Culturally Relevant Methods
| Name of Strategy | Age Group
| How strategy supports an aspect of diversity that is important in early childhood education | A specific example with an explanation of this strategy will be used to support ELLs. |
| Print Rich Environment | Preschool | Students get exposed to more than one language as they are provided with prints in different languages of others. | Having printed cards with familiar vocabularies such as a chair, door, bell, and cup creates a sense of belonging for ELLs. |
| Dramatic Play | Preschool | Students engage in an imaginary play and learn through their assigned characters. | The addition of items from various cultures into the play area improves their imagination. For example, the addition of a magical wand makes them more creative in their character. |
| Cultural Celebration | Preschool | Inviting parents and guardians of diverse culture to interact with students help them to appreciate different cultures. | Students learn about different cultures and develop a strong cultural belief (Curenton & Iruka, 2013). They also learn to understand each other as they realize they have different different on specific issues and topics. |
| Labels | Preschool | Labeling objects in the classroom enables students to see the picture and the name of an object, thereby creating memories. | The name and the picture of an object enables ELLs to connect the object with the written language. For example, labeling chairs help in remembering it when they come across it in a passage. |
| Daily Routine | Preschool | A daily routine helps learners to remain calm about the different situations they encounter. | Learners hear the same words every day, which helps them to connect the words with their actions. For example, one of the learner’s daily routine is the breaks they take to play and interact with others. They will always be looking forward to break times. |
| Modify | Elementary | Modification of tests and assignments for ELLs is important to improve their understanding of the questions. | ELLs feel they appreciated it as they have similar assignments as other students. For example, teachers may assess learners’ expressive and receptive skills and help them communicate and understand different English vocabulary. According to Curenton and Iruka, (2013) Teachers should value students for speaking a language that is considered part of the student’s culture but may not be appropriate English. |
| Visuals | Elementary | Visuals help students to have a better understanding of vocabulary. | The display of visuals around the classroom helps students to remember the pictures and connect to written words. For example, pictures, maps of places improve their understanding. |
| Basic Literacy Skills | Elementary | Students are able to recognize familiar letters and sounds. They also recognize numbers. | ELLs learn alphabets and numbers in their first and second language. For example, a teacher can pronounce the letters to students and ask them to repeat. |
| Creation of a multicultural environment in the classroom | Elementary | A multicultural environment accommodates every student since they feel represented and appreciated. | Students reflect on their culture and appreciate that of other students (Iwai, 2017). For example, the display of cities, people, and familiar words helps students connect with their culture. |
| Cooperative Learning
| Elementary | Students get to learn faster when in groups with their peers. They engage in group assignments and play, thereby learning to share their opinion and appreciate each other’s perception of the assignment. | Students learn different English vocabulary shared by their peers. Cooperative learning also build trusting relationship among students and their teachers (Curenton & Iruka, 2013). For example, when students have the freedom to express themselves, they learn faster as they share their ideas with others. |
| Display of family picture | Infant/Toddler | Family pictures represent different cultures. Students can relate to the culture and learn from their family set up. | ELLs feel appreciated as they can share their family photos with their peers in their first and second languages. According to Childcare Aware of America (2020), infants become more aware of themselves, and their culture helps them develop a sense of belonging. |
| Visual Cues | Infant/Toddler | The use of pictures of body parts, letters, and gestures creates an understanding of English vocabulary among students. Teachers also help them when and create memory using pictures. | Visual cues help ELLs to remain calm and understand various activities throughout the day. For example, if they learn about body parts like legs, eyes, and ears, they will remember and touch specific body parts, thereby improves their understanding of the English language. |
| Bilingual Music | Infant/Toddler | Teachers expose students to nursery rhymes and songs that help them to develop language comprehension and vocabulary. | Using songs and nursery rhymes during group activities helps students remember the words and connect with written words. For example, songs related to animals make students identify different animals on the farm. |
| Rich Language Input | Infant/Toddler | The use of different languages creates a friendly environment for students, thereby enables them to share their thoughts with their peers and teachers. | Students can speak their home language and English language as they have time to learn and adjust the new English vocabulary. |
| Read-aloud Books | Infant/Toddler | Teachers can assign students to take turns in reading characters in a play. They learn to incorporate their cultural traditions as they share the stories. | Students understand the words as they tell the stories in groups as they use body language and props to help them relate to the story. |
References
Childcare Aware of America (2020). Teaching Children Cultural Competence in Early Childhood Education. Childcare Aware of America. Retrieved on August 24, 2020 from https://info.childcareaware.org/blog/2015/07/teaching-children-cultural-competence-in-early-childhood-education
Curenton, S. M., & Iruka, I. U. (2013). Cultural Competence in Early Childhood Education. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.
Iwai, Y. (2017). Multicultural children’s Literature and Teacher Candidates’ Awareness and Attitudes toward Cultural Diversity. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 5(2), 185-198.