A World of Difference: Readings on Teaching Young Children in a Diverse Society

by Carol Copple (Editor)

2003 A World of Readings on Teaching Young Children in a Diverse Society (P) by Carol Copple *** 9781928896098 ***192 Pages

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I was a homeschooler, or still a K-12 educator, I would recommend and use this book wholeheartedly. I like that there are suggestions and recommendations for how to teach young people about diversity at home and at school; many of the comments by the interviewees and/or research subjects were honest and constructive, without being judgmental or critical. There's a lot that this text brings up: differences in culture not just in terms of holidays celebrated or religion or skin color, but in how children are raised, parental expectations, parental interactions with educators, intrapersonal relationships among children, and other invisible ways people are diverse. That part, while interesting, wasn't applicable (obviously) to my needs. However, any parent could (should?) read this; it's instructive without being patronizing or know-it-all.

The one chapter that showed how, in quite a few ways, this book is already dated (it was published in 2003), dealt with same-sex couples. The language was a little cringeworthy--the author of one particular essay kept using the term "homosexual couple"--for some reason, it just seemed strange, as did teachers' discomfort around same-sex families. But, overall, the theme of this text was modeling behavior--which is my personal motto in education: I have to model the behavior(s) I want my students to have. Even for non-trained teachers, this book would be useful and helpful in exploring our diverse world.

[Amber]

1 copy available