Preschool children are perfectly capable of seeing differences in skin color and gender, they just haven’t learned to be biased by those differences. In the Montessori classroom, racial, gender, and ethnic traits are embraced as opportunities to learn about far-away places and cultural practices. And underneath, grace and courtesy are cornerstones of social interaction that transcend the ways we are different and unite us in a single society. Culture Games
A selection of items traditionally used in different cultures is a good way to learn about the many cultural aspects in Montessori preschool. A Mexican sombrero, Chinese chopsticks, and an American baseball are all items that are identified with specific cultures and races, and learning about those items teaches children to be tolerant of others and curious about the traditions that make cultures different. Embracing Diversity Through Play Preschool games like learning about cultural origins through hair color are wonderful ways to introduce preschoolers to ethnic differences. What are the origins of straight blonde hair? What country is famous for red hair? What are the origins of black curly hair? In this way, children learn that all people of the world are connected to our cultural roots and that cultures mix over time. Grace and Courtesy Around the World Every culture has different forms of social etiquette. In many instances, these differences may be displayed through using different words for things like “please” and “thank you,” but there are also differences in body language and different words for genders. Some languages even use different words to differentiate between girls and grown women, or friends and strangers. Learning to use words like “Senorita” and “amigo” make fantastic stepping stones to learn cultural diversity. Diversity in Music Most cultures have developed their own musical instruments and have different cultural styles. These differences can be subtle, like a guitar is similar to a ukelele, or pronounced, such as the partial notes used in a lot of traditional music from India as compared to European and American music. Grace and courtesy are only one aspect of learning about cultural diversity because the many differences in human cultures can be displayed in countless ways. On the other hand, learning to be polite and conscientious can be included in activities like music, tasting foods from different countries, and most other home or classroom activities. Comments are closed.
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