My Connections to Play

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Creating Affirming Environments

When I open my Family Childcare Home, I will strive to provide an anti-bias environment where children feel safe, welcome, and supported in all areas of development.  Children will be engaged in one-on-one conversations and interactions as well as group activities to promote that they are valued.   The families will be an integral part of the program with an open door policy and family members will be encouraged to volunteer and share their abilities and talents.  Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) convey “when we reach out to families to include them in every aspect of our program, families feel that they are teachers’ true partners” (p. 42).   Respect and appreciation for individual sociocultural factors will be a priority.            


Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) explain that children need materials that reflect and honor diversity not only from their identity groups, but also from identity groups that are different from theirs.  This will help children, and families, to appreciate, respect, and value similarities and differences.  The large family room will have a dramatic play area with clothing and uniforms representing various careers, diverse foods, and dolls reflecting different racial and ethnic background.  The block area will have various kinds of block and block play people with diverse abilities.  The music center will have diverse child musical instruments and music representing different cultures.  In the art area, there will be construction paper, crayons, multi-colored paints and an easel, as well as play dough for children to express their creativity.  There will also be an area where children can display their artwork.  The goal of my Family Child Care Home will be to promote a child’s healthy self-image and self-confidence and provide optimal opportunities to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.    

References


Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

                                                                      

3 comments:

  1. Hi Ms. Jackson

    Great Job I feel that everyone that open up an Child Care Center should strive to provide a child safe environment and to be support in all area development. Yes respect and appreciation is a priority.

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  2. Hello Keli
    I think you did a wonderful job in creating an affirmative environment. Specific design techniques, when combined with a caring teacher, can help the environment become a wonderful place for nurturing the development of young children. Children who live in this classroom will have many opportunities for expanding their knowledge by actively participating in a world that is appropriate for their level of development.

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  3. Hello Keli
    I think that your center will be a very affirmative environment. Often people do not understand how important the environment is itself. I think you have fully planned your center and that you will be a very effective antibias educator!

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