Raising a culturally aware child is of utmost importance. After all, who doesn’t want their child to value principles like equality and be socially accepting of diversity? While parenting to foster a passion for diversity, acceptance, and equality may seem like a daunting task, if you undertake culturally responsive teaching, it will be easier! Here are four tips to help you raise socially aware children:
1. Talk to them about privilege- Privilege may feel like an intimidating concept to talk about to a child, but children are curious, and they do notice social differences. They recognize gender differences, cultural differences, color differences by the age of four. Their social perceptions and attitudes are shaped accordingly. Talk to your child about diversity, cultural differences, and tell them how sometimes certain groups face difficulties because of that. Culturally responsive teaching helps your child respect differences.
2. Use the natural curiosity of children to teach them- Parents often shush their child when they ask questions about difference in public, be it about a disability or color difference. Don’t do that. You not only confuse the child but may also make the other person feel like you are unwilling to talk to them about diversity. A child’s curiosity is always worth addressing.
3. Ensure your child’s choice is diverse in terms of books and toys- The kind of books your child reads or the toys they play with have a lot of impact on how they perceive diversity and cultural differences. You may consider picking a bilingual, multicultural book every once in a while.
4. Allow your child to speak and listen- It is assumed that parents are always right. Most times they are, but never let power differential between you and your child get in the way of listening! Children are observant and have important as well as valid perspectives. You may disagree but allow your child to speak and learn about their perspectives. That way, you will get to know your child better.
Multicultural books are a vital part of culturally responsive teaching. If you want to buy a few, do visit Language Lizard. They have a good collection!
Once upon a time, in a world full of screens and swipes, there lived a small but mighty tool that could shape how children understood language, culture, and imagination: the bilingual book. For families seeking to raise strong Russian-English bilingual learners, this treasure trove begins not with a magic spell but with something far more effective, a well-stocked shelf of fairy tales and folktales. We're not talking about just any storybook. We're diving into thoughtfully curated Russian children's books designed for learners who speak Russian at home and are learning English, or vice versa. This isn't fluff. This is foundational, and if you're a parent, caregiver, or teacher looking to foster true language development while embracing culture, keep reading. The journey from Baba Yaga to Goldilocks is more exciting than you think. Why Folktales Make Fantastic Language Teachers Folktales are the wise grandparents of literature. They repeat keywords, use rhythmic phr...
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