What is anti-bias education?

Dedicated educators work towards a more equitable future by practicing anti-bias education daily. By intentionally incorporating social-emotional skills into the curriculum, they provide students with a thoughtful and personalized education that recognizes and celebrates their unique identities.

At Neighborhood Villages, we believe that all children are entitled to high-quality early childhood education and care. We put this belief into practice by intentionally weaving anti-bias education principles into our curriculum resources. By intentionally incorporating social-emotional skills into the curriculum, we provide students with a thoughtful and personalized education that recognizes and celebrates their unique identities. But what is “anti-bias education” for such young children? How explicit are its lessons? How is it implemented?

The toddler stage is a critical time when children develop their social identities.  Early education researchers know that even the youngest children are capable of developing racial literacy. [1] Toddlers and preschoolers often have questions about differences, and as educators, we believe in answering them in thoughtful, developmentally appropriate ways. We use a framework of four anti-bias principles for implementing our goals through the NV Toddler Curriculum: identity, diversity, justice, and action. [2]

Identity means affirming children for who they are. This can look like integrating their home language into songs or stories, allowing them to approach sensory play in ways that feel comfortable, and thoughtfully selecting books and media that allow them to connect with their life experiences. Educators might greet children in Spanish or read a story about a child living in Boston, or encourage families to share their culture and customs.

Diversity means exposing children to identities, opinions, cultures, and customs different from their own. This can look like reading stories or looking at photographs of children around the world, acknowledging differences within the classroom community, or selecting literature that represents many types of people. Educators might set out a book of photographs featuring different family structures, play a song in another language, or encourage children to notice how a friend in a wheelchair gets around.

Justice means helping children recognize and understand the concept of fairness in everyday life. This can look like validating their feelings when one child pushes over another, thanking them for noticing when someone else needs help holding open a door, or pointing out the importance of taking turns when sharing materials. Educators might affirm that it feels unfair when a friend knocks over a block tower without asking, introduce vocabulary around emotions, or model empathy and respect in their interactions with children.

Action means teaching children how to act with fairness and respect for other people. This can look like helping children take turns with a prized toy, verbalizing emotions such as hurt or anger, and modeling age-appropriate ways of responding when they sense injustice. Educators might help children wait their turn for a paintbrush, engage them in cleaning up an outdoor space for the next group, or read a book about kindness.

For more information please visit Anti- Bias Leaders ECE at https://www.antibiasleadersece.com.

[1] Derman-Sparks et al., 2020

[2] Derman-Sparks et al., 2020