for diversity.
Outcome 2: children are connected with and contribute to their world - Children respond to diversity with respect
Books to read:
Giraffes can't dance written by Giles Andreae
Stinky the bulldog written by Jackie Valent
The colour of home written by Mary Hoffman
Below is a video to introduce the idea of cultural diversity to children in an engaging, relevant manner.
AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
ACLCHU126 | Content description | Foundation to Year 2 | Chinese | Background Language Learner Pathway | Years F–10 Sequence | Understanding | Language variation and change
Content description: Recognise diversity in expressions and gestures used in everyday social interaction across cultures
Elaborations
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observe and participate in interactions with a range of participants, and discuss how different people use language in different ways, for example, a range of ways of greeting and farewelling
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understanding that gestures can enhance communication but might be interpreted differently by different people
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learning about etiquette in everyday social contexts, such as how to address adults, for example, 王阿姨好
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comparing language use among family members (for example, with parents and siblings), and recognising different languages(e.g. Putonghua, a dialect or English) used for different participants, for example, 我跟爸爸妈妈说中文，跟哥哥说英文
General capabilities include: literacy, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability and intercultural understanding
Classroom ideas:
All classrooms should have culturally diverse books, stories and songs. Celebrate a range of holidays, dress ups, dolls representing different ethnicity and celebrate NAIDOC week.
Day in the bush:
Organise an Aboriginal elder to visit the class to speak to students about the natural environment, Indigenous connection to country (past and present), and to conduct a range of culturally relevant activities with the students. The activities take place outside the classroom in a local bush and are based around the student’s ability level and interests. Aboriginal Elder, Mr Leonard Thorn has had ample experience with conducting these talks and activities for a range of schools and students (Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia. (2012). Playing with the Australian Curriculum (R. Duncan Ed.). Western Australia: Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia., p. 75).
Meals around the work:
Send a note home to ask families to find a recipe that is relevant to their families culture and for their children to bring it into class. A class recipe book can be created and looked at into more detail focusing on the diverse backgrounds and where the recipes orignate from. Weekly as a class you could focus on one recipe and create it.
Here is a blog looking at the importance of celebrating diversity in classrooms. http://alliemarievanek.weebly.com/blogging/multicultural-education-in-your-classroom
ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, Australian CurriculumRetrieved from: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Department of Education, Employment and Workforce Relations (DEEWR) (2010), Educators Belonging, Being and Becoming: Educators Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
Retrieved from: http://files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources Kit/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008)
Retrieved from: http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf
(Swain, B. (2014). eHow. Activities to promote cultural diversity to preschoolers. from http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8223484_activities-promote-cultur