Creating Affirming Environments

An environment rich in anti-bias materials invites exploration and discovery and supports children’s play and conversations in both emergent and planned activities (Derman-Sparks &Olsen, 2010).

Presenting anti-bias education is important when working with diverse children and families. We live in such an ever changing world; therefore our early education programs need to change as well. Families need to see that their cultural is being presented and welcome in our early education programs. An anti-bias environment is also culturally consistent for the children and families it currently serves. In other words, anyone who is in your program at the time should feel comfortable (Derman-Sparks & Olsen, (2010).

Children and Families have questions like; does this place remind me enough of my home and my community that I feel belong here and will be cared for and safe? And this is the type of environment that early education programs should present to them.

In my classrooms, I try to implement a first bias-free environment, while demonstrating diversity throughout the classrooms. In my library area, I have books, and posters that represent families from all over the country and books that illustrate diversity. In home /family living my dolls represent diversity and the play foods are generated from American, Asian to Mexican foods.

My Family communication board represents all of my children families and culture’s. Families can also see our daily calendar that have the menu of what children are being served each day. I also pass out family communication sheets daily to give families a general idea of what children are doing throughout the day. My music area has pictures of children of different cultural backgrounds singing together, and music of diverse children. I even brought a song in that states, “We are children that comes from all around the world; Black and White, girls and boys.” In my block area, there are diverse children, men and women representing different cultural groups. When children see other cultural groups other than their own, they learn the meaning of what it is to be different is really about.

The resources inspired me to be more aware of demonstrating an anti-bias environment. As an early educator, I have learned that all families want and need is for their children to be in a loving, safe and welcoming environment and every early child care program should offer these type of services. And because children bring differences and such uniqueness to early education programs, educators must be able to promote these differences, not just demonstrated in the classrooms but also in teaching an anti-bias curriculum.   

Resource

    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).

"Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community".  Laureate Education, Inc. (2010).