Scribbles Preschool Classroom Description
The preschool class at Scribbles Early Learning Program includes many children and families
who speak more than one language and call many countries in the world home. The teachers
within the classroom have worked extensively to incorporate culturally responsive practices.
The information provided below includes a summary of the classroom environment,
curriculum, and teaching practices.
The books and pictures displayed not only include and reflect the cultural diversity present
within their classroom, but incorporate cultural diversity within the larger community. Visual
representations include children and families from multiple cultural backgrounds, living in
varied authentic dwellings, and engaging in activities that are authentic in cultural
representations. For example, pictures on the walls include pictures brought in by families that
are meaningful to them, and all of the children in the classroom can see their smiling faces in
photos throughout the classroom, and also the faces of family members that are dear to them.
Photographs are displayed throughout that highlight common community activities, and
include photos from local parks, pools, and sports fields. The teachers have worked to
incorporate historical representations of various cultures, including saris and babushkas. On
Thanksgiving and Christmas, pictorial representations and books depict the first Thanksgiving,
highlighting Native Americans and pilgrims, as well as beloved stories of Santa Claus. The kids
really look forward to the Cinco de Mayo celebration the class has each year, and the teachers
use the opportunity to teach the children about Mexican culture. Holidays, according to the
teachers, are one of the most important ways that the children learn about different cultures
and these are the holidays they have chosen to joyfully commemorate year after year.
The teachers also have many activities planned during February that highlight black history.
During that month, the focus is learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which the children
seem to enjoy.
The teachers are committed to supporting the home languages of children within the
classroom community. Each teacher learns basic vocabulary in the varied languages
represented in the classroom, including greetings and basic requests/responses. Materials,
such as books, are selected and rotated based on the diversity of languages spoken in the
classroom, and songs and music that reflect each child’s home culture are included as
background music or as a part of morning meeting group activities.
Careful attention is devoted to representing males and females engaging in a variety of
different roles both in and out of the home, and art materials included ensure that children can
authentically represent their races/ethnicities in artistic representation.
Once a year, the teachers have a family night, where they create wonderful dishes reflective of
each culture within the classroom environment. This past year, the menu included tacos, chow
mein, and pierogi. The teachers even learned how to make naan. This once a year emphasis on
family cultures is an event they all look forward to.
The class utilizes the anti-bias curriculum to encourage children to explore their own beliefs
and adopt advocacy perspectives in addressing issues of intolerance that arise within the
classroom. The current focus of the classroom teachers includes specific support for helping
children understand and accept other children’s perspectives that vary from their own. The
teachers use persona dolls to address issues of bias that occur within the classroom. Narratives
are created for persona dolls based on issues presented within the environment, and children
are encouraged to discuss and explore their own values and beliefs within the context of these
narratives.
