Every student’s individuality deserves to be celebrated, recognized, and nurtured in order to help them thrive and reach their full potential.
Blended PreK classrooms can comprise students of different races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and abilities. This means that a typical classroom may include:
It is vital to ensure that every student feels welcomed and supported as they enter the building – especially those who may be coming to school for the very first time.
In this blog, we will explore different strategies that foster belonging for all students in the classroom.
Literacy, a cornerstone of any PreK classroom curriculum, is a surefire way to expose different cultures and abilities within a classroom setting. Building a literacy curriculum that includes a variety of races, cultures, backgrounds, and disabilities in your curriculum can help your students learn about and celebrate the unique qualities of themselves and their peers.
Placing mirror books, which are books that reflect various aspects of a child’s identity, in your classroom’s reading corner will allow students to make connections to themselves and provide affirmation that their stories matter. Children benefit greatly from seeing reflections of themselves in books, writing, and pictures.
In a PreK classroom, play = learning. When students are building with blocks or playing with costumes, learning is happening all around them. Play-based learning provides a great opportunity to celebrate differences and promote belonging. For example, in the dramatic play and/or kitchen areas, different foods and clothing from around the world can be accessible.
Sai, a learner with autism who recently moved to the U.S. from India, is struggling to adjust to her new classroom. Her teacher, Mr. Jay, recognizes the challenges Sai is experiencing and makes it his mission to celebrate Sai’s culture in the classroom. Sai began her new school on a Monday. By Wednesday morning, Mr. Jay had incorporated roti, a common food in Sai’s household, into the play kitchen area of the classroom. Sai’s face lit up when she realized that the kitchen area now includes roti. She repeatedly said “Roti” and walked around showing it to her peers and the adults.
In the classroom’s block/building area, pictures of all of the students with their different families can be displayed to foster that sense of belonging. The classroom’s art center could offer coloring pages and materials that represent a range of skin colors and abilities.
A student-centered approach recognizes that each student comes with a unique set of interests, strengths, and areas of growth. Taking small opportunities to show a student you care can go a long way.
A new student is placed in a classroom halfway through the school year without any prior schooling experience. At drop off, this student clings to his parents as his teacher welcomes him into the classroom. He spends most of the day crying while his new teachers and paraprofessionals try everything to soothe him. As the school day comes to an end, the educators are physically and mentally exhausted and feel defeated in their attempts to support the new student. After the student heads home for the day, his head teacher reaches out to his parents to find out if there are any songs, activities, or books that could help him feel more comfortable. The next day, the teacher immediately engages in conversation with the student about his favorite game to play at home. This small but impactful effort helps build a connection, making him feel safe in the classroom.
Familiarizing yourself with your students’ cultures, strengths, likes, and dislikes will help create a welcoming classroom environment.
Inviting families to share information about their cultures is a great way to celebrate each student in the classroom. You can provide parents/guardians with a form about their child’s interests, dislikes, etc., and include a section for them to indicate if they are interested in visiting the classroom to do an activity related to their family background or culture. This approach not only celebrates the student and their family but also educates other students and educators in the room.
Fostering a sense of belonging in a classroom environment enriches the learning experience and strengthens the classroom community.
If you’re interested in implementing a comprehensive, inclusive early childhood curriculum, schedule a 1:1 consultation with a member of the TeachTown team to learn more about Launch for PreK.
Contributor Bio
Carley Knight, M.Ed. is a Classroom Coach and Trainer at TeachTown, where she utilizes her expertise to support teachers working students with various disabilities. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education from Fordham University in New York. Carley has been a Special Education Teacher for 8 years and specialized in working with students with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities. Carley’s passion lies in empowering both students and individuals working with students with disabilities and making a significant impact in the field. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband and cats, and exploring the National Parks across the country!