[Stephanie Miranda]

1. Family newsletters! I use Canva, Google Slides, and MS Office usually.

2. LOTS of pictures. LOTS of fun art projects, Maintaining balance of working kid photos and “happy kid” photos

3. Clear, consistent communication in the partnering family’s home language.

[Erin Robb]

1) Making your classroom family friendly (i.e. having pictures of different cultures, asking families for photos)

2) Asking families if they are alright educating me on their culture, so that I might intergrate into my curriculum.

3) Asking families if they might be willing to come and show the class something that is important to them about their culture.

[Zacaria]

1. Post pictures in classroom, bring cultural snacks from each student!

2. Stay connected with family and learn about them and their traditions!

[Danielle]

I love to make sure that there are lots of culturally diverse posters/pictures/decor in the classroom. Also making sure that the toys & interactive elements of the classroom are diverse as well such as the play food in the kitchen, clothing in dramatic play, etc.

My son’s school this year asked each family before the school year started what holidays or traditions they celebrate as a family which is such a great way to make sure that you are then including that in your classroom celebrations throughout the year.

You could do a special show & tell where each student gets to bring in a special item to share with the class that represents a favorite celebration or holiday that their family partakes in.

My last preschool center would do an annual family culture night where families could bring a favorite dish or meal from their home country & we would have a giant school-wide potluck where you get to try different dishes from all across the world & it was always one of our most favorite days of the year.

[Faith]

I like to start the year with an “all about me” form for parents to fill out with their children so I can get a general picture of how they like to spend their time and some traditions they may have.

I also stay away from holiday specific celebrations and do more seasonally themed events.

<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”>I encourage all parents to come in and talk about their families culture, places they have traveled, occupations, etc. It is important that the parents feel their child is represented and understood–its even more </font>important<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> the child feels that way and that the other students are exposed to a variety of </font>different<font color=”rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” face=”inherit”> backgrounds and cultures. </font>

[Clarissa Dickinson]

ways to make your classroom and build a sense of community that honors diversity would be to add culturally diverse books, toys and materials so that kids feel included, talk too families about their traditions during holidays, educate all the children about holidays and different cultural practices, make sure to showcase different languages on posters or pictures depicting different things such as days, colors, numbers etc.

[Natasha]

Diverse Books and Media: Include books, music, and videos that feature characters and stories from various cultural backgrounds, family structures, abilities, and identities. Multicultural Activities: Plan activities that expose children to different cultural traditions, celebrations, and customs. This could include art projects, music, dance, storytelling, and food.Multilingual Signs and Labels: Label classroom objects and create signs in multiple languages

[Amanda]

Creating a welcoming classroom culture: Making each of the children in my care feel safe, respected, and valued by acknowledging their diverse backgrounds and identities. Its the perfect way to practice preventative discipline and build a positive classroom culture where students are engaged, focused, and friendly.