Anti-Bias Education Principles in Early Learning

Teaching your children to understand and accept differences at an early age is an important discourse. Anti bias education creates inclusivity and nurtures cross-cultural opportunities. It fosters stronger relationships between children which begets a positive community interconnectedness. Appreciation of all dimensions of culture, family structure, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age and socioeconomic differences must be fostered in an early childhood education setting in order to acclimate children to a diverse community and breed opportunities for cultural exchange. There are steps you can take within a classroom to impart anti bias education principles to preschool students.

Teaching anti bias principles may involve the use of resources like storybooks which defy outdated stereotypes. Books which empower women and explore countercultural relationship dynamics are good ways to create discussion amongst kids about scenarios that defy their knowledge of socioeconomic standards. By doing this you give children the chance to relate to anti bias stories and share their perspective which can give other students unfamiliar with the concepts explored additional perspective of their own. Children can be questioned about gender roles, family structure and cultural representation to employ critical thinking in the context of their sociocultural expectations. The goal of discussion should be to make children accept anti bias equality principles.

Decisively, it’s sometimes uncomfortable speaking to children about realities which defy their understanding of normal situations in contemporary society. However, teacher’s own critically fundamental biases should be overcome by commitment to the principle of equality and interdependence which supports a healthy societal structure. Being uncomfortable should not deter you from the work required to speak to children about anti bias principles.

Another teaching method which works in instruction of anti bias principles is problem solving and communication of easier topics. STEM learning can be imparted to children to teach them about the natural world, digital tools, mechanical tools and basic arithmetic following high-velocity discussion of sociocultural understanding. When the teaching format has been decided during a trial of easier topics of discussion, anti bias learning can materialise in a familiar manner to children. Students’ brains are shaped to an extent by the format of teaching and when they have compartmentalised knowledge structures, they can take on-board more difficult subjects with greater ease.

One additional way to teach children anti bias subject material is to use children’s vocabulary in discussion of potentially uncomfortable topics. By reflecting what children know with compounding knowledge of subject matter you enable them to learn new information and grow with an appreciation of diversity and counter-stereotypical perspective. When children have encountered sociocultural stereotypes elsewhere, they tend to remember their impressions. Some effort must be made to adjust children to their immediate community in order to strengthen bonds between different groups within that community.

To conclude, have faith in the ability of children to overcome oppressive perspectives when they undergo instruction of anti bias principles. Teaching anti bias fundamentals strengthens communities and builds advocacy for a diverse point of view within students in an early childhood education setting.

At Robyn Taylor Early Childhood Centre, we encourage our students to develop their anti bias opinions. We often manifest a cultural responsive discourse as part of the Robyn Taylor early learning method. If you would like to book a tour of our early childhood education centre or enrol your child, please use our contact page to reach out to us or call on 02 9705 8309.