Mini Module 5: Home Languages and Cultures in Early Care Education Settings

A Positive Identity Development Perspective Using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Program

By Ed T. Yonamine, M.Ed., March 2004

Children with healthy social-emotional development perform better in school and life (p.7). A sense of confidence, curiosity, competence, self-control, relating to others, trust, and cooperation are traits for those children who exhibit positive self-esteem and develop a positive self-identity (p.193-194). Parents, childcare providers, and preschool teachers greatly affect how these key ingredients prepare a child for learning (p.194).

In our current times, school performance is a major societal goal that influences how we instruct a young child. Thus, it is important to maintain strategies, interactions and activities that contribute to a young child’s social-emotional development. This is critically important for those children whose home language is not English and/or have recently migrated with their families to the United States.

Early care and education practitioners believe that social experiences and daily interactions within group settings contribute to shaping a child’s efficacy, positive self-identity, and biculturalism (p.70-71). How we regard a child and his or her family, and provisions we offer, demonstrates our level of support for their home language and culture. This affect strengthens a child’s efficacy, positive esteem, and identity.

Universal Qualities

What are the universal components of a high quality early care and education program that reflect and support a child’s home language and culture?

Five universal qualities in early care and education settings are (Devereux, 1999).

Using these universal qualities, we can expand and begin to identify specific strategies to frame early care and education programming. These strategies can support children to be bilingual and bicultural in the United States.

Supportive Interaction and Nurturing Relationships

Attachment begins with a simple feeling of belonging. A key beginning is the name we are given. Names identify who you are, reveal family traditions, establish birth order, or reflect historical references. It is important to properly use and pronounce a child’s name. Proper pronunciation of names or “sign” acknowledges respect and recognition even when they are difficult or unfamiliar. This also models sensitivity and respect for all children.

Learn simple words or phrases from children and families in order to create opportunities to connect families with staff, and establish mutual trust and respect between them (p.62-71). For the deaf culture, it is learning applicable sign languages that exist in a family’s home language other than the American Sign Language. For example, a Latino family may use Mexican sign language to converse with their deaf child.

Know and understand a family’s cultural practices that are not harmful or hurtful when tailoring guidance strategies to a child and the situation (p.91).

Consider non-verbal, visual environmental cues that reflect children from different linguistic or ethnic backgrounds including the deaf culture. For example, an illustration with hands under a faucet with water flowing and titled “wash hands” in a child’s home language is a visual cue.

Talk with children in calm tones and adequate volume and at “comfortable” or “close” proximity. Stay at child’s eye level but not necessarily maintaining eye contact. Be aware of your communication style grounded in cultural and social expectations. For example, interrupting or talking over a speaker to intercede may be rude for a cultural group but perceived as a norm in another group.

Explore and use individualization strategies in classroom practices to address stress. For example, a child learning a second language may find refuge or support in his or her primary language with stories or a storybook with an audiocassette tape or music from child’s primary cultural or ethnic group.

Be sure that the learning environment reflects ethnic and cultural traits of children present in the classroom including children with disabilities. For example, on shelves that are accessible, there are materials and objects that are safe and from the family’s cultural or ethnic groups with appropriate visual displays on walls or tables.

Partnership with Families/Communities

Family partnerships begin with a sincere recognition for who they are. An initial step is to have a conversation with a parent to create a climate for inclusion and validation. Start with an appreciation to them for becoming a part of your program. Ask them what they expect from you or the program. Other topics may include what they do special as a family or like doing together daily, dreams they have for their children, their journey to arrive here in the United States, etc. Each family is different even within an ethnic, racial, or cultural group. Each family will have a unique perspective that is dependent on socioeconomic status, education, generational positions, abilities, etc. It is important to become knowledgeable about a family’s home culture. If you do not know, ask your families.

Use a child’s home or sign language in your program (p.100). A willingness to learn and value a child’s language(s) promotes trust and mutual respect. It is not about fluency and becoming bilingual or a sign translator. Avoid using children as translators for their parents. It can undermine parental authority and accurate communication (p. 42-46).

Ask parents for input in developing their child’s program or educational goals (1999). This can lead to exchanging information on a child between staff and parents, and provide information on typical developmental skills of young children to parents (p.100) . However, cultural conflicts frequently occur when program staff members do not recognize differences in an ethnic or cultural group childrearing practices and beliefs from an American value and belief system.

Seek assistance from ethnic or cultural groups to understand the social, political, and historical context related to refugee or immigration history, social orientations, communication patterns, education approaches, etc. For instance, appropriate use of verbal an/or visual approaches determine whether oral language in contrast to print literacy can promote effective communication. In addition, a cultural or ethnic group’s societal expectation affects who is literate in a home language especially when defining gender roles.

Establish and maintain funding in program budget for translation or interpretation services including printed material translations or use of sign language translators. This would define home languages other than English and sign languages as important to family support, early learning, and comprehensive services.

Activities and Experience

Incorporate home culture into a typical play environment with props, kitchen equipment, stories, music, mealtime practices, etc. – idea of “everyday” experiences. Use persona dolls that reflect disabilities, ethnicity and race to create an opportunity for discussion as to what they do daily. In addition, offer children outdoor or indoor games, songs, etc., from their culture.

Expand use of first and/or second language in classroom through auditory and visual (sounds and print) materials such as “homemade” tape recording, books with audiocassettes, compact discs, software programs, “homemade” books in child’s home language, and common label signs such as Handwashing or Art Center in child’s home language. Deaf children are included with a community approach to learning a sign language or languages that they use at home.

Practice safe and healthy routines, consistently, when a child first enters a classroom – ask questions to facilitate problem solving, show them how, and help them to remind each other. The use of nonverbal gestures and physical direction (holding child’s hands) or sign language helps when a child is not able to understand languages or verbalizations used in a classroom (i.e., Spanish, English, or American Sign Language).

Provide many opportunities for children to build language skills (p.78) in their home language(s) as well as in English and American Sign Language. It is a common construct in bilingual education that children will readily learn concepts such as letters, shapes, colors, etc., in their first language before a second language (p.29).

Daily Program and Program Design

Reflect on and examine program values and attitudes towards differences and taking action to maintain cultural relevancy and multiculturalism in practice and philosophy. For example, when program staff members reflect home languages and cultures of children and families, a program benefits because staff is familiar with, and understands, a cultural or ethnic group norms and expectations, and they ensure linguistic and cultural continuity.

Maintain low child/staff ratio and small group size. These allow children and staff to interact frequently through conversations and in one-to-one assistance or interactions especially with deaf children. Also, have predictable routines and schedules (p.68).

Communicate clear expectations and limits to all children especially when a child is not familiar with an American care and education setting. It is important to retain a bilingual staff member or a community language-specific translator or have parent(s) assist you with their child. Additionally, encourage families or children to bring their home culture and language(s) into the daily program.

Provide specialized training for program staff when families are from different ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups especially in anti-bias education or multicultural approaches. Include training on working with deaf children as a condition, not disease. Develop awareness and recognize culturally based health practices of families.

Environment

Create a home-like atmosphere that reflects children’s families, home languages, and cultures (p.52). At the main entrance(s), place a welcome or greeting banner or border art that has different languages of welcome or greetings including English and sign languages.

Offer materials and activities/experiences that promote cooperation and group play as well as individual work and belongings (p.52).

Foster children’s individuality through individual cubbies, art folders, coat hangers, toothbrushes, etc. Include items that support children’s development of a sense of self (p.52), not just a day for a child but for everyday.

Develop materials such as lotto and matching cards, one-to-one correspondence, units of sets, puzzles from simple to complex or knob- to floor-size formats, visual signs for personal hygiene and self-help routines (i.e., handwashing, toothbrushing, using restroom) in children’s home language(s).

Promoting Positive Identity Development

In college courses , students explore four fundamental questions to promote positive identity development and support children and families:

From these questions, students examine the five universal components found in quality care and education settings. As a result, with “scaffolding” - cultural relevancy, anti-bias education and bilingualism can:

In this environment, children with home languages other than English or with different cultural value other than American are able to be socially and emotionally healthy. It takes purpose and planning to make this happen. I believe every child is creative, optimistic, hopeful, persistent, active, a problem-solver, engaged, confident, a leader, empathetic to others, and self-starter.

Through the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Program, teachers and administrators improve their program quality for children and families. The DECA Program provides resources, strategies, tools, and a systematic way to accomplish outcomes for healthy attachment, self-control and initiative. Yet, “…a single critical component to quality…rests in the relationship between the child and the teacher/caregiver, and in the ability of the adult to be responsive to the child (p.16).

For a child or family whose home language is not English and cultural identity is not American, a relationship to a teacher or program is vital, and a supportive response makes a difference.

Now take this short true/false quiz on the material you just read:

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