Early Childhood Education: Cultural Awareness and Role of Educators

This assignment solution addresses the role of educators in early childhood education, emphasizing the importance of building a foundation for children's understanding of themselves and others. It explores how teachers can foster cultural awareness through classroom activities, research, and inclusivity. The solution provides examples of cultural traditions experienced directly by children, such as celebrating cultural events and participating in co-curricular activities. The paper also highlights the significance of storytelling and the role of educators in instilling traditional and cultural values. The assignment includes references to support the arguments and provides a comprehensive overview of the topic.

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.

INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION 3
Give three examples about cultural traditions through direct experience
Children can learn various cultural traditions through direct experience in a number of
ways. Imagine all children celebrating cultural events for a particular community in school;
during Ramadhan all children gather with their Muslims classmates to celebrate. Children
celebrating Diwali festival of lights with their Indian classmates to mark the spiritual victory of
light over darkness as well as knowledge over ignorance. Children gather to watch Chinese
horoscope with animal symbols highlighting their personalities and culture. They get to learn
their identity, appreciate one another and their attitude change positively ("Appendix. Jewish
Traditions and Ceremonies: How Original?" 2013). These variety of culture is an important
experience for children going forward.
During co-curriculum activities such as music festival, children from different
backgrounds are grouped hence learn from one another. Some practicum entries also promote
cultural awareness, in college students are allowed by their parents to join schools with students
from different diversities, they are allowed to date and intermarry. Additionally, through story
telling children get to learn moral values that their communities practice. African folk tales for
instance describe unique characteristics of people, animals and plants. From the stories, children
from Africa can get to learn on their way life, how people in the past lived and conducted
themselves regarding certain customs and cultural values.
In conclusion, educator has a major role to play in laying the foundation for learning
process in a child’s life. Teachers have a better chance of instilling traditional and cultural values
that society hold dearly. They can achieve this by giving every child a chance to express his or
herself and interact with others freely.

INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION 4
References
Appendix. Jewish Traditions and Ceremonies: How Original? (2013). Cultural Exchange,
162-166. doi:10.1515/9781400846092-008
Bullard, J. (2019). Setting the Stage. Creating Curriculum in Early Childhood, 1-18.
doi:10.4324/9780203703816-1
Nelson, K. (2017). The Cultural Construction of Memory in Early Childhood. Oxford
Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/oso/9780190230814.003.0009
Pieronkiewicz, B., & Szczygieł, M. (2019). How can parents and elementary school teachers
promote resilience in young children through mathematical conversations? Early
Child Development and Care, 1-15. doi:10.1080/03004430.2019.1647189