Teaching Young Children to Be Inclusion Activists and Upstanders

• In Event: Anti-Bias and Inclusive Early Education Policy, Practice, and Perspectives in Cross-National Contexts

Abstract

The objectives of this presentation include the following: a) challenging prevailing discourses that claim that young children “don’t see differences” and therefore can’t be part of anti-bias education; b) exploring the ways in which young children can become active advocates for inclusion; c) framing the anti-bullying discourse in terms of teaching students to stand up for others (becoming “upstanders”); and, d) examining resources (including children’s books and children’s music) that can be used to teach students to be active allies working against exclusion and bullying.

Anti-bias education (Adams, Griffin, & Bell, 2007; Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010; Sapon-Shevin, 2007) is rooted in the belief that in order for anyone to challenge or resist oppression, three components are necessary: Individuals must recognize that something unfair, discriminatory, or oppressive is taking place; individuals must be able to name that injustice in some way; and individuals must have active strategies for addressing that injustice. Several discourses compete with the notion that even young children can be anti-bias activists. One, the belief that children are “color-blind” implies that they are not able to notice injustice related to skin color. The other belief is that a “good”, inclusive classroom is one in which one is not able to tell who the kids with disabilities are. Both of these arguments make it seem improbable (and perhaps even undesirable) that young children could develop their skills to be good anti-bias activists.

This research, conducted in the U.S., involves a careful analysis of early childhood activities, children’s books, and children’s music that can be used to help young children develop the skills of recognizing oppression, naming that oppression, and acting against that oppression. Particular emphasis is placed on books and music that not only identify the injustice, but that also articulate ways in which this unfairness or discrimination can be redressed. Children’s books are drawn from the growing array of “anti-bullying” books, and children’s music is drawn from the Children’s Music Network’s resources and Songs for Teaching (two prominent sources of children’s music for use in the classroom). Also included in this analysis are strategies identified for teaching young children to be allies and to resist oppression (as opposed to curriculum which focuses on teaching children to “be nice”).

A careful examination of classroom activities, children’s books, and children music reveals that it is possible to identify resources that are directly related to teaching students to be active allies and upstanders. The characteristics of these activities can be described so that it is possible to discriminate between those that focus on ally-building and advocacy, and those which are designed to teach students to be (more generically) nice to one another. As early childhood educators seek to create and maintain educational learning environments that are inclusive, and which respond to various kinds of diversity through a social justice framework, it is important to identify strategies for creating active allies and upstanders.

Author

• Mara Sapon-Shevin, Syracuse University