Anti-Bias Opportunities

06/30/2014

For the child…it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.
Rachel Carson

In Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards observe that nearly every subject area in a typical early childhood program has possibilities for anti-bias education themes and activities. They suggest that every time you plan any curriculum, stop and answer the following questions:

What aspect(s) of diversity can be part of this topic?
How can I use this topic to help children explore and enjoy the theme: "We are all the same; we are all different."
What ideas, misconceptions, and stereotypes might children have about this topic?
How can I design activities for this topic to include all children, given their differences in culture, family structure, language, racial identity, gender, abilities, and economic class?
How can I use this topic to support and strengthen children's innate sense of justice and their capacity to change unfair situations to fair ones?

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