Early Childhood And Educations Assignment

Running Head: INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
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INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
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INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION 2
Introduction
At early childhood stage, children are open minded and eager to learn new things and
gain experience, Children get influenced by the traditional and cultural practices they are
exposed to during this stage. The environment a child grows in is therefore of great importance
as they emulate behaviors and characters of people in their immediate environment (Nelson,
2017). Teachers or facilitators therefore should portray a sense of responsibility and care; they
should create cultural awareness among children to enable them appreciate each other.
What is the educator’s role to ‘build the foundation” for children’s understanding of
themselves and others?
Teachers should allow children to freely participate in class activities as a means of
fostering cultural awareness. Children should be given chance to research on their traditions and
cultural beliefs (Pieronkiewicz & Szczygieł, 2019). For instance, asking children to research
about what interest them most about their culture. As they present their findings in presence of
others, they get to interact through asking and answering follow-up questions. In the end they get
to learn and appreciate one another. In a culturally responsive classroom, facilitator can promote
a sense of inclusivity among children from different backgrounds (Bullard, 2019).
During my early childhood education, walls and learning charts in our classes were
labeled using multiple languages including sign language. They were placed side by side to
allow us read them together. Our teachers also made it a habit for everyone to greet class in his
or her native language. The minority group like non-native are encouraged and given equal
chance to express themselves in the language they understand and not shy away from their
culture. This promotes a sense of identity. Learning materials can be simplified into simple
language that children can understand easily.