Start Seeing Diversity

Book excerpt: Start Seeing Diversity helps teachers recognize and reduce bias in young children by illustrating one community's effort to create a responsive child care program. Developed by teachers at Washington-Beech Community Preschool in Boston, this training handbook provides a framework for understanding bias among preschool children, reorganized for stand-alone use as a student text. Nine detailed chapters treat six areas of bias—gender, age, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, economic class, and physical abilities—as well as the goals and guiding assumptions of anti-bias curriculum. Accompanying discussion questions encourage readers to examine their own memories and experiences. Perfect for pre-service and in-service teacher training, this helpful guide includes information-rich appendices containing: Guidelines for challenging oppression and responding to incidents involving bias A checklist for creating and assessing anti-bias environments A guide to analyzing children's books Directions for making photograph games like the ones used at Washington-Beech The book also includes sample scenarios, details for classroom implementation, suggested resources, and guidelines for group leaders. Ellen Wolpert is the founding director of the Washington-Beech Community Preschool in Boston. Ms. Wolpert currently works for Education Development Center, Inc., in Newton, Massachusetts.