Connecting Research to Practice by shhmichael

NCECDTL

CONNECTING RESEARCH TO PRACTICE Tips For Working with Infants, Toddlers and Their Families

RESEARCH NOTES

THE TAKE HOME:

1. Home language is the foundation for children who are dual language learners. 2. Bilingual and monolingual children learn at the same pace. 3. Being bilingual has cognitive benefits.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? Home language is the foundation. It is important for babies to hear lots of rich language in their first year of life. It does not matter what language is a child’s first language. A strong foundation in children’s home language enables other language learning later on. When assessed across all the languages they know, studies show that bilingual and monolingual children learn at the same pace. In other words, children who are learning more than one language hit milestones such as learning vocabulary, combining words, and forming sentences at the same times as children learning one language. Learning more than one language has brainy benefits. When listening to language sounds, bilingual children have higher activity in the prefrontal cortex area of the brain. This area is important for cognitive skills like working memory, directing attention, and impulse inhibition. Other studies show that bilingual children are better at thinking flexibly. These skills can lead to improved mental health and academic outcomes later in life. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? You might notice that children learning more than one language are a diverse group. Some children learn two languages from birth. Others learn a home language and begin learning a second language in school. No two bilingual children have the same story! You can use cultural practices as a way to support home language growth. For infants, tell stories and sing songs in your home language. Notice how infants respond to whatever language or languages are familiar. Be on the lookout for children’s attempts to communicate with you. Infants will use mostly nonverbal methods, like pointing and gestures. Toddlers may not have the English abilities of some of their peers yet, but this does not mean they have learning delays. How can you tell that they are communicating? Older children who are bilingual will sometimes use both languages in the same sentence. This is called code mixing and it is a sign of language mastery! This tells us that children are using whatever language resources they have to communicate.

This document was developed with funds from Grant #90HC0012 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, and the Office of Child Care by the National Center for Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. This resource may be duplicated for noncommercial uses without permission.

TRY THIS! Talk to babies a lot and early—well before the baby starts talking back. Don’t simplify your language for dual language learners. Encourage families to speak to children in their home language from birth. Model language by using full and complex sentences. Notice how attuned babies are to the words you are using. When do they respond and seem the most interested? Does your voice take on a higher pitch and transform into a sing-song tone? This is called “parentese.” It helps children focus on you and it leads to later language development. How do you have a conversation with an infant, or child that does not yet speak your language? When you say something and pause, they will respond with a noise or an action, a babble, or an action. Help parents recognize when they should talk, how, and how to support back and forth interactions in a “conversation” with their child. You can help parents understand that knowing two or more languages is a special cognitive skill. Demonstrate what problem solving looks like in infancy. Perhaps the baby can get cereal out of a cup, or pull a blanket to reach a toy. Make sure that screenings and assessments are conducted in all of the languages a child knows. This will accurately reflect their language knowledge. Cognitive flexibility is naturally built by a bilingual experience, but everyone can practice these skills. Try sorting laundry first by color and then by item. Switching rules over time helps children think flexibly. Try games that ask children to practice controlling their impulses, like Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light. LEARN MORE: DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS TOOLKIT

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/culture-language/article/dual-language-learners-toolkit STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING ALL DUAL LANGUAGE LEARNERS

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/dll-strategies.pdf

CONNECTING AT HOME

BRILLIANT BILINGUAL BABIES Babies are remarkably good at learning languages in their first year of life. A solid foundation in a child’s home language is key to later language success. Learning more than one language has many benefits! When children know their home language they are more connected to their family, community, and culture. CONNECT

MODEL LANGUAGE

It’s never too early to help your child build their cultural identity. What brings your family together – birthdays, weekly dinners, or celebrations? Involve your infant and toddler in these events. Let your child meet other people who speak your home language.

Infants need to hear language to learn language. Speak to your infant in whatever language you feel most comfortable. Use full sentences and real words, but vary your pitch to keep infants interested. As they hear language, they are getting ready to speak.

HAVE A CONVERSATION

PRACTICE PROBLEM SOLVING

When you speak to your infant, pause to let them respond. Then respond back to them. Keep the cycle going! This back-and-forth interaction becomes a little conversation. As children get older, encourage them to communicate, no matter what language they use.

Solving problems is an important skill for children of all ages. Children who are bilingual often find more creative solutions to problems. How does your infant get a toy that is out of reach? Do they use another toy to pull it closer? Allow your infant to solve some problems by themselves. You can always help if they become upset or frustrated.

CONNECTING AT HOME

LEARNING TO GET ALONG: YOUNG CHILDREN’S SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Children are social. They watch, learn, and play with others. The way you talk and play with your child helps them develop healthy emotions. These early positive relationships serve as a model when children begin making friends. The following tips can help you support your child as they make new friends. ENGAGING ENVIRONMENTS

MODEL GOOD RELATIONSHIPS

Children like to play with fun materials, and show their toys to friends. Lay out fun items and let your child choose what to play with! Remember some of the best toys come from items right in your home, like a large cardboard box turned into a castle or garage. Play together with toys that represent your community!

Children learn from you. Young children learn to care for others with kindness when adults in their lives show them how.

RESPOND CONSISTENTLY

Consistent, positive responses make children feel supported and valued. When your child wants attention, respond. You may not be able to give your full attention right away. But you can still show that you hear them. For example, look at your child and nod. You can also say, “I see you want me to pick up. I’ll be right there!” As children get older, you can explain what you’re doing and when you’ll be available. “I’m putting the groceries away right now, but I will be finished in two minutes.”

LET CHILDREN TAKE THE LEAD

Allow your child to choose a toy or game. Let them follow their own interests, and help them problem-solve. For instance, if children fight over a toy, resist the urge to solve the issue. Instead, give them tools to find a solution. You can suggest different options: “Maybe you can take turns!” or “Maybe Sally can find a new toy instead.” Help children think it through. With older children, let them work on their own solution.

RESEARCH NOTES

LEARNING TO GET ALONG: YOUNG CHILDREN’S SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Children learn in social relationships. Their learning is supported by strong bonds with responsive, nurturing adults. Children learn from example: adults can model how to make friends, solve conflicts, and manage emotions.

THE TAKE HOME:

1. Children learn socially, right out of the womb. 2. Children learn best in the context of relationships. 3. Children learn from example.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? Children learn socially. Babies are born social and ready to interact. They imitate us naturally, starting just hours after birth! Imitating others allows infants to start to understand that others are “like me” and also have thoughts and emotions – a prerequisite for learning from other people. Healthy early relationships boost what children expect of relationships with others and how confident they are in social settings. This is one of the reasons why young children learn best in the context of relationships. In other words, children learn through social, responsive, back-and-forth interactions with other people. Children learn from example. They notice what we do and say, even if we are not directly interacting with them. For instance, toddlers can learn new words by overhearing adults and four-year-olds can pick up on non-verbal signals from adults, such as a disapproving glance. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? How do babies form strong relationships with caregivers? Cues might differ between children, including those with suspected or identified disabilities or delays. Pay attention to the individual cues a child might give. Infants may cry for attention or look to make eye contact with parents. Older infants may look and point at what they’re interested in or follow your looks and points. Help caregivers spot these cues and respond accordingly. Babies often prefer to look at and interact with people who imitate them and follow their lead. They might look longer or pay more attention to people who are imitating them. In addition, many newborn babies will imitate your facial expressions, allowing for back-and-forth interactions just hours after birth. Have you ever noticed a child use a word or action that they were not specifically taught? Chances are that they learned from observing the adults in their life. Reflect on what they model for children even when not directly interacting with them. Help parents and caregivers do this, too.

TRY THIS! Try games that use mirroring, or that are reciprocal in nature. For example, you or a parent can sit across from a baby and do something simple but surprising or eye-catching, like stick out your tongue. See if the baby does it back! Make sure to respond with encouragement if she does. Imitating actions, looks, or gestures is a great way to follow the lead of children, especially children with suspected or identified disabilities or delays. Help parents and caregivers notice their baby’s eye gaze. For example, if a child is looking at a lamp, you might say, “That is a bright light over there! Do you see any other lamps?” and follow their eye gaze. Strong relationships are built by responding consistently to a child’s needs. But sometimes parents can’t give their full attention to a child right away. You can still give a response such as looking at the child and nodding. You can also say, “I see you want me to pick up. I’ll be right there!” Encourage parents to narrate their actions and responses using rich vocabulary and complex sentences. Even if the baby does not understand yet, they are building their language skills with your support! Adults can model how to make friends, manage emotions, and interact with others. Label children’s positive behavior, in any language: “Wow, you asked Joe for the crayon so nicely!” Talking to children about emotions is especially helpful in supporting children with suspected or identified disabilities or delays. You might say, “I see that Shelby has been playing with that toy for a while. Waiting to play must be hard.” You can help parents practice this skill. LEARN MORE: HEAD START EARLY LEARNING OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK (ELOF)

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/article/head-start-early-learning-outcomes-framework FACILITATING CHILDREN’S FRIENDSHIPS: THE ADULT’S ROLE IN SUPPORTING PEER RELATIONSHIPS

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/adults-role-supporting-peer-relationships NEWS YOU CAN USE | FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL READINESS: SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/nycu-social-emotional-development.pdf

CONNECTING AT HOME

LIT TLE SCIENTISTS: BUILDING EARLY STEAM SKILLS STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Children use STEAM skills all the time when they wonder, explore, solve problems, and communicate. STEAM learning is based on making observations, creating, asking questions, and exploring. STEAM is all around us, ready to be discovered by young explorers. USE YOUR SENSES

EXPLORE TOGETHER

Explore with touch, smell, taste, sound, or sight. For example, help your child compare how objects feel. Which is rough, soft, smooth, or squishy? Together you can make observations about how something feels. After exploring, create something new with the materials. These skills are important for STEAM learning.

A key part of helping your child enjoy STEAM is to do STEAM activities together. Children learn from other people, and they enjoy learning with others. For example, consider ways to make music as a group. Working together makes activities more meaningful and fun! LOOK OUTDOORS

ASK QUESTIONS

Ask questions to guide your child’s learning. Listen to their response. For infants, watch for their responses. Then expand upon it. It’s ok if you don’t know all the answers! It’s not about right or wrong. The important thing is that you and your child observe, question, predict, explore, and reflect together.

Looking for STEAM inspiration? Try exploring outdoors! For example, you could ask “Do you see any birds? Let’s see if we can find more! Where else might we see birds?” You don’t have to go far to explore nature. If you live in a city, you can count bugs on the sidewalk or talk about the direction of the wind. You can also bring the outdoors inside by collecting leaves in the park.

RESEARCH NOTES

LIT TLE SCIENTISTS: BUILDING EARLY STEAM SKILLS STEAM learning is based on making observations, asking questions, making predictions, exploring, and reflecting. STEAM skills help us analyze information, think creatively, and solve problems. We use STEAM skills every day, from packing a car trunk to predicting how another person will react to a specific event.

THE TAKE HOME:

1. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. These topics are linked together because they rely on a common focus and approach. 2. STEAM is about asking questions and trying to figure out how things work. 3. Children naturally use STEAM skills to learn and explore their surroundings and make sense of the world.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. These topics are linked together because they rely on a common focus and approach. They all require gathering and using evidence to gain knowledge, create new things, and solve problems. STEAM is about asking questions and trying to figure out how things work, not about what facts you know. Infants and young children naturally use these STEAM skills to explore and learn about the world through play. Children act like scientists - they make observations and run experiments to see what will happen. In fact, more than half of children’s natural playtime is spent playing a science or math-related activity. Research indicates that early STEAM skills provide a strong base for school readiness.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Children learn by exploring on their own, but they also depend on adults to guide their learning. You can help children enjoy STEAM by doing STEAM activities together. Early skills like creative thinking and problem solving establish the foundation for later learning and build confidence in STEAM areas. You don’t need to know a lot about science or have special equipment to teach children about STEAM. Pay attention to what children are interested in—this is a great place to start! For example, a child might notice that his shirt got wet while he was washing his hands, and it feels heavier. Encourage the child to explore what types of things absorb water. Does a sponge or a block get heavier when you put it in water? Which one makes a better print on a piece of paper? Help parents practice asking open-ended questions like “Why might that be?” or “What else could we try?” Remember, STEAM is about asking questions and trying to figure out how things work – not which facts you know! Children naturally act like scientists. For example, an infant may predict that if she drops a toy, it will fall to the ground. She might then experiment with dropping different objects from different heights. Or, a child might explore different ways he can move his body patterns as he dances to music. He might try jumping to the beat of the music or moving his arms and legs in a coordinated way. Help parents recognize the observations, questions, and experiments their child does and think of ways to encourage their experiments and thinking. This document was developed with funds from Grant #90HC0012 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, and the Office of Child Care by the National Center for Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning. This resource may be duplicated for noncommercial uses without permission.

TRY THIS! Help children observe by asking, “What do you see?” Support curiosity by asking, “What do you want to know?” Extend children’s learning by saying, “What do you think will happen?” Support exploration by asking, “What should we try?” Help children reflect by asking, “What did you notice?” Encourage parents to notice and engage with what their children are exploring. Reflect on the kinds of STEAM play you observe in children and think about ways you can model STEAM skills in your interactions with families. Explore the outdoors and nature. You don’t need special equipment like microscopes to engage children in STEAM learning. Go outside or bring the outdoors inside! Nature is perfect for creative and active exploration and problem-solving. On home visits, help families find good spots to explore, whether it is the park down the street, or plants and trees around their home. Use materials that engage the senses. Explore with touch, smell, taste, sound, or sight. For example, bring different textured items on a home visit and have the child compare how objects feel. Observe which is rough, or squishy? After exploring, you might work together to create something new with the materials. This helps children use STEAM skills like making observations and creative thinking. LEARN MORE: NEWS YOU CAN USE: EARLY SCIENCE LEARNING FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/nycu-early-science.pdf COACHING CORNER: FULL STEAM AHEAD: USING PRACTICE-BASED COACHING TO SUPPORT THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/full-steam-ahead-using-practice-based-coaching-support-teaching-science

CONNECTING AT HOME

READ IT AGAIN! BENEFITS OF READING TO YOUNG CHILDREN Reading with your child helps build language and thinking skills. Even before children can talk, story time helps build babies’ brains.

ENJOY STORY TIME TOGETHER

READING DAILY

Make funny sounds or sing songs as you read or tell stories. Reading is a great time for back-andforth interactions with your child. This is how children learn best.

Pick a regular time to read to your child, like every morning, or at bedtime. Routines help children thrive. They may even like to hear the same books over and over again.

BOOKS INTRODUCE NEW WORDS

CREATE A DIALOGUE

Choose books in your home language that focus on different topics, like animals, noises, or shapes. This is a great way to expose children to a variety of words. Reading books with new words helps build your child’s vocabulary.

Talk to your child about the pictures in the book. “See the duck? The duck is yellow! What else in this picture is yellow?” Storytelling can go beyond the words on the page. This helps children build language and thinking skills.

RESEARCH NOTES

READ IT AGAIN! BENEFITS OF READING TO YOUNG CHILDREN Story time is important for brain development, even for babies who do not talk yet. When you read with children, they are connecting the words you say to the pictures on the page, to the things in their world. All of those connections are brain connections!

THE TAKE HOME:

1. Even before they can talk, children need to hear language to support brain development. 2. Reading and telling stories with children is a great way to expose them to a rich variety of words. 3. With language, both quantity and quality matter.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? Infants pick up on language earlier than we realize. In fact, research shows that babies’ brains prepare to speak months before they say their first words. In order to complete this important brain preparation, children need to hear language. Books provide a great opportunity for back-and-forth interactions with older children. This supports word learning and pre-literacy skills. The quantity of words that children hear is important for language development, but so is the quality of language that they hear. Quality of language can refer to word diversity and to the quality of the speech signal. It is important to use new and different words for children to expand their vocabulary. Books often include words that adults would not otherwise use, like names of plants or animals. Research shows that babies prefer infant-directed speech, or ‘parentese.’ The slow, exaggerated sing-song voice grabs babies’ attention and helps them identify individual sounds. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Although some infants will listen to books, other infants want to turn pages and chew on corners. That’s ok! Any interaction that infants have with books is good. As they get older, the interactions will become more focused and intentional. Toddlers may like to hold the book and turn the pages. They may also like to help tell the story. Pause during stories that they have heard many times and let them fill in the missing words. Or ask them to tell you the whole story. Dialogic reading is a type of interactive reading. When adults ask children questions, explain new vocabulary, and relate the story to a child’s life, they are engaged in dialogic reading. This helps young children develop important pre-literacy skills, like story understanding and critical thinking. You can use the words and pictures in the books you read to introduce new words and ideas to children. “This is a giraffe. Giraffes have spots and long necks. They like to eat leaves. Can a giraffe be a pet? No!” These interactions are important for growing children’s vocabulary.

TRY THIS! Make reading several times a day part of your routine. Children thrive in predictable environments. Daily reading time creates the consistency and sense of stability that children need. Reading the same books over and over also allows children to predict elements of the story and learn through repetition. Reflect on how you use books with children. How might you encourage parents to use books for more than stories? Reading is not the only way to use books to engage with children. Use the pictures in a book to tell your own story. Or encourage children to be the storyteller! Enjoy story time! Reading is a great time to interact with children. As you read together, make funny sounds or sing songs that go along with the story. During home visits, encourage parents to do the same. Adjust your interactions to match children’s age, ability, and interests. This is how children learn best. Reading to babies and young children in parentese makes it easier for them to learn a variety of new words. Parentese is linked to greater language growth in later childhood. Connect families to the local library or other ways to access books in your community. Bring books on home visits and model dialogic reading for families. LEARN MORE: NEWS YOU CAN USE: FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL READINESS: LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/nycu-school-readiness-language-literacy.pdf PLANNED LANGUAGE APPROACH: STRENGTHENING EMERGENT LITERACY AND ORAL LANGUAGE

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/big5-ts-strengthening-oral-language-eng.pdf SELECTING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE CHILDREN’S BOOKS IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/select-cultural-childrens-books-non-english-eng.pdf TIPS FOR PARENTS: CHOOSING BOOKS FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/parenting/article/tips-parents-choosing-books-infants-toddlers

CONNECTING AT HOME

YOU’RE THE BEST TEACHER! RESPONSIVE INTERACTIONS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN Children learn best from rich and responsive social interactions. Spending time together at home provides many opportunities for learning and bonding moments. Here are some tips you can try.

REACT AND REFLECT

BE A COPYCAT

Children feel supported when you listen and respond. Respond when your child requests your attention. Acknowledge that you hear them, even if you can’t fulfill their request right away.

Practice imitation with games like “Simon Says.” You can even roll a ball back and forth. Back and forth interactions help create healthy relationships and strong bonds.

LOOK AT IT TOGETHER

MAKE A SNACK TOGETHER

Use a picture book to make up a new story. What’s happening in the pictures? Ask your child to chime in. Use the book to begin a conversation. Talk about themes like feelings or making new friends.

Preparing food together can be a fun, new experience. Talk about what you observe. What colors do you see? What are the smells, textures, and tastes of foods you’re using?

RESEARCH NOTES

YOU’RE THE BEST TEACHER! RESPONSIVE INTERACTIONS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN Children learn best from rich, responsive social interactions with other people. These interactions allow children and adults to share attention and build bonds. In those interactions, adults can scaffold children’s learning.

1. Young children learn best from trusted and responsive adults. 2. Learning happens in live, back-and-forth interactions. 3. Children learn best when you respond consistently to their needs.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? Responsive caregiving builds on social, back-and-forth interactions with a child. These interactions foster trust and emotional security. They also support a child’s engagement, learning, and other positive outcomes that persist into adulthood. Building a strong relationship with at least one responsive, consistent caregiver is essential for children’s successful emotional and social skills, as well as their cognitive and problem-solving skills. Strong early relationships also help children become resilient when they are faced with stress in life. Young children learn best from real, live humans. Television and other screens are no substitute! Research highlights the importance of interactions with adults for children’s language learning, their imitation skills, and their memory development. Responding consistently to children in a back-and-forth manner also helps children learn. When adults respond to an infant’s coos and babbles, babies respond back with more advanced language sounds. The power of back-and-forth interactions is not limited to infancy. All young children learn better from back-and-forth interactions. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Children develop relationships with adults through everyday activities. Each time caregivers play with children, talk with them, and pay attention to what they are interested in, the relationship between child and adult is strengthened. From a very young age, children look to adults’ eyes to see what they are interested in and what is important. When adults and children share attention, they are learning and building the relationship. Children often imitate adult behavior. They do this to learn about the world and to behave like the adults they admire. Children are excited to interact with people who are familiar and important to them. Notice how children watch as a caregiver moves around a room. Maintain the relationship across a room by telling the child what you are doing.

Back-and-forth interactions are most powerful when the adult’s response is immediate and is dependent on the child’s behavior. This means consistent responses are important and that responses should advance the conversation. An adult does not have to respond immediately to a child every single time. Providing consistent responses over time is important. TRY THIS! Respond when children try to get your attention. You can acknowledge that you hear them, even if you can’t fulfill their request right away. Help parents be present with their children. Eliminate distractions during home visits that might divide parents’ attention. Reflect on how you integrate the culture of the family into discussions of responsive caregiving with them. Encourage parents to look for everyday moments that can be used for one-on-one interactions. These may be moments like diaper changes or riding in the car or on the bus. If a parent seems hesitant to talk to their baby before their baby is using words, let them know that even responding to a baby’s babbles is important. All of these interactions build the relationship between caregiver and child. Reflect on how you already respond contingently to children and how you might improve your responsivity. LEARN MORE: EARLY ESSENTIALS WEBISODE 8: RESPONSIVE INTERACTIONS

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/early-essentials-webisode-8-responsive-interactions FIRST CONNECTIONS: ATTACHMENT AND ITS LASTING IMPORTANCE

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/video/first-connections-attachment-its-lasting-importance

CONNECTING AT HOME

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT DIFFERENCES AND SIMIL ARITIES Noticing differences and similarities in the world is important for children. It’s how they learn. Engage children in conversations about differences and similarities between people, places, and things. Be open to their questions and observations.

HAVE A CONVERSATION

CONNECT

Be open to your child’s questions and curiosity around differences. Ask them what they think. They will learn by talking with you.

Talk about your family traditions with your child. Why do you eat the food that you do on certain holidays? What in your home represents your culture? What traditions do you keep? Why are they meaningful? Explore foods and music from other cultures and communities.

RECOGNIZE AND GUIDE

Guide and support the conversation when your child recognizes differences between people. Your child might notice that her friend’s skin is lighter than her skin. You can explain that everyone’s skin is a different color, just like our hair color and eye color are unique to us. We are all human, each with a unique set of characteristics.

READ BOOKS

Go to the library and find a new book. Talk about differences you see in the illustrations. For example, do the characters have different hair colors or styles? What are the differences between cars and trucks and animals?

RESEARCH NOTES

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT DIFFERENCES AND SIMIL ARITIES Children are remarkably good at observing differences in the world. This is an important developmental learning strategy. Adults can support children as they make sense of differences by talking to them about what they observe.

THE TAKE HOME:

1. Noticing differences between objects, people, and places is part of child development. 2. Adults can support children’s learning by encouraging them to notice and reflect on differences in the world. 3. Children use their observations to figure out how they should treat others and how others should treat them.

WHAT DOES RESEARCH SAY? Children notice differences in the world around them all the time. This is a useful strategy as children learn about the world. Through this process of critical observation, infants begin to form categories. For example, detecting differences in the leaves on a tree helps children learn about nature. Noticing differences between people helps children construct their own social identity. Talking about differences is an effective way to decrease biases and racism. Research shows that taking a “color-blind” approach, or pretending that differences do not exist, is not effective. In fact, if adults don’t help children process their observations, children will create their own ideas about what these differences mean. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Children may ask why one leaf on a tree is brown and the rest are green. Or they might ask about differences in people around them, such as skin color, daily practices and routines, language, and physical abilities. When they say, “that woman talks funny” they are really just letting you know that they notice something different. Adults can help children make sense of the differences they notice. When adults encourage children’s natural tendency to notice differences, they let children know that it is ok to make observations about the world. This relates to children’s later ability to use the inquiry cycle and scientific reasoning. Adults’ actions influence children’s attitudes about differences more than what they say. For example, look for children’s books that represent children of different genders, cultural group, and abilities. This conveys to children that all genders, cultural groups, and abilities are valued.

TRY THIS! Reflect on your engagement with parents and colleagues when cultural differences are noticed or pointed out. Not all adults feel comfortable talking about racial and cultural differences for various reasons. Adults can use tools such as self-reflection, peer-reflection, and reflective supervision to think and talk through their own experiences of feeling different in order to help children process what they are observing. Recognize when children notice differences between people and guide the discussion. For example, if a child says that a peer’s wheelchair makes him “look like a robot,” you can say, “some people use wheelchairs to get around, some people use their feet. Both are able to go where they want to go! But people in wheelchairs are people just like you.” Have a conversation. Be open to children’s questions and curiosity about the differences they notice. You do not need to have all of the answers. It is most important to be willing to have a conversation. Adults affirm a child’s observational skills by encouraging them to notice and reflect on what they see. You or a parent might ask, “what happens when we put this bottle of water in the refrigerator?” Read books. Talk about differences that appear in the books you read with children. You could say, “this girl has red hair. Her hair looks different than the brown hair on this girl. I also have brown hair. You have blonde hair. Hair comes in many colors.” Incorporate activities associated with diverse cultures, genders, and physical and mental abilities into your planned learning experiences. Invite children and families to identify culturally relevant toys in their home. Reflect on your personal biases and worldview. How do they influence your work? Reflecting on personal biases and worldview encourages vulnerability and change, both personally and professionally. LEARN MORE: HEAD START CHILD HEALTH, OFFICE OF MINORITY HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER

https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=1&lvlid=3 SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS AND SUCCESS OF YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS PROJECT: REFLECTIONS ON A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE STRENGTH-BASED APPROACH

https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/young-african-american-boys-project-guide.pdf